Construction
9 articles
What Records a Contractor Has to Keep: Lien Waivers, Certificates, Certified Payroll and the Rest
For a commercial contractor, record keeping is not filing. Lien waivers, insurance certificates and certified payroll decide whether you get paid, whether you win an audit, and whether you clear prequalification.
Financing a Contract Business: Why Bonding Capacity and Borrowing Capacity Are Not the Same Thing
A contractor has two credit limits, and most only manage one. A bank lends against your balance sheet. A surety underwrites your work-in-progress schedule. The same good year can move one and not the other.
How to Win a Workers Comp Audit: The Records That Decide It Before the Auditor Arrives
A premium audit is not really an audit of your business. It is an audit of your file. Class codes, subcontractor certificates and overtime records decide the number months before anyone shows up.
Why Profitable Contractors Run Out of Cash: Retainage, Growth, and the Gap Nobody Adds Up
Your WIP says the jobs are profitable. Your bank account disagrees. For a commercial contractor the gap between the two is usually retainage, underbillings, and the working capital that growth quietly consumes.
The Contractor Who Lost $200K Because Nobody Tracked Job Costs
A $2M construction company was bleeding cash despite full project schedules. The problem wasn't sales. It was job costing. Here's what we found and how we fixed it.
The Four Numbers Every Commercial Contractor Should See Every Month
Most contractor reporting is a P&L nobody reads and a bank balance everybody watches. The four numbers that actually run a contract business are percent complete, retainage, contract margin against estimate, and cash against profit.
How Contractors Get Paid Faster: Pay Applications, Retainage, and Who Makes the Call
For a sub working under a GC, slow payment is not a collections problem. It is a pay application that does not tie to the schedule of values, retainage nobody added up, and a phone call you do not want to make.
Managing Seasonal Cash Flow in Construction: The Contractor's Guide to Surviving Winter
Learn how to manage seasonal cash flow in construction. Build a 6-month cash reserve, smooth revenue through winter, and stop the feast-or-famine cycle that kills profitable contractors.
The Chart of Accounts That Actually Makes Sense: How to Structure Your Books for Real Insights
Learn how to set up a chart of accounts that makes your P&L readable and your financial decisions easier. Practical guidance for construction, dental, medical, and professional service businesses.