You’re slammed with jobs.
Crews are working.
Invoices are going out.
But your bank account says otherwise.
You should be making money — but it doesn’t feel like it.
The P&L shows a “profit,” yet there’s not enough to cover next week’s payroll.
You’re floating material costs while waiting on draws.
And trying to figure out if you actually made money on that last job? Forget it.
The truth is: most accounting services weren’t built for construction companies.
They were built for salons, cafes, and online shops.
Not for businesses managing $250K jobs with 20 vendors, three draws, and five change orders.
And that’s why it’s failing you.
What Makes Construction Accounting So Different?
Construction isn’t like most businesses. You’re not selling a widget at a fixed price. You’re managing chaos — moving targets, custom work, field crews, and cash that never shows up when you need it.
Here’s where generic accounting falls short:
1. Job Costing — or Lack of It
Most bookkeepers track expenses by category: fuel, materials, labor.
But that tells you nothing about how each job is performing.
Without job-level tracking, you’re flying blind. You might be killing it on one project and bleeding out on another — and not even know it until tax season.
2. Timing of Cash vs. Profit
You can be profitable on paper and still go broke.
Why? Because in construction, the cash usually shows up after the work is done.
Meanwhile:
- You’re fronting materials
- Covering payroll
- Waiting on invoices or draw payments
Standard accounting doesn’t explain this.
It just shows a “profit” number that feels like a lie.
3. Change Orders, Retainage, and Progress Billing
Try explaining that to your average accountant.
Most don’t understand:
- Why 10% retainage matters
- How a delayed CO messes up your margin
- What underbilling vs. overbilling means for cash flow
You need someone who knows that stuff cold.
What to Fix First: The 3 Numbers Every Contractor Needs to See
Before you hire another crew or bid your next big job, there are three numbers you need to see — clearly, consistently, and in plain English.
1. Job-Level Gross Profit
You need to know what each job actually made you after materials, subs, and labor.
If you can’t answer:
- “Which job made me the most?”
- “Which job lost me money?”
…then your books aren’t helping — they’re hiding.
2. Cash Flow Forecast
This is the number that keeps contractors up at night.
You’re profitable, sure. But do you have enough in the bank to:
- Cover payroll next week?
- Order materials for that new job?
- Pay yourself?
A 30- to 60-day cash forecast lets you plan — not panic.
3. Owner Pay Target
You’re not just running a business.
You’re building a life.
You should be able to say, “I want to take home $X/month,” and have a plan to get there — based on real numbers, not hope.
Because if everyone else is getting paid but you’re not, that’s not a business. That’s a trap.
How the Right Accounting System Changes Everything
When your accounting is built for construction — not just lumped in with everyone else — things start to shift:
✅ You bid smarter
With job costing in place, you see what types of work are most profitable — and which ones to stop chasing. No more gut-based pricing. No more “hope it works out” estimates.
✅ You get ahead of cash crunches
A real cash flow forecast lets you see the dips coming.
That means you can:
- Push draws before it’s too late
- Delay a start date if needed
- Avoid “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul”
✅ You actually get paid
You didn’t start this business to be everyone else’s bank.
With the right system, your profit is visible — and your pay is part of the plan, not just a leftover.
And when the numbers are clear, your decisions get better.
You stop guessing.
You stop overworking.
You finally feel in control.
Want to See Your Numbers Clearer — Without the Headache?
If your accounting isn’t built for construction, it’s not built for you.
That’s exactly why we created the Free Profit Checkup — a quick diagnostic to help you:
- Spot margin leaks hiding in your jobs
- Understand where your cash is really going
- See what needs fixing (and what doesn’t)
It’s free. It’s practical. And it’s built for contractors.
👉 Take the Free Profit Checkup and start making decisions with clarity — not guesswork.