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TL;DR: SPM provides fractional CFO services for sitework contractors doing $1M-$12M in commercial new construction. Job costing by phase-based: clearing, grading, utilities, paving in ControlQore, overhead rate including all real costs, WIP reporting monthly, and AR collection system that clears the backlog in 30 days. Most sitework clients find their first month's AR collection exceeds the annual SPM fee.
Sitework
The CFO for
Sitework Contractors.
You bid by the phase-based:. Your margin lives or dies in the field every week. If you find out a job is losing money at closeout it is too late. We make it visible in week two.
Published: May 2026 · Updated: May 2026
The Problem
What Kills Sitework Margins
Most sitework do not know a job is losing money until it is done. The estimate looked right. The crew was working. But the actual cost per phase-based: clearing, grading, utilities, paving was running over estimate for three weeks and nobody knew it until closeout.
01
Scope Creep With No Documentation
The sitework scope on a commercial pad site grows by 20% during construction - additional clearing, underground relocations, grading revisions from design changes. None of it gets documented as a change order because it happens gradually and the GC says they will take care of it.
02
Phase Overlap Blurs Job Cost
Clearing, rough grading, underground utilities, fine grading, and paving all run simultaneously on a large site. Without phase-based cost codes the job cost looks fine in aggregate while one phase is running 30% over estimate.
03
Mobilization Underbilled on Long-Duration Jobs
A 90-day sitework job mobilizes twice - initial setup and a second mobilization after utility conflicts pushed the schedule. The SOV has one mobilization line. The second one is absorbed silently into operating cost.
Prevailing wage note: Sitework contractors doing DOT and municipal work have additional fringe benefit requirements of $12-$20/hour above base wages. SPM calculates separate overhead rates for prevailing wage and private work. Prevailing wage CFO services →
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a CFO for sitework contractors do?
A fractional CFO for sitework contractors builds the job costing structure aligned to the estimate - cost codes by phase-based: clearing, grading, utilities, paving - so actual cost per unit is visible weekly against estimated cost per unit. They manage WIP reporting, overhead rate calculation, billing calendar, and monthly cash flow. The result: you know which jobs are winning and which are losing before you cannot do anything about it. All SPM clients run on ControlQore - purpose-built for construction job costing at $1M-$12M.
What overhead rate should sitework contractors use?
Sitework Contractors at $1M-$3M typically run 13-15% overhead. The most common errors are missing owner compensation at market rate and not including equipment depreciation or vehicle fleet in the SG&A calculation. Each of those understates the real overhead rate and underprices every bid.
What are the most common cash flow problems for sitework contractors?
Three consistent problems: schedule of values that underbills early phases which are the most cash-intensive work, overhead rate below actual because ownership costs are not fully included, and AR sitting uncollected at 45+ days with no follow-up system. Most sitework contractors have all three simultaneously. SPM fixes all three in the first 60 days.
What gross margin should sitework contractors target?
Sitework Contractors at $1M-$12M in commercial new construction typically target 18-24% gross margin. Margin below the lower end of that range usually indicates a markup problem, an overhead rate understatement, or job costing that is not capturing all direct costs accurately.
Do you handle payroll?
No. SPM does not handle payroll. We have vetted partners including prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon integrations that connect directly with ControlQore at additional cost.
How long does onboarding take?
60 days. We migrate your books to the start of your last taxable year, build your ControlQore job costing structure, and get you fully operational in two months.
What software do you use?
All SPM clients run on ControlQore - purpose-built for construction job costing and WIP reporting at $1M-$12M. More capable than QuickBooks for job costing, more affordable than Sage. We set it up and manage it.
Do I need clean books to start?
No. Most clients come with messy books and no job costing. That is exactly what onboarding is for.
