CONCRETE CONTRACTOR BILLING: PRE-POUR VS POST-POUR.
Concrete contractors who structure their SOV as a single "pour complete" line item fund all pre-pour mobilization costs out of pocket — formwork, rebar, pump trucks, labor staging — for 30 to 60 days before billing a dollar. Splitting the SOV into pre-pour mobilization, reinforcement and forming, pour completion, and finishing phases lets you bill real costs as they happen instead of waiting for the finished slab to trigger the entire contract value.
The pour is the visible event. But the cash goes out weeks before it. Rebar ordered, formwork set, pump truck scheduled, crew staged — all of that cost hits before a single yard of concrete is placed. If your SOV doesn't have a billing trigger before the pour, you're financing your GC's project for 30–60 days on every job. This page covers how to fix that with the right SOV structure.
BILLING AT COMPLETION MEANS FUNDING EVERYTHING YOURSELF.
On a $180,000 structural concrete pour — foundations, walls, elevated deck — your pre-pour costs can easily run $60,000 to $80,000 before a single yard is placed. Rebar fabrication and delivery. Form materials or rental. Pump truck reservation. Crew labor for setting and stripping. If your SOV has one line that says "Concrete Work — $180,000" and payment isn't triggered until the pour is complete and the GC approves it, you've funded $70,000 in costs with no billing event for 4 to 6 weeks.
Multiply that across three or four active pours in your backlog and you've got $200,000 or more in pre-pour costs sitting as funded but unbilled work. That shows up as a cash shortage, not a profitability problem — because the margin is real. You just haven't billed it yet.
The SOV is a financial document, not a scope summary. Every GC will accept a more detailed SOV if you can justify the line items at contract negotiation. The time to fight this battle is before signing — not after you're already cash-short mid-project.
HOW TO SPLIT YOUR SOV FOR CONCRETE WORK.
Below is a sample SOV structure for a $180,000 structural concrete scope that separates pre-pour mobilization from post-pour completion. The total contract value is identical — you're just creating billing triggers that match when costs actually occur.
| SOV Line Item | Value | % of Contract | Billing Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobilization & Site Prep | $14,400 | 8% | Contract execution + 7 days |
| Rebar Fabrication & Delivery | $27,000 | 15% | Material on site |
| Formwork Install | $32,400 | 18% | Forms set and inspected |
| Pour Complete | $54,000 | 30% | Pour complete, GC sign-off |
| Finishing & Curing | $32,400 | 18% | Final finish and cure period |
| Form Strip & Cleanup | $19,800 | 11% | Forms stripped, site clean |
With this structure, 41% of the contract value — $73,800 — has a billing trigger before the pour happens. That's the mobilization, rebar, and formwork lines billed as those costs occur, not as a lump sum at completion. Your cash gap shrinks from 6 weeks to 2–3 weeks on the heaviest pre-pour costs.
THE OBJECTIONS — AND HOW TO HANDLE THEM.
"We don't pay mobilization on sub contracts."
This is a policy position, not a contract requirement. It's negotiable. Your response: "This isn't a mobilization line — it's billing for work performed. Rebar is purchased, forms are set, equipment is on site. These are real costs with real documentation. We can provide cost backup for every line." Most GCs will accept detailed SOV lines with supporting documentation. The ones who won't are warning you about their payment culture.
"We front-load all our subs the same way — it protects the owner."
This is the GC protecting their own cash position at your expense. The response is data: your pre-pour costs represent 35–45% of the total contract value and occur 4–6 weeks before any billing event under a single-line SOV. That's not how most commercial contracts work on other trades. Press for the split. If they won't move, price the financing cost into your bid — and say so.
"Just invoice everything at pour completion and we'll fast-track approval."
"Fast-track approval" is not a payment date. Get the SOV structure in writing, or get the specific payment date in writing. Verbal commitments on approval speed do not pay payroll. If the GC won't commit to SOV splits, ask for a stored materials clause — billing for rebar and form materials once delivered and documented on site. Many GCs will accept stored materials billing even when they resist mobilization lines.
WHAT WE BUILD INTO EVERY CONCRETE CONTRACT.
FREQUENTLY ASKED.
