CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTS PAYABLE MANAGEMENT.
AP management for a subcontractor means recording payables accurately by job and cost code, tracking what's due and when, and putting that data directly into the cash flow forecast. SPM records and tracks AP activity as part of every engagement but doesn't execute payments on the client's behalf, the same recording-only scope boundary that applies to AR.
Payables are usually the least examined half of a subcontractor's cash position. AR gets watched because money is coming in, while AP stays in a folder until a vendor calls. Left that way, due dates and available cash move independently until a vendor payment becomes a scramble instead of a planned event. SPM records AP by job and cost code and adds the due dates to the same 13 week forecast that includes AR and payroll, so payables get planned for. Cutting the check or sending the transfer stays with you.
WHAT IT MEANS.
Accounts payable management for a subcontractor is the work of recording payables accurately by job and cost code, tracking what's due and when, and putting those due dates straight into the cash flow forecast.
AP recorded by job and cost code does double duty. It gives the cash forecast a real picture of what leaves the account in the next 13 weeks, and it puts vendor and material cost against the correct job in the job cost report without a separate reconciliation later.
WHERE IT GOES WRONG.
"AP is simple, we just pay bills as they come in"
Paying reactively as bills reach the desk, without tying due dates into a cash forecast, is how payables and available cash move apart until a payment becomes a scramble. The bills aren't the problem. Not knowing which week each one is due, against what's coming in that same week, is the problem.
"Our cash forecast is mostly about collections anyway"
A forecast built only around AR misses the payables side entirely, which is half the picture. Accurate AP tracking is as essential to a reliable cash position as AR aging is. Knowing what's owed and when it's due is as important as knowing what's expected to come in.
"You keep our books, so you probably cut our vendor payments too"
SPM records and tracks AP accurately and includes it in the cash forecast, but doesn't execute payments on the client's behalf. That boundary is consistent across every SPM engagement. You keep control of what goes out the door and when, with a forecast that tells you what the account can support.
RESEARCH FROM OTHER SOURCES.
These figures come from another company's survey, not from SPM's clients. Each one cites the report and the page.
Billd's 2026 National Subcontractor Market Report found 79 percent of subcontractors use supplier terms to buy materials, and 77 percent have supplier terms of 45 days or less.
Source: Billd, 2026 National Subcontractor Market Report, page 9 (survey of 623 respondents, published May 13, 2026).
The report's text says 77 percent and its chart for the same question reads 78 percent.
Billd's 2026 National Subcontractor Market Report found 41 percent of suppliers raised material costs for customers who pay outside of terms, by an average of 9 percent.
Source: Billd, 2026 National Subcontractor Market Report, page 13 (survey of 623 respondents, published May 13, 2026).
THE OUTPUTS, NAMED.
FLAT MONTHLY FEE. NO SURPRISES.
Three tiers, priced by your trailing twelve month revenue. Which one you're in depends on how much of the work you want off your desk. No hourly billing. No payroll. The one-time onboarding fee is right here in the table.
| Last 12 months revenue | Monthly fee | One-time onboarding |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1M | $1,900 to $3,300 | $1,000 |
| $1M to $3.5M | $2,600 to $5,300 | $1,500 |
| $3.5M to $6.5M | $3,800 to $8,300 | $3,000 |
| $6.5M to $9.5M | $5,100 to $11,800 | $4,500 |
| $9.5M to $12.5M | $6,100 to $14,900 | $6,000 |
| $12.5M to $15.5M | $7,400 to $17,650 | $7,500 |
| $15.5M to $18.5M | $9,400 to $22,400 | $9,000 |
| $18.5M+ | Quoted individually | Quoted individually |
The onboarding fee covers migrating your books back to the start of your last taxable year and getting you fully operational in 60 days. It's billed once, with your first invoice. It's the same for all three tiers. Your first month is prorated, and your monthly engagement starts on the first of the first full month.
Range reflects the three tiers below. Which one you're in depends on how much of the work you want off your desk. No payroll. No hidden line items. The onboarding fee is right here in the table.
You stop guessing.
You get the CFO work. Job costing built against the way you estimate, a 13 week cash forecast, monthly WIP, and a meeting every month that ends in decisions and never in a report.
Your bookkeeper still does the books.
Every job shows its margin while it is still open.
Everything in Core, plus the bookkeeping and bank reconciliations done for you, and the job costing and WIP software set up, loaded with your cost codes, and managed every month. Use your own online software, or move to ours and we cover it.
A bookkeeper we choose does the books and reconciliations. No payroll.
You approve, and the money side gets handled.
Everything in Strategic, plus a controller we choose who handles your bills and receivables for you the way an in-house controller would. They call vendors, pay the bills and keep the accounting current. We plan the cash flow first, and you approve every payment because it is your money.
A controller we choose does the payables and receivables. No payroll, no pay applications, no collections.
FREQUENTLY ASKED.
