Overtime · Job Costing · Labor Cost · Construction Finance · Schedule Recovery
Overtime Cost · Job Costing · Labor Burden · Construction Labor Management · Schedule
Overtime Cost in
Job Costing.
Overtime is the most expensive labor decision in construction — and the one made most often without a clear picture of the true cost. Time-and-a-half on base wage is just the beginning. The burden cost on overtime hours, the productivity loss from fatigued crews, and the long-term schedule impact of burning crews through overtime all add cost that most job costing systems don't capture clearly.
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SPM vs. Other CFO Firms
Most CFO Firms Serving This Trade
- High revenue minimums — most won't serve under $5M
- Advisory only — no bookkeeping, no implementation
- No job costing setup or ControlQore management
- No monthly WIP as standard deliverable
- No pricing published — discovery call required
- No vetted partner network for bonding, lending, or liens
- No prevailing wage specialty
The Construction CFO — SPM
- Serves $1M–$12M — starts at $1,900/month
- Full implementation — bookkeeping, job costing, CFO advisory
- ControlQore setup and managed for you every month
- Monthly WIP standard in Executive tier
- Full pricing published — no discovery call to find out costs
- Vetted partners for bonding, lending, lien services, payroll
- Prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon specialty
What We See in This Business
01
You're Using Overtime to Fix Schedule Problems Without Seeing the True Cost
When a project falls behind, the instinct is to authorize overtime. The foreman says they need it. The GC is pushing on schedule. You approve it. But most contractors don't have a clear picture of what that overtime decision actually cost the job — because overtime premium and the burden on overtime hours aren't tracked separately from regular labor in most job costing systems.
02
Overtime Burden Is Higher Than You Think
The premium on overtime base wage is 50% — time-and-a-half. But the burden cost on overtime hours is calculated on the full overtime rate in most cases — FICA, workers comp, and other burden components apply to the overtime wage, not just the base wage. True overtime cost per hour can run 1.6–1.8 times the regular fully-loaded hour rate depending on your burden structure.
03
You're Not Seeing Overtime Cost by Job
If overtime cost isn't coded separately in job costing, you can't see which jobs are consuming overtime, whether the overtime was authorized by a GC change order, and whether specific project conditions are consistently generating overtime cost that should be recoverable.
How SPM Fixes It
Overtime as a Separate Cost Code in Job Costing
SPM sets up overtime as a separate labor cost code in ControlQore — distinct from regular labor — so every job's overtime cost is visible separately from base labor cost. When you review job cost at the end of a month, you can see exactly how much overtime each active project consumed and compare it to what was estimated or what was authorized.
True Overtime Cost Calculation
For Executive clients, SPM builds true overtime cost rates into ControlQore labor rate structures — accounting for the premium wage rate and the burden on that premium rate. When an overtime decision is being made, the true cost per overtime hour is known, not estimated. That number changes the calculus on whether overtime is the right financial decision or whether other options — additional crew, schedule restructuring, change order claim — are more cost-effective.
Authorized vs. Unauthorized Overtime Tracking
When overtime is GC-directed or caused by conditions outside your control, it may be recoverable as a change order or delay claim. SPM tracks overtime cost by authorization source — GC-directed, schedule recovery, weather-related — so the documentation supporting a change order claim for overtime cost exists at the time the claim is submitted, not reconstructed months later.
Service Tiers
Tier 01
Core Financial
Starts at $1,900 / month
- ControlQore setup and management
- Job costing aligned to your estimate structure
- Cost-to-complete tracking — updated monthly
- Full-service bookkeeping — minimum 30 min/week
- Vendor payments via ACH (you approve, we initiate)
- Accounts receivable management
- Bank reconciliations and transaction matching
- Controllership
- 1 monthly CFO meeting
- 60-day onboarding — books migrated to last taxable year
Most Popular
Tier 02
Executive Financial
Starts at $2,900 / month
- Everything in Core Financial
- Monthly WIP schedule — delivered every month, standard
- 13-week cash flow forecasting
- CEO Report — monthly financial dashboard
- 3 CFO advisory meetings per month
- Strategic accountability and actionable to-dos
- Direct access to Josh Luebker
Pricing by Revenue
Revenue Range
(Last 12 Months) |
Core Financial
Monthly |
Executive Financial
Monthly |
| Under $1M | $1,900 | $2,900 |
| $1M – $3M | $2,600 | $3,600 |
| $4M – $6M | $3,800 | $5,500 |
| $7M – $9M | $5,100 | $6,900 |
| $10M – $12M | $6,100 | $8,500 |
| $13M+ | Quoted | Quoted |
Vetted Partner Network
National Lien Services
When AR gets too long, we connect you directly to our lien services partner to protect what you've earned.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Payroll Integration Partners
Prevailing wage and regular payroll software partners integrated directly with ControlQore job costing.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Bonding Partners
Surety relationships and bonding capacity support. We prepare the financials — our partners get you bonded.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Lending Partners
Working capital lines and equipment financing through vetted lenders who understand construction.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Reviewed Financials
CPA-level financial statement reviews for banking, bonding, and large contract requirements.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
CPA Coordination
We work alongside your existing CPA — not replacing them. Clean books and job costing make tax time easier.
Included — no extra cost
Common Questions
Straight answers.
When does authorizing overtime make financial sense?
Overtime makes financial sense when: the cost of overtime is less than the cost of a schedule delay (liquidated damages, extended general conditions, or lost opportunity cost), the overtime is recoverable from the GC as a change order, or the project bonus for early completion exceeds the overtime premium. It rarely makes financial sense as a routine productivity tool — the true cost per productive hour of overtime labor is almost always higher than adding a second shift or an additional crew at regular time.
Can I bill a GC for overtime I authorized to recover a GC-caused delay?
Yes — if the delay was caused by the GC and your contract allows recovery of acceleration costs. Acceleration claims require contemporaneous documentation of the delay cause, the overtime authorized in response, and the cost of the overtime. SPM tracks overtime cost by job and by authorization source so this documentation exists when the claim is submitted.
What's included in Core Financial?
ControlQore setup, job costing aligned to your estimates, cost-to-complete tracking, full bookkeeping (minimum 30 min/week), ACH vendor payments (you approve, we initiate), AR management, bank reconciliations, transaction matching, controllership, and 1 monthly CFO meeting. Starts at $1,900/month.
What does Executive Financial add?
Everything in Core plus monthly WIP schedule, 13-week cash flow forecasting, CEO Report, and 3 CFO advisory meetings per month. Starts at $2,900/month. WIP, cash flow forecasting, and the CEO Report are Executive tier only.
Do you handle payroll?
No. We have vetted payroll software partners — including prevailing wage integrations — that connect directly with ControlQore. Those are separate engagements at additional cost.
How long does onboarding take?
60 days. We migrate your books to the start of your last taxable year, set up ControlQore, and build your job costing structure. Fully operational in two months.
What software do clients use?
ControlQore. All SPM clients run on ControlQore for job costing and WIP. We set it up and manage it — you don't have to learn it. Clients switching from QuickBooks, Sage, or other platforms migrate during onboarding.
Do you work alongside our CPA?
Yes. We work alongside your existing CPA — not replacing them. Clean books and accurate job costing make their job easier at tax time.
What happens when we grow past $12M?
We have a clear graduation path. We prepare your financials, systems, and team for the transition and connect you with the right firm for your next stage of growth.