Construction Growth · Cash Flow Management · Working Capital · Scaling Subcontractor
Growing Construction Business · Cash Flow · Working Capital · Rapid Growth · Scaling
Cash Flow When
Growing Fast.
Growth is supposed to mean more money. But in construction, rapid revenue growth almost always creates a cash flow crisis first. More jobs means more mobilization costs, more pay-when-paid exposure, more simultaneous AR gaps, and more overhead — all before the new revenue has been collected. Here's how to manage cash flow when you're growing fast.
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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
Revenue Is Growing but Cash Is Getting Tighter
You're winning more work than ever. The backlog looks great. But the bank account is getting tighter, not looser. This is the construction growth paradox — revenue growth front-loads costs before collections arrive. The faster you grow, the bigger the gap between what you're spending and what you're collecting.
02
Multiple Simultaneous Mobilizations Are Draining Cash
Every new project starts with mobilization cost — equipment deployment, material procurement, permits, crew staging — before the first pay app can be submitted and collected. When two or three projects mobilize in the same month, the combined mobilization cash drain can exceed your entire working capital reserve.
03
You're Growing Beyond Your Working Capital
Working capital requirements grow with revenue — larger projects require more upfront investment, longer pay-when-paid cycles, and larger retainage holds. A working capital base that was adequate at $3M may be critically thin at $6M. Growing into a working capital crisis is one of the most common ways construction businesses fail during their best year.
How SPM Fixes It
13-Week Cash Flow Forecast During Growth Periods
The single most important tool during rapid growth is a 13-week cash flow forecast that models every new project's mobilization timeline and collection schedule simultaneously. When you can see 90 days in advance that three simultaneous mobilizations will create a cash gap in week 6, you have time to stage the starts, restructure a pay app, or arrange a credit draw. SPM delivers this as a standard Executive tier deliverable.
Working Capital Target Scaled to Revenue
As revenue grows, working capital requirements grow proportionally. The benchmark is 10–15% of annual revenue in working capital. Going from $3M to $6M revenue means your working capital target roughly doubles. SPM tracks your working capital position monthly and advises on distribution policy to ensure working capital builds alongside revenue.
Backlog and Mobilization Sequencing
During rapid growth, the timing of project starts matters as much as the total backlog. Starting three projects simultaneously may be financially unsustainable even if each project individually makes sense. SPM helps Executive clients model the cash flow impact of proposed new project starts before they're accepted — so growth is funded, not just contracted.
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.
How much working capital do I need to double my revenue?
As a general benchmark, working capital of 10–15% of revenue means doubling revenue requires roughly doubling working capital. Going from $3M to $6M revenue means your working capital target moves from approximately $300K–$450K to $600K–$900K. If you're trying to double revenue without doubling working capital, you'll need a larger credit facility or a longer project start sequencing runway to bridge the gap.
Should I slow down growth if cash flow is getting tight?
Sometimes — and it's a legitimate strategic decision, not a failure. Taking on more work than your working capital can support creates the conditions for a cash crisis at exactly the moment everything looks best on paper. SPM helps Executive clients identify the revenue growth rate their current working capital can sustain — and what financial improvements are needed to support the next level of growth safely.
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.