The schedule of values is your billing roadmap for the entire project. Build it correctly and you recover mobilization cost upfront. Build it wrong and you're financing your GC's project for the first 90 days out of your own cash.
Once a GC approves your schedule of values, that structure governs every pay app for the life of the project. A back-loaded SOV becomes a 6-month cash drain. A front-loaded SOV that recovers mobilization cost upfront changes the financial trajectory of the entire job from day one.
The rule: Your SOV should reflect when costs actually hit — not when the project is physically complete. Mobilization, material procurement, and early-phase setup happen before any significant installed work is visible. Your line items should allow billing that covers those costs as they occur.
Before you build a single line item, map when costs actually hit. Equipment mobilization — day 1. Material procurement — days 5–15. Permits and submittals — week 1–2. Early installation labor — week 2 onward. Your SOV line items should be sized so what you can bill in each pay app covers what you've actually spent in that period.
Mobilization should be an explicit line item — typically 5–10% of contract value — billable in Pay App 1 without requiring corresponding installed work. Include backup documentation: equipment delivery records, permit fees paid, material deposit receipts. Most GCs will approve a documented mobilization line item. Present it with documentation as standard billing practice.
If your contract allows stored materials billing — and most commercial contracts do — separate material procurement from installation. Materials ordered and delivered to the job site are billable before they're installed in most contracts. Front-loading materials in the SOV dramatically reduces the early cash deficit on every project.
Submit the SOV before work starts — not after. Once the GC approves an SOV, renegotiating it is difficult. Structure it correctly before work begins.
The same schedule of values template SPM uses with commercial subcontractor clients. Enter your name and email — the download link appears instantly.
No spam. Josh may follow up personally. Unsubscribe anytime.
Click below to open the SOV template in Google Sheets. Go to File → Make a Copy to save it to your own Drive permanently.
Open the SOV Template →Opens in Google Sheets · File → Make a Copy to save to your Drive
Josh may follow up with tips on using it.
SOV structuring, Pay App 1 strategy, and billing timing — included in Core Financial. Starts at $1,900/month.
Schedule a Free Call →