Subcontractor Invoices · AP Management · Lien Waivers · Payment Approval · Construction
Subcontractor Invoices · AP Management · Lien Waivers · GC Financial Management
Subcontractor Invoice
Management.
For general contractors and self-performing GCs who manage subcontractors, invoice management is one of the most operationally complex financial functions. Approval workflows, lien waiver collection, conditional vs. unconditional releases, payment timing, and job cost coding — all of it has to work correctly or you're either exposed on lien liability or miscoding costs to jobs.
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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
Invoices Get Approved Without Lien Waivers
Paying a subcontractor without collecting a conditional lien waiver is one of the most common and expensive mistakes GCs make. If you pay a sub and they don't pay their supplier, the supplier can potentially lien your project — even though you've already paid the sub. Conditional lien waivers protect you. Paying without them means you've waived your protection.
02
Subcontractor Invoices Aren't Coded to Jobs
When subcontractor invoices get processed as a general AP entry rather than coded to specific jobs and cost codes, job costing understates cost, cost-to-complete estimates are wrong, and WIP is inaccurate. The bookkeeping convenience of processing invoices quickly costs you financial visibility on every active project.
03
Payment Timing Doesn't Match Your Collections
If you're paying subcontractors in 30 days but collecting from owners in 60 days, you're advancing 30 days of subcontractor cost out of your own cash. Managing subcontractor payment timing to align with your collection cycle — or including appropriate pay-when-paid terms in subcontracts — directly affects your working capital.
How SPM Fixes It
Lien Waiver Collection as Part of Invoice Approval
SPM implements a lien waiver collection workflow tied to subcontractor invoice approval — conditional waiver required before payment, unconditional waiver collected after payment clears. ControlQore tracks lien waiver status by subcontractor and by payment so nothing gets paid without the corresponding waiver documentation.
Subcontractor Invoice Coding to Jobs
Every subcontractor invoice is coded to the specific job and cost code in ControlQore when it's entered — not processed as a general AP entry and allocated later. Job costing stays current, cost-to-complete estimates reflect actual committed cost, and WIP is accurate.
ACH Payment Execution — You Approve, We Initiate
SPM initiates subcontractor ACH payments on your behalf as part of both engagement tiers. You review and approve each payment — we handle the execution, timing, and records. Lien waiver collection is coordinated with payment execution so the workflow is complete and documented.
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.
What is the difference between conditional and unconditional lien waivers?
A conditional lien waiver waives lien rights conditional on the payment actually clearing — it takes effect when the check clears or the ACH settles. An unconditional waiver waives lien rights regardless of whether payment clears. Always use conditional waivers when paying — never unconditional waivers before payment has cleared. SPM's lien waiver workflow uses conditional waivers at payment and converts to unconditional after payment confirmation.
Should I include pay-when-paid terms in my subcontracts?
Pay-when-paid terms in your subcontracts mirror what your GC contract likely imposes on you — protecting your cash flow by not paying subs until you've been paid. Most standard subcontract forms include pay-when-paid language. The key is ensuring the terms are clearly defined, enforceable in your state, and consistently applied. This is a question for your construction attorney — SPM ensures the financial management systems work correctly within whatever contract structure you use.
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.