Generic accounting software cannot track labor cost per yard by pour, show which GC relationship is profitable, or flag when a job is trending toward a loss in week three. ControlQore can.
QuickBooks job tracking shows total labor cost by job. ControlQore shows labor cost per cubic yard by pour phase — weekly, compared to the estimated rate from the bid. When a pour is running at $52/yard against an estimate of $38/yard in week two, there is still time to adjust crew size, change methods, or initiate a change order conversation. At closeout, there is not.
A concrete contractor working with four GCs at 28%, 22%, 18%, and 9% gross margin respectively sees a blended P&L of approximately 20%. The 9% GC is consuming crew capacity that the 28% GC could use. Without job costing grouped by GC, the decision of where to direct capacity is made on relationship history and gut feel rather than data.
Concrete subcontractors accepting GC-drafted schedules of values without review are accepting SOV structures that underbill formwork, rebar, and mobilization — the most cash-intensive early phases — and back-load value to later milestones. On a $600,000 concrete contract, a poorly structured SOV can create a $60,000–$120,000 cash hole in the first 60 days.
SPM builds ControlQore cost codes for concrete clients by pour phase: mobilization, formwork and shoring, rebar and reinforcing, concrete pump, concrete placement (by pour), finishing, and cleanup. Labor, material, and equipment post to the correct phase. Weekly actual labor cost per yard is calculated from phase cost codes and compared to the estimated rate. Variance over 10% triggers a review.
ControlQore job attributes include GC name. Monthly reporting groups job results by GC — gross margin by relationship, average days to payment, open change orders. After six months, the pattern is clear. Concrete contractors who go through this analysis redirect 20–30% of capacity from low-margin GC relationships to high-margin ones — same revenue, meaningfully better margin.
SPM reviews every new concrete subcontract SOV before signing and recommends front-loading adjustments — mobilization line item at 5–8% of contract value, formwork and rebar billable at installation, pump mobilization as a separate line. The review takes one meeting. The cash flow benefit applies for the full duration of the project.
The WIP schedule for concrete clients is produced monthly from cost-to-cost percentage complete by job. Underbilled positions — work performed but not billed — show immediately and trigger a corrected pay app. Overbilled positions — billed more than work performed — flag jobs where billing has outrun actual progress. Both are visible before they become problems.
This contractor had no job costing system — P&L only, no per-job visibility, no labor cost per yard tracking. Overhead rate was 5% (actual was 12%). GC relationships were indistinguishable in the blended P&L.
Collected in AR in the first 7 days of engagement.
Corrected immediately. $130,000 in profit sharing paid within 12 months.
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