Cash Flow Forecasting
Profitable on Paper and Short on Cash Is a Timing Problem
Contractors fund labor and materials weeks before they collect. Add retainage, slow paying general contractors, and a growing backlog, and a profitable business can still be one payroll away from a problem.
A 13 week cash flow forecast puts the timing on the table: what is coming in, what has to go out, and where the gap lands. It is the single most useful report we build for owners under pressure.
What the forecast covers
13 week rolling cash position
Receivable collection timing by customer
Retainage release timing
Payroll and burden cycles
Material and subcontractor commitments
Debt service and lease payments
Tax and insurance timing
Line of credit availability
Scenario planning for new work
Working capital analysis
Decisions it supports
Whether the business can afford another crew
Whether to take a job that bills in arrears
When to draw on or repay a line of credit
Whether equipment should be bought or financed
Which receivables need collection pressure this week
How much cash a growth plan actually consumes
How engagements are scoped
Forecasting is delivered inside a fractional CFO engagement or as a standalone project. Scope depends on entity count, customer volume, debt structure, and update frequency.
Where this usually leads next
Most engagements start with one financial problem and grow into ongoing support.
FAQ
Questions contractors ask about this
It is long enough to see payroll cycles, material buys, and receivable timing collide, and short enough that the numbers are based on known commitments rather than guesses.
Your financial reports should answer questions.
Not create more of them.
Book a 20-minute review of your job margins, cash flow and reporting — or model a contract's cash impact first with the free analyzer.
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