Construction cash flow is not like other businesses
A retail business collects revenue when the customer pays. A service business bills on completion. A construction company manages a complex timeline where costs go out the door for weeks or months before payment arrives, retainage sits on the balance sheet for the life of the project, and cash position can swing dramatically from week to week.
Managing that correctly requires someone who understands project accounting, not just general accounting. Most small and mid-size contractors do not have that on staff.
The three financial problems Oklahoma contractors have most often
Cash flow management across multiple projects with different billing cycles and completion timelines. It is easy to be profitable on paper and broke in practice. A fractional CFO builds the cash flow model that makes the timing visible.
Bonding capacity and bank relationships. Surety companies and banks underwrite construction companies based on financial strength, working capital, and balance sheet quality. A fractional CFO manages the financial presentation and the relationships that determine how much bonding capacity you can access.
Job costing and project profitability. Many construction companies know their overall margin but not their project-level margin. Some jobs make money. Some lose money. A fractional CFO builds the reporting that makes project performance visible so you stop repeating the jobs that hurt you.
What the engagement looks like
Monthly financial review with project-level detail. Cash flow forecasting across the project pipeline. Banking and bonding relationship management. Budget versus actual analysis by job. Support for estimating and bid strategy when the financial data is informing the decision.
The engagement fits around the rhythm of the business. Construction does not have a consistent weekly cadence. A fractional CFO adapts to that.
Who Scissortail works with
General contractors, specialty contractors, and construction-adjacent businesses in Oklahoma in the $2M to $20M revenue range. Companies that are growing, companies preparing for bonding capacity expansion, and companies that have hit a rough job or two and want to understand what happened.
If you want to talk about what your construction business looks like financially, the conversation starts here.