You’ve probably had this happen before: you land a big job, everything goes smoothly, the client’s thrilled… but when the dust settles, the profit is disappointingly thin. What gives?

The issue isn’t the job. It’s the details behind the scenes — job costing, scope changes, material overruns, and hours worked. Even the best jobs can quietly bleed cash if you’re not tracking the numbers during the job — not just after.

Most contractors only realize there’s a problem when it’s too late. The job’s closed, the books are finalized, and the money’s already gone.

A contractor I worked with did a $350K commercial job. It finished on time, the client was happy, and everything seemed like a win. But when we reviewed the numbers, he only netted $6,400. Why? He’d missed billing two change orders, his crew ran 100 hours over, and the sub’s invoice came in higher than expected — but no one caught it in time.

We built a mid-project job costing review — every job got a 50% progress report and 80% pre-wrap audit. It only took 15 minutes, but it helped catch issues in real time. His average job profit improved by 9% in just 3 months.

Good jobs don’t automatically mean good profit — unless you manage them that way.

Want to make sure your best jobs actually make you money?

Pick up your free copy of my new book, “The 7 Minute Conversation-How to Hear the Story Your Small Business Financial Statements Are Telling You-CONTRACTOR EDITION”.  Go to www.7MinuteConversationBook.com

Ready to find out where your cash and profits are really going? Book your free 15-minute Profit and Cash Flow Call with me. No pressure. Just real clarity. I’ll help you see where your money’s hiding — and what to do about it. Schedule at www.CashFlowCallWithLarry.com