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General and Administrative Costs (G&A)
What are General and Administrative Costs (G&A)?
General and Administrative Costs (G&A) in the construction industry refer to expenses associated with day-to-day operations that are not directly tied to a specific project. These are necessary costs for a business to operate but are not easily assignable to a particular construction job. They typically include office rent, utilities, office supplies, insurance, legal fees, accounting services, salaries of non-project related staff, and other management expenses. It's important for construction businesses to carefully manage G&A costs as they can significantly impact the profitability if not monitored and controlled carefully. These costs are usually spread proportionately across various projects, based on some measure like total project labor costs. A high amount might indicate inefficiency, while a very low amount could suggest underinvestment.
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Other construction terms
What is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the construction industry refers to a suite of integrated software applications designed to automate and control the core processes of a construction company. It serves as a central platform that facilitates the flow of information among different business functions such as accounting, human resources, procurement, project management, risk management, and compliance. ERP systems simplify data-driven decision making by providing real-time insights into every aspect of the construction project which include, but aren't limited to, project costing, inventory management, and workforce allocation. By enhancing visibility and streamlining workflows, ERP systems can significantly boost productivity and efficiency in the construction sector.
What is Top-of-Chain or High-Tier?
Top-of-Chain or High-Tier refers to the superior position in a hierarchical structure within the construction industry, often denoting the entities or individuals who have the utmost authority or control. This could involve top-tier construction companies, project managers, stakeholders, or contractors who handle major decisions and oversee the whole project operations. These high-tier participants are responsible for ensuring the project is executed according to the plan, budget, and timeframe. They manage sub-contractors, labor crews, purchase materials, and communicate with clients. Their decisions have significant influence on the project's success. Being at the top of the chain, they often bear the highest level of risk, but also stand to make the most profit.
What is a Lender?
A construction lender is a bank or financial institution that provides short-term financing specifically for construction companies, developers, and builders working on construction and development projects. In commercial construction, these lenders control project cash flow by deciding when and how much money gets released throughout a project. Instead of providing all funding upfront, they release funds in phases as work gets completed and milestones are hit, which affects everyone involved in the project—especially subcontractors.
Here's how it works for commercial subcontractors: the lender has to approve each payment before the general contractor gets their money, and only then can the GC pay their subs. This means subcontractors are essentially waiting in line behind both their GC and the lender's approval process, which can stretch out payment timelines well beyond what's written in their contracts.
Construction lenders also require extensive paperwork before releasing funds, including lien waivers from all project participants and current insurance certificates. If any documentation expires or goes missing, it can freeze the entire payment process. This means subcontractors must stay organized with their accounts receivables, match their progress billing to lender draw schedules, and keep track of compliance deadlines for themselves and any lower-tier vendors and suppliers.
Siteline streamlines these A/R workflows by centralizing lien waiver tracking and submission, helping subcontractors prevent costly payment delays caused by missing documentation. Learn more here.
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