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Construction glossary

What is Long-term Debt?

Long-term debt, in the context of the construction industry, refers to financial obligations that a construction firm or contractor needs to pay back over a period extending beyond one year. This could include bank loans, bonds, lease obligations, or mortgages secured for construction projects that are due over an extended time period. The purpose of such debt typically covers buying equipment, land acquisition, building construction, or any major capital-intensive activity that is invested in the growth and expansion of the company's operation. It is key for cash flow management and financial planning, as repayment schedules are set over multiple years which reduces the immediate financial burden. However, this requires effective management to avoid risk of default. Therefore, managing long-term debt is a critical aspect of a construction firm's financial strategy. If not handled properly, high long-term debt can affect a company's credit rating and financial stability.

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Other construction terms

WH-347

What is WH-347?

WH-347 is a form utilized in the construction industry by contractors and subcontractors engaged in federal or federally-assisted construction contracts. This certified payroll form, issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, requires contractors to report detailed wage information for employees including hours worked, job classification, rates of pay, and deductions. The purpose of the WH-347 form is to ensure contractors are compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act regulations. Witnessed and attested to by an assigned company official, this form plays a crucial role in the transparent and fair operation of the construction industry, ensuring that workers are compensated according to stipulated guidelines and in line with labor law regulations.

Canned Reports

What are Canned Reports?

Canned reports are predefined reports that provide information about various construction processes. Unlike ad-hoc reports—which are customized each time they’re run—canned reports follow standard layouts and include pre-set fields that provide consistent information on an ongoing basis. Subcontractor account teams can set these fields to include data related to project progress, labor costs, equipment utilization, material usage, safety incidents—anything that they frequently compile for their analysis or are required to report to other stakeholders.

The key benefit of canned reports is having regularly scheduled visibility into key metrics and insights without recreating the same reports and analyses each time. This enables subcontractor accounting teams to focus less on compiling data and more on strategic analysis and monitoring. Furthermore, they provide quick, comprehensive visibility into a company’s financial processes to help accountants identify issues early on, analyze costs and variances, validate invoices, and ensure compliance on an ongoing basis.

Canned reports are typically generated from construction project management or accounting software. However, when it comes to accounts receivable (A/R) and billing reporting, Siteline takes the cake. With Siteline, subcontractors can easily:

  • View the status of all their pay apps—filterable by various project details—to stay on top of collections.
  • Track and compare GC payment times and benchmark their performance to inform bid prices.
  • Analyze overhead costs and cash flow health to optimize financial performance.
  • Evaluate A/R performance by office and project manager to identify successes and opportunities.

See for yourself! Schedule a personalized Siteline demo today and learn how our A/R and billing reporting capabilities can strengthen your construction business.

Quantity Survey

What is a Quantity Survey?

A quantity survey, also known as a bill of quantities (BOQ), in the construction industry is a detailed analysis and estimation of all parts, materials, and costs associated with a construction project. This process is carried out by a professional known as a quantity surveyor. The surveyor evaluates the quantities of materials needed, required labor, groundwork needed, and the overall time frame of the project. They also consider other variables to provide an accurate cost analysis, like the complexity of the project, the potential risks, and the market conditions.

The main purpose of a quantity survey is to:

  • Accurately estimate the cost of a construction project: By quantifying all the required materials and resources, the quantity survey helps contractors and clients estimate the total cost of the project accurately. For subcontractors specifically, quantity surveys are used to price out the cost of their portion of the work, ensuring they quote competitively while accounting for all the necessary materials and labor.
  • Facilitate bidding and tendering: The quantity survey provides a standardized format for subcontractors to prepare their bids based on the same information, ensuring fair competition during the tendering process.
  • Control project costs: During the construction phase, the quantity survey serves as a reference point for monitoring and controlling costs, as actual quantities used can (and should) be compared against estimated quantities.
  • Manage changes: If the original scope of work changes or varies, the quantity survey serves as a baseline for evaluating and negotiating the cost implications of those changes.

A quantity survey is essential for subcontractors to accurately estimate costs, plan resources, and manage project scope. While not directly integrated, solutions like Siteline allow subcontractors to leverage quantity survey data to streamline their billing processes.

  • Subcontractors can generate payment applications in Siteline that reflect completed work items and quantities from the survey, minimizing disputes.
  • Some clients use Siteline's billing and A/R reports to help quantity surveyors and estimators account for contractors with longer payment cycles. They can either increase bids for those contractors to offset delays or revise terms to penalize late payments.
  • Siteline also seamlessly tracks change orders, enabling subcontractors to easily update payment applications and lien waivers when project scope changes, keeping everything documented and billed accurately.

By bridging the gap between contracted scope and actual billing, Siteline enables subcontractors to focus on execution while ensuring prompt, accurate payments. Experience the power of efficient payment management tailored for subcontractors. Schedule a demo of Siteline today.

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