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Construction glossary

What is Lump Sum Billing?

Lump Sum Billing in the construction industry refers to a fixed contract price for the completion of all work required for a specific project. This means that the contractor agrees to complete the whole project at a specific set cost irrespective of the amount of resources and time spent on the project. The contractor bears all the risk and is responsible for any cost overruns. Lump sum billing is commonly used in construction due to its simplicity, as the entire project is billed one time for one set amount.

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Other construction terms

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.

Cash Flows Statement

What is a Cash Flows Statement?

A Cash Flows Statement, specifically in the construction industry, serves as a financial document that provides a detailed summary of a company's cash inflows and outflows over a certain period. This statement plays a crucial role in understanding the liquidity and solvency of a construction company as it helps track where the funds originate and where they get spent. It is segmented into three elements: operating activities (day-to-day operations of the construction business), investing activities (acquisition or disposal of assets), and financing activities (transactions with owners or lenders). It provides invaluable information for contractors, investors, and stakeholders, enabling them to scrutinize the financial health, operational efficiency, and investment potential of the construction company.

Unconditional Lien Waiver

What is an Unconditional Lien Waiver?

An Unconditional Lien Waiver in the construction industry is a signed document from a contractor, subcontractor, materials supplier, laborer, or other party involved in a construction project, which gives up their right to place a lien on the property unconditionally, typically after they have received full or partial payment for their work or materials. It serves as a guarantee to the property owner that they will not face a lien, or legal claim against their property, for this party's unpaid work or supplies, regardless of whether the party is subsequently paid in full or not.

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