The problems contractors bring us

  • Jobs that made money on the bid and lost it in the field.
  • Cash that runs short between draws, even in a good year.
  • The owner doing every estimate at night because nobody else can.
  • Crews standing around waiting on materials, or on each other.
  • A good foreman quits and the schedule leaves in his head.
  • Revenue is up. Profit is not.

What the work looks like

Bid against actual, job by job

We put what you bid next to what each job really cost. Most owners have never seen those two numbers side by side for a full year. It usually shows which kind of work makes the money and which kind only keeps people busy.

Pricing and job costing you can trust

Labor, materials, equipment, and overhead counted the same way on every estimate, so a low bid is a decision and not an accident.

Cash flow that survives a slow payer

Billing on schedule, retainage tracked, and purchasing timed to draws, so the company is not financing its customers.

Scheduling and purchasing that do not depend on one person

Written down, visible to the crews, and run by someone other than the owner.

An owner who is not the bottleneck

Someone else estimates, someone else runs the week, and the owner reviews the numbers. That is also what makes a contracting business worth something to a buyer. See what yours might be worth with the business valuation calculator.

Who does the work

Roger Johnson. In 2009 he bought a distressed manufacturer in Statesville, North Carolina with his own capital. It was losing money. He had it profitable within twelve months, bought a competitor the following year, ran the company for fourteen years with a workforce of 35, and sold it in December 2023. Read how that went.

For ongoing help, see Fractional COO. Shops and plants should start with manufacturing and machine shops.

How it starts

With a conversation, by phone or in person. Every business is different in what it needs and what it can spend, so pricing is quoted after we talk. Roger works on site across North and South Carolina and by phone and video with owners anywhere in the United States.

Common questions

What kind of contractors do you work with?

General contractors, home builders, and trade contractors such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, concrete, and drywall. The common thread is an owner-led company that has outgrown the way it is run.

How big does my company need to be?

Most of the owners we work with run companies between roughly $1 million and $20 million in revenue. Below that, the owner is usually still the whole operation. Above it, you likely need a full-time operations leader.

Do I have to be near Charlotte?

No. Roger works on site across North and South Carolina and by phone and video with owners anywhere in the United States.

What does it cost?

It depends on the size of the company and how much help you need, so it is quoted after a conversation. The first call is free.