Frequently Asked Questions

Who We Work With

Who is Apparatus the right fit for?

Construction entrepreneurs with $2M to $50M+ in annual revenue who want to stop running their own books and instead operate a built-and-managed financial system. The strongest fit profile: messy or manual financials, fuzzy job-level economics, an active CMS (Buildertrend^®, JobTread^®, or Procore^®), an existing or willing migration to QuickBooks^® Online or Intuit Enterprise Suite, and a willingness to delegate financial oversight to a specialized team.

Do you work with custom homebuilders?

Yes. Custom homebuilders are one of our most common client profiles, alongside commercial GCs and specialty contractors. We are particularly well-fit to design-build remodelers and custom builders operating on Buildertrend^® or JobTread^® in the $2M–$25M range, where job-level cost discipline and GAAP revenue recognition are the defining financial requirements.

Do you work with spec builders and developers?

Yes. We serve spec builders, production homebuilders, and real-estate developers, including those operating multi-entity structures (operating entity plus real estate holding entity, or general contracting plus development). For complex multi-entity development companies, the right platform is often Intuit Enterprise Suite rather than QuickBooks^® Online; we operate both.

Do you work with commercial general contractors?

Yes. Commercial general contractors are well represented in our client base, particularly in the $6M–$50M+ revenue range. AIA G702/G703 progress invoicing, retainage tracking and release, certified payroll, subcontractor compliance, and bonding-ready financials are standard parts of our engagement for commercial clients.

Do you work with specialty trades — electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical?

Yes. Specialty contractors in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, concrete, framing, and similar trades are part of our client base, typically in the $2M–$20M range. The financial requirements — job-level cost discipline, prevailing-wage compliance where applicable, retainage tracking, and reliable revenue recognition — overlap substantially with general contracting, and our standard service model covers them.

Do you work with remodelers?

Yes. High-end residential remodelers and design-build firms are one of our most common client profiles in the Gold tier ($2M–$8M) and the lower end of the Platinum tier ($6M–$15M). Remodelers operating on Buildertrend^® or JobTread^® are a particularly clean fit for our delivery model because the CMS-to-QuickBooks integration carries the operational data we need for job-level reporting.

What is the smallest construction company you take on?

Our typical floor is $2M in annual revenue. Below that threshold, our fixed-fee model usually exceeds what an early-stage business can absorb, and a fractional bookkeeper or solo construction-fluent QuickBooks^® ProAdvisor is often a better economic fit. We are direct about this on the Discovery Call rather than scope into a fit that won’t serve either party.

What if my revenue is below $2M but I’m growing fast?

Schedule a Discovery Call. Construction companies on a clear trajectory to clear $2M within the next 6–12 months are sometimes a fit for an early engagement that installs the financial infrastructure before the growth arrives. We make this judgment case by case on the Discovery Call rather than by formula.

What is the largest construction company you take on?

Our typical floor is $2M in annual revenue. Below that threshold, our fixed-fee model usually exceeds what an early-stage business can absorb, and a fractional bookkeeper or solo construction-fluent QuickBooks^® ProAdvisor is often a better economic fit. We are direct about this on the Discovery Call rather than scope into a fit that won’t serve either party.

Do you serve construction companies outside the United States?

No. All of our clients are U.S.-based. State and federal tax, payroll, certified payroll, prevailing wage, lien-waiver, and bonding regimes vary by U.S. jurisdiction, and our delivery infrastructure is built around U.S. requirements. We do not currently serve Canadian, Mexican, or other international construction businesses.

Do you work with companies outside of construction?

No. We work exclusively with construction entrepreneurs. Our expertise, systems, and service model are purpose-built for the financial complexities of the construction industry — job costing, GAAP revenue recognition for long-duration contracts, WIP schedules, AIA billing, retainage tracking, lien waivers, certified payroll, and bonding-ready reporting. None of those requirements are well served by a generalist outsourced accounting model.

Pricing and Investment

How is Apparatus priced?

Apparatus is fixed-fee, scoped to revenue and complexity. There is no hourly billing. Pricing is aligned to your annualized revenue and your selected service tier (Gold, Platinum, or Platinum X), with a one-time enrollment fee plus a monthly service fee. We provide a transparent proposal after the Discovery Call — no surprises, no hidden charges. All agreements are month-to-month.

Is pricing published on the website?

Not at this time. Construction-accounting engagements vary enough by revenue, structural complexity, tech stack, and current state of the books that a published price list tends to mislead more than it clarifies. We commit to full pricing transparency on the Discovery Call: a specific proposal with the enrollment fee, the monthly service fee, and any catch-up or cleanup work quoted as a separate one-time scope, all disclosed before any agreement is signed.

How is Platinum X priced relative to Gold and Platinum?

Platinum X is custom-quoted because the structural complexity at the $20M–$50M+ revenue range — multi-entity consolidation, intercompany frameworks, joint venture accounting, custom dashboarding, and board-ready reporting — varies materially from client to client. Gold and Platinum follow a more standardized structure tied to annualized revenue; Platinum X is scoped to the specific architecture of the business. All three tiers share the same month-to-month, fixed-fee, no-hourly-billing structure.

Is Apparatus more expensive than hiring a bookkeeper?

The right comparison is not “Apparatus vs. a bookkeeper”; it is “Apparatus vs. the full finance stack.” An Apparatus engagement replaces the combined cost of a construction-fluent bookkeeper, a controller (full or fractional, depending on your stage), CFO-level advisory, the supporting AP/AR/payroll tooling, and the recruiting and management overhead of building that team in-house. Most clients find the comparison favorable, but the specific math depends on tier and on what you are currently spending across that full stack. We walk through it on the Discovery Call.

Is there a long-term contract?

No. All Apparatus engagements are month-to-month. You can end the engagement with appropriate notice; you retain ownership of your QuickBooks^® Online file and all related financial data. We rely on the work itself to justify the next month, not on contractual lock-in.

Are there any hidden costs?

No hidden fees from Apparatus. Third-party software is billed directly to the client: your QuickBooks^® Online subscription (Gold tier uses QBO^® Plus), your payroll provider (Apparatus operates payroll but does not bill it), and your CMS (Buildertrend^®, JobTread^®, or Procore^®). Catch-up bookkeeping for prior periods and major QuickBooks^® file cleanup beyond standard scope are quoted as separate one-time fees and disclosed before the engagement begins.

Do you offer cleanup as a standalone service?

No. Apparatus operates the entire finance function as a system, from cleanup through CFO advisory. We do not sell one-time cleanup, hourly bookkeeping, or à la carte services. A construction company looking specifically for a one-time QuickBooks^® cleanup engagement is generally a better fit for a construction-fluent QuickBooks^® ProAdvisor doing project work, not for Apparatus.

How does pricing change as my revenue grows?

Pricing tracks annualized revenue using a tapering structure — the per-million increment narrows as your revenue scales, so the rate of growth in your monthly fee slows even as your business grows. Tier transitions (Gold to Platinum, Platinum to Platinum X) happen when structural complexity warrants the change, not on a revenue threshold alone. Typical triggers include multi-entity operations, executive-level reporting requirements, or material increases in operational scope.

Do you offer discounts for annual prepayment or longer commitments?

No. The standard structure is month-to-month, annualized-revenue pricing, with no prepayment discounts. We have found that month-to-month aligns incentives correctly: we are accountable for delivering value every month, and you are free to leave if we don’t. Annual lock-in arrangements tend to dull that accountability, which is not in either party’s long-term interest.

Services and What’s Included

What is included at every service tier?

Every Apparatus engagement includes: a QuickBooks^® Online or Intuit Enterprise Suite financial system architecture; project-level job costing using the NAHB Chart of Accounts; GAAP-compliant revenue recognition (CCM, POC, or APB/WIPRA); AI-enabled workflow automation for AR, AP, billing, draws, payroll, and retention; CMS integration with Buildertrend^®, JobTread^®, or Procore^®; and recurring CFO-level strategic planning. Tiers differ in depth, cadence, and complexity, not in the core deliverable.

Do you handle accounts payable?

Yes. AP is a core part of every engagement. We operate vendor management, bill entry, three-way match against POs and receipts where applicable, approval workflows, scheduled payment, lien waiver collection, insurance certificate compliance tracking, and subcontractor 1099 administration. AP runs on QuickBooks^® Online or Intuit Enterprise Suite, supplemented by AP automation tooling as needed.

Do you handle accounts receivable and customer billing?

Yes. AR includes customer contract setup, progress invoicing, AIA G702/G703 invoicing for commercial work, construction loan draw package preparation, retainage tracking and release, customer payment posting, and AR aging follow-up. AR is operated to construction-specific standards, not standard service-business AR.

Do you handle payroll?

Yes. We operate payroll through your chosen provider — Gusto, ADP, Paychex, OnPay, QuickBooks^® Payroll, or another. We do not require you to switch providers if your current one is working. Apparatus handles labor allocation to projects in QuickBooks^®, direct and indirect labor cost coding, certified payroll where required, prevailing-wage compliance, union reporting through the provider, and the maintenance of any special payroll management spreadsheets needed for compliance.

Do you handle construction loan draws?

Yes. Construction loan draw package preparation is standard scope for the Platinum and Platinum X tiers and available on Gold for clients with active construction lending. We assemble the draw package, supporting invoices, lien waivers, and inspection documentation in lender-required formats.

Do you handle AIA billing?

Yes. AIA G702 and G703 invoicing is standard for commercial clients and is included in the Platinum and Platinum X tiers. Schedule-of-values setup, monthly application-for-payment preparation, change-order tracking, and retainage handling are part of the AIA workflow. Intuit Enterprise Suite’s February 2026 Construction Edition added native AIA-style invoicing, which our team operates for IES clients.

Do you handle retainage?

Yes. Retainage tracking and release is standard. We track retainage on both the AR and AP sides — what customers owe you (retainage receivable) and what you owe subcontractors (retainage payable) — and manage release per contract terms. Improper retainage handling is one of the most common construction bookkeeping errors we encounter at intake.

Do you handle lien waivers and subcontractor compliance?

Yes. Lien waiver administration and management is standard for the Platinum and Platinum X tiers. We also track subcontractor insurance certificates, workers’ comp coverage, and W-9 status, surfacing non-compliant subs before they impact a draw or a project closeout.

Do you handle sales and use tax?

Yes, sales and use tax management is included in the Platinum and Platinum X tiers. For Gold-tier clients with material sales-tax exposure, we coordinate with the client’s CPA or a recommended sales-tax specialist. Multi-state sales-tax nexus reviews are typically referred to specialists who handle that work full time.

Do you prepare tax returns?

No. Apparatus does not prepare tax returns. We work directly with your CPA at year-end — preparing the year-end financial package, posting CPA-generated adjusting journal entries, supporting K-1 distribution, and responding to CPA information requests throughout the year. If you do not have a construction-fluent CPA, we can refer one.

Do you support 1099 filing?

Yes. 1099 vendor identification, W-9 collection, 1099-NEC preparation, printing, mailing, and filing of Forms 1099 and 1096 is included in the Platinum and Platinum X tiers. On Gold, we coordinate with the client’s CPA for 1099 administration depending on volume.

Do you support insurance audits and bonding reviews?

Yes. General liability and workers’ compensation insurance audit document preparation, subcontractor insurance certificate tracking, subcontractor workers’ comp tracking, and bonding-ready financial package preparation are standard for the Platinum and Platinum X tiers. We work directly with your surety, insurance broker, and bonding agent on audit and renewal cycles.

Do you provide CFO advisory or just bookkeeping?

You get both. Every engagement includes recurring CFO-level advisory — cash forecasting, KPI dashboards, pricing and estimating support, profitability analysis, and (at Platinum X) board-ready reporting. CFO advisory cadence increases by tier: monthly financial reviews on Gold, recurring strategic sessions on Platinum, and continuous advisory partnership on Platinum X.

Does Apparatus replace my in-house controller or CFO?

Often, yes. Many of our clients either don’t have an in-house finance team or are replacing one. For larger clients with internal finance staff, we augment rather than replace — providing strategic leadership and systemization while the internal team handles day-to-day operations. The boundary is set during the Discovery Call and revisited as the engagement evolves.

Service Tiers

How are the service tiers structured?

Three tiers, mapped to business stage rather than to a feature checklist. Gold serves The Emerging Company™ ($2M–$8M revenue): foundation building, clean books, structured job costing, introductory CFO insight. Platinum serves The Scaling Business™ ($6M–$25M revenue): integrated workflows, automated AR/AP/draws/payroll, recurring CFO advisory and cash forecasting. Platinum X serves The Expanding Enterprise™ ($20M–$50M+ revenue): multi-entity consolidation, intercompany reporting, board-ready reporting, executive-level financial partnership.

Which tier am I most likely to fit?

Match your revenue and structural complexity to the tier description. A $5M custom homebuilder with one entity is almost always Gold. A $12M GC with two entities, 25 employees, and an active CMS is almost always Platinum. A $30M multi-entity developer with intercompany activity and stakeholder reporting needs is almost always Platinum X. The Discovery Call confirms the right fit and quotes accordingly.

Can I start on Gold and move to Platinum later?

Yes. Many of our clients begin on Gold during a revenue growth phase, then move to Platinum when their structural complexity warrants the additional scope. Tier transitions are common and handled inside the existing engagement — no re-onboarding required. The trigger is typically growth past $6–8M revenue combined with operational complexity (new entity, new geography, larger team).

What does the team look like on each tier?

On Gold, the engagement team includes a Senior Associate (or CFO Advisor), an Associate, and an Analyst. On Platinum, the team includes a CFO Advisor, a Senior Associate, and an Associate. On Platinum X, the team adds further specialized resources for multi-entity consolidation, custom dashboarding, and executive-level reporting. All engagements use the same delivery rhythm: weekly Zoom meetings plus monthly financial reviews.

What is the difference between Platinum and Platinum X?

Platinum X is built for multi-entity complexity, executive-level reporting, and the structural needs of $20M–$50M+ enterprises. Platinum X engagements include intercompany transaction frameworks, joint venture accounting, consolidated financial reporting, entity structure optimization, custom dashboards, and board-ready financial packages. Platinum focuses on systemization and automation; Platinum X focuses on enterprise-grade financial architecture and continuous-advisory partnership.

Technology and Platforms

Do I have to be on QuickBooks^® Online?

For Gold and most Platinum engagements, yes. We exclusively operate on QuickBooks^® Online (Gold standard is QBO^® Plus) or Intuit Enterprise Suite. If you are currently on QuickBooks^® Desktop or another accounting platform, migration to QuickBooks^® Online is part of standard onboarding and runs during the Transform phase. We have completed hundreds of these migrations and follow a structured process.

What is Intuit Enterprise Suite (IES), and when does it make sense?

Intuit Enterprise Suite is a mid-market platform Intuit launched in September 2024. In February 2026, Intuit released a Construction Edition for IES — adding project phases, cost groups, AIA-style invoicing, integrated proposals, negative change orders, and enhanced project budgets. IES is the right platform for construction businesses with multi-entity complexity, dimensional reporting needs beyond class-and-location, and stakeholder demands for real-time dashboards rather than monthly packages. Most fits are in the $8M–$40M range.

When should I move from QuickBooks^® Online to Intuit Enterprise Suite?

Move when the operational signals indicate a genuine need, not at a revenue threshold. The specific triggers: multi-entity consolidation consuming too many hours in monthly close; dimensional reporting needs beyond what class and location can support; approval workflows that informal enforcement cannot scale; stakeholders demanding real-time visibility. A $12M business with multi-entity complexity may be an IES fit; a $22M business with simpler operations may stay on QuickBooks^® Online indefinitely.

What is the difference between QuickBooks^® Online and Intuit Enterprise Suite for construction?

QuickBooks^® Online supports single-entity or simple multi-entity construction businesses, two reporting dimensions (class and location), and standard construction reports. Intuit Enterprise Suite supports native multi-entity management with automated intercompany transactions, up to twenty reporting dimensions, structured approval workflows with up to five approvers, continuous dashboards, and seven AI agents that automate operational workflows. IES is not “more QuickBooks”; it is a structurally different platform built for higher complexity.

Will Apparatus support Sage Intacct?

Yes, launching in late 2026. For construction businesses whose complexity exceeds what Intuit Enterprise Suite supports — typically very large multi-entity structures, sophisticated WIP reporting, complex multi-state certified payroll, or specialized contract structures — Sage Intacct Construction is often the right platform. Until our Intacct capability launches, we refer such engagements to a firm we trust to serve them well rather than stretch beyond our standard of execution.

Do you support QuickBooks^® Desktop?

No. We do not operate engagements on QuickBooks^® Desktop. If you are currently on Desktop, we migrate you to QuickBooks^® Online as part of standard onboarding. The migration is included; the construction-specific QuickBooks^® Online setup that follows is where most of the value is created. QuickBooks^® Desktop predates the AP automation, CMS integration, and cloud-finance tooling that make outsourced operation efficient.

Do you support Sage 100 Contractor, Foundation, Viewpoint, or other construction ERPs?

Not directly. Apparatus operates on QuickBooks^® Online and Intuit Enterprise Suite, with Sage Intacct support launching in late 2026. We do not currently take on engagements that require Sage 100 Contractor, Foundation, Viewpoint, CMiC, Jonas, or other dedicated construction ERPs. If your business is on one of those platforms and needs outsourced operation, we will be direct that we are not the right firm.

What tech stack do I need to provide?

An active QuickBooks^® Online (Plus or Advanced) or Intuit Enterprise Suite subscription, an active CMS (Buildertrend^®, JobTread^®, or Procore^®), and a payroll provider. Apparatus brings the AP automation, AR workflow tooling, internal collaboration platform (Adaptive.Build), and reporting infrastructure. We do not require you to change your CMS or payroll provider if either is already working well.

Construction Management Systems

Do you integrate with Buildertrend^®?

Yes. Buildertrend^® integration is one of our most common engagement profiles, particularly for custom homebuilders and remodelers in the Gold and Platinum tiers. We connect Buildertrend^® cost coding, vendor data, customer invoices, and selection management to QuickBooks^® Online for single-source-of-truth job-level reporting.

Do you integrate with JobTread^®?

Yes. JobTread^® integration with QuickBooks^® Online is a standard part of our service for clients on that platform. JobTread^® is increasingly common among growing residential builders, and our team is experienced with the integration’s sync behavior, cost-code mapping, and edge cases.

Do you integrate with Procore^®?

Yes. Procore^® integration is standard for our Platinum and Platinum X clients in the commercial GC and large residential segments. The Procore-to-QuickBooks integration is the most complex of the three CMS integrations we operate, particularly around commitments, change orders, and progress billing reconciliation — which is why we treat it as a first-class part of the engagement, not a bolt-on.

Which CMS should I use — Buildertrend^®, JobTread^®, or Procore^®?

The honest answer is “the one whose feature set matches your operational needs, not the one with the cheapest accounting integration.” For custom homebuilders and remodelers under $10M, Buildertrend^® and JobTread^® are typical fits. For commercial GCs and larger residential operations with multi-PM coordination, Procore^® is often the better fit. We are platform-neutral on CMS choice and operate any of the three competently.

Can I keep my current CMS if it isn’t Buildertrend^®, JobTread^®, or Procore^®?

Probably, but discuss it on the Discovery Call. We have engagements running on other CMS platforms when the integration is workable. Some construction-specific platforms either have no QuickBooks^® integration or have one that creates more problems than it solves; in those cases, we will be direct about the operational implications before engagement.

Do I have to manage the integration myself?

No. Our team manages the financial stack and the integration layer between your CMS, QuickBooks^®, AP automation, payroll, and reporting tools. You run the business; we run the system. The CMS itself you continue to use for operational work — scheduling, selections, daily logs, change orders — but the financial integration is ours.

Accounting Methodology

What revenue recognition methods do you support?

GAAP-compliant methods only: Completed Contract Method (CCM), Percentage of Completion (POC), and APB/WIPRA-based analysis. The method that fits your business depends on contract structure, project duration, business size, and tax-method elections. We apply the correct method as part of the Transform phase and align it with your CPA’s tax-method elections.

What is the difference between Completed Contract and Percentage of Completion?

Completed Contract recognizes revenue and expense when a project is complete. Percentage of Completion recognizes revenue and expense ratably as the project progresses, typically based on cost-to-cost or units-of-output methods. For custom homebuilders with shorter projects, CCM is often a fit; for commercial GCs with long-duration projects, POC is typically required. ASC 606 has narrowed the practical differences for many builders, but the methods remain distinct and the choice carries real tax and reporting consequences.

Do I need a WIP schedule?

If your projects span more than one accounting period — which is true for nearly every construction business above $2M — yes, a Work in Progress (WIP) schedule is foundational. WIP reconciles billings to costs incurred and earned revenue and is essential for accurate financial reporting, bonding agent reviews, and lender reviews. We build and maintain WIP schedules as part of standard engagement.

How do you handle change orders?

Change orders are tracked at the project level in QuickBooks^® or Intuit Enterprise Suite, integrated with your CMS where applicable, and incorporated into the project’s revenue recognition, billing schedule, and WIP schedule. Improper change-order handling is one of the most common sources of inaccurate job profitability; we treat it as a first-class part of project setup, not a residual.

Do you use the NAHB Chart of Accounts?

Yes, by default. We transition your chart of accounts to the NAHB Chart of Accounts during the Transform phase, then optimize and tune it for your specific business. The NAHB Chart is the closest thing to an industry standard for residential construction and aligns well with most commercial GC needs as well.

How do you handle prevailing wage and certified payroll?

Certified payroll processing and prevailing-wage compliance run through your payroll provider (typically Gusto, ADP, Paychex, or OnPay). Apparatus manages payroll entry into QuickBooks^®, direct and indirect labor cost allocation to projects, and the reconciliation between certified payroll reports and project cost coding. Union reporting and compliance are handled through the same workflow.

Onboarding and Transition

What does onboarding look like?

Onboarding runs in three phases: Onboard (Weeks 1–2), Transform (Months 1–3), and Stabilize (Months 4+). Onboard covers orientation, team introduction, initial assessment, communication plan, and system access. Transform delivers immediate bookkeeping takeover, QuickBooks^® file cleanup and migration, project-level job costing installation, GAAP revenue recognition, CMS integration, and the first set of clean financial reports. Stabilize adds automated workflows, real-time dashboards, and the recurring CFO advisory cadence.

How long does onboarding take?

The Transform phase typically completes in 4–6 weeks for clean books, longer for files requiring substantial cleanup or migration from QuickBooks^® Desktop. Stabilize begins around Month 4, when automated workflows, real-time financial visibility, and the recurring CFO advisory cadence are fully in place. We prioritize thoroughness over speed; you are not waiting months for clarity, but we also do not skip foundational work to hit an artificial deadline.

When do you take over bookkeeping?

Immediately. From the first day of the engagement, our team is operating your books — not waiting until cleanup is complete. Cleanup and migration run in parallel with day-forward bookkeeping. You should never be in a position of running your own books during onboarding while waiting for Apparatus to “be ready.”

How involved will I need to be?

Most engaged during onboarding (Weeks 1–4) and in the first month of the Transform phase. You will need to be available for the kickoff meeting, the initial assessment, the operational review, communication plan setup, and approval of the Triage Action Plan that comes out of our Comprehensive Review™. After onboarding, our team runs the finance function while keeping you in the loop through weekly meetings, recurring updates, and strategic reviews.

What if my books are a complete mess?

Common, not disqualifying. Most of our clients arrive with books that need substantial cleanup. We scope the catch-up bookkeeping for prior periods, the urgent and non-urgent QuickBooks^® repairs, and any required file separation (for clients managing multiple companies in one file) during our Comprehensive Review™. Significant catch-up work is quoted as a separate one-time fee on top of the standard enrollment.

Can you migrate me from QuickBooks^® Desktop to QuickBooks^® Online?

Yes. QuickBooks^® Desktop to QuickBooks^® Online migration is standard scope for clients currently on Desktop. We have completed the migration many times and follow a structured process: data assessment, file preparation, migration execution, post-migration validation, and the construction-specific QuickBooks^® Online setup that follows. The migration is part of onboarding, not a separate engagement.

How do you handle the transition from my current bookkeeper or accountant?

Structured handoff. Our standard process includes a defined Bookkeeping Handoff from your current provider to Apparatus, a Workflow-by-Workflow Client-to-ACS Handoff Plan, an initial PCA Playbook™ document covering your specific procedures, and the Stages^® onboarding process for staged transition. We can work in parallel with your outgoing provider through the transition period so there is no gap in coverage.

Day-to-Day Operations

How often will I hear from you?

Weekly Zoom meetings are standard for every engagement, plus a monthly financial review with your Senior Associate or CFO Advisor. You also have email and phone support throughout the week. The cadence is designed so financial questions get answered within hours, not days, and so strategic conversations happen on a regular cycle without you having to schedule them.

Who on your team will I be working with directly?

A dedicated team. On a Gold engagement, your primary points of contact are a Senior Associate (or CFO Advisor) for strategy and a named Associate for day-to-day operations, with an Analyst supporting transactional work. On Platinum, you work with a CFO Advisor, a Senior Associate, and an Associate. Team members are introduced during onboarding and stay consistent throughout the engagement.

What reporting do I get and how often?

Monthly: a full financial package including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, job profitability, and WIP schedule. Weekly (Gold) or continuous-dashboard (Platinum and X): real-time financial visibility, including project-level cost-to-budget. Quarterly: a quarterly financial analysis and review. Year-end: a year-end financial package prepared for your CPA.

What KPIs do you track for me?

Standard construction KPIs: gross margin by project and by project type, labor burden rate, overhead absorption rate, AR aging, AP aging, working capital, cash position, and project profitability by job. Beyond the standard set, we build the KPIs that matter for your specific business — bonding capacity utilization, backlog, sold-vs-built ratio, and others depending on segment.

How do you handle weekly cash flow management?

Cash position monitoring is included in every tier. On Gold, this includes monthly cash position review and payment scheduling support. On Platinum and Platinum X, cash flow forecasting is more sophisticated — typically a 13-week rolling forecast with weekly updates, integrated with AR aging, AP aging, and draw schedules.

CFO Advisory and Strategy

What does the CFO advisory work actually look like?

On Gold: monthly financial reviews with your Senior Associate or CFO Advisor, basic construction KPI tracking, profitability trend analysis, cash management visibility, and strategic conversation about pricing, estimating, and growth. On Platinum: more frequent advisory sessions, automated KPI dashboards, deeper margin analysis, cash forecasting, and growth planning. On Platinum X: continuous advisory partnership, board-ready reporting, capital planning, and scenario modeling.

Will you help me prepare for a bonding agent or surety review?

Yes. Bonding-ready financial package preparation, WIP schedules in the format sureties expect, working capital analysis, and direct support for bonding agent and surety questions are standard for Platinum and Platinum X. For Gold clients with active bonding relationships, we coordinate as needed.

Will you help me prepare for a bank or lender review?

Yes. Lender-ready financial packages, debt schedules, covenant compliance documentation, and direct support for lender reviews are part of our standard engagement. Most of our Platinum and Platinum X clients have active commercial banking relationships, and we support those reviews on an ongoing basis.

Will you help with pricing and estimating?

Yes, at the strategic level. We support pricing analysis, gross-margin target setting, overhead absorption rate calculation, and historical project profitability analysis to inform estimating. We do not replace your estimator or your estimating software; we provide the financial foundation that good estimating requires.

Comparisons and Alternatives

Should I hire an in-house controller or outsource to Apparatus?

The right answer depends on specifics, but the math usually favors outsourcing until you cross roughly $25M in revenue or develop structural complexity (multi-entity, multi-state) that warrants a dedicated in-house finance leader. An in-house controller carries fully loaded cost (salary, benefits, payroll tax, equipment, software, recruiting time), single-person dependency risk, and a relatively narrow scope. An Apparatus engagement delivers a team-based controller-plus-CFO stack alongside a full bookkeeping function, removing the recruiting risk and the single point of failure. We walk through the side-by-side comparison on the Discovery Call.

Why not just use a generalist outsourced accounting firm?

Generalist outsourced firms do not handle the financial requirements specific to construction — project-level job costing, GAAP revenue recognition for long-duration contracts, WIP schedules, AIA billing, retainage tracking, lien waivers, certified payroll, draw packages, or bonding-ready reporting. Construction-specialized operation is not a feature; it is the entire delivery model. Generalist firms are a reasonable fit for SaaS, agencies, and professional services; they are not a good fit for builders.

Why not use a local CPA firm that knows construction?

Local CPA firms do excellent tax and audit work. Most do not operate as an outsourced bookkeeping, controller, and CFO function on a continuous basis — that is a different practice model. Apparatus is built specifically as the outsourced finance department; your CPA remains in place for tax and audit, and we work with them directly at year-end. The two roles are complementary, not competing.

Why not just hire a construction-fluent bookkeeper?

This works for some construction companies, particularly under $2M in revenue. The constraints we typically see clients hit: a single bookkeeper is a single point of failure (vacation, illness, departure); the role caps out around basic bookkeeping rather than CFO-level advisory; and the breadth required — QuickBooks^® operation plus CMS integration plus AP automation plus AR plus payroll plus reporting — is rarely covered by one person. Apparatus delivers the team, not just the role.

Risks, Exits, and Edge Cases

What happens if I want to leave?

You leave. Apparatus engagements are month-to-month with appropriate notice. You retain ownership of your QuickBooks^® Online file and all financial data. We provide a structured offboarding package — current chart of accounts documentation, open AR/AP, active project status, WIP schedule current state, and any custom workflow documentation — so your next provider can pick up cleanly.

What if I am not satisfied during onboarding?

Raise it immediately. The structured onboarding cadence — weekly meetings, the Comprehensive Review™ output, the Triage Action Plan — is designed to surface fit issues early. If after the first 60–90 days the engagement is not working, ending it is straightforward; the work completed to date is yours. We would rather identify a misfit early than carry a struggling engagement.

What if my CPA disagrees with how you have something set up?

We work with your CPA directly. Most disagreements at year-end are about specific GAAP method elections (CCM vs. POC vs. hybrid) or tax-method elections (cash vs. accrual; PCM vs. CCM for tax). We engage with the CPA’s reasoning, post any CPA-generated adjusting journal entries, and align our accounting treatment to whatever the CPA’s tax position requires. This is standard practice, not an edge case.

What if my business slows down or my revenue drops?

Pricing tracks annualized revenue. If your revenue declines materially, your monthly fee adjusts at the next pricing review. The month-to-month structure exists for exactly this case — you should not be paying for a service level that no longer matches your business reality, and we should not be locked into delivering at a fee that no longer makes sense.

What if I grow past $50M and need ERP-level capability?

We plan for that. If your trajectory is taking you past the structural capabilities of Intuit Enterprise Suite — typically eight or more operating entities, tier-one surety WIP reporting, multi-state union certified payroll at scale, or specialized contract structures — we will be direct that Sage Intacct Construction, Viewpoint, or a similar dedicated construction ERP becomes the better platform. Our Sage Intacct capability launches in late 2026. For business expansion that exceeds our current scope and timing, we will refer rather than stretch.

G etting Started

How do I know if Apparatus is right for me?

Schedule a Discovery Call. The call is a structured 45–60 minutes covering your current financial situation, tech stack, growth trajectory, and operational pain points. The output is a direct recommendation: which tier fits, what the engagement would look like, and a transparent proposal. If we are not the right fit, we say so and (where helpful) refer to someone who is.

What happens on the Discovery Call?

We assess your current QuickBooks^® Online or other accounting platform, your CMS, your job-costing setup, your revenue recognition method, your team structure, and your growth trajectory. We ask about specific pain points — close time, job profitability visibility, cash forecasting accuracy, bonding capacity, lender relationships. The output is a tier recommendation, a transition plan outline, and a transparent monthly fee.

How do I schedule a Discovery Call?

Schedule directly at apparatusteam.com/get-started. The booking page shows available time slots and routes the call to the appropriate team member. No sales gauntlet, no qualifying calls before the actual call. The Discovery Call is the first call.

What happens after I decide to engage?

Four steps: choose your service start date; sign the month-to-month services agreement; pay the first invoice (enrollment fee plus first month’s service); attend your orientation meeting to meet your team and begin onboarding. From signature to first Apparatus bookkeeping activity is typically 5–10 business days.

How quickly can you start once I sign?

Most engagements begin within 5–10 business days of agreement signing. The Onboard phase (Weeks 1–2) covers the kickoff meeting, team introduction, initial assessment, communication plan, and system access. By the start of Week 3, we are operating your day-forward bookkeeping while running cleanup, migration, and structural work in parallel.

Where can I read more before scheduling a call?

Our Apparatus Blog, eBook Library, and the Two Platforms, One Construction Practice special report cover the technical and methodology questions most builders bring to a Discovery Call. The Who We Serve page details fit by client type; the Our Services page details what each tier includes. None of those are gating reading — schedule the call when you are ready.