A profitability measure that strips out non-cash costs and one-time charges, showing true operational earnings. For subcontractors, it reveals how much cash your field operations actually generate. Clients and lenders use it to assess your financial health before awarding contracts or extending credit.
Adjusted Ebitda (earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation)
Related Terms
Bid Accuracy
Cash FlowHow closely a submitted bid reflects the actual cost of completing a job. Poor bid accuracy leads to underbilling, cost overruns, or lost contracts. Subcontractors track it to sharpen estimating and protect margins.
Capped-Call Transactions
Cash FlowA financial tool used by larger contractors to manage costs when issuing convertible debt. It limits share dilution, helping protect company ownership structure. Subcontractors may see clients reference these when explaining capital raise decisions affecting project budgets.
SRF (State Revolving Fund)
Cash FlowA government-backed loan programme that funds municipal water, wastewater, and infrastructure projects. These funds often finance large construction contracts, creating steady work for subcontractors and field service crews. Knowing a project is SRF-funded signals stable, government-secured payment on long-term builds.
Expansion Capital
Cash FlowFunds raised or borrowed to grow a subcontracting business beyond its current capacity. This covers new equipment, additional crews, or entry into new service markets. It differs from operating capital, which keeps day-to-day work running.
Rescheduling
Cash FlowRescheduling occurs when a client moves a confirmed job to a new date, disrupting crew and equipment plans. Subcontractors should have rescheduling clauses in contracts to recover standby costs. Repeated rescheduling without compensation can seriously damage a small operator's cash flow.
Firm Customers
Cash FlowClients committed to regular, ongoing work under standing agreements or master service contracts. For subcontractors, firm customers provide predictable scheduling and steady revenue. They reduce reliance on spot work and help justify keeping crews and equipment mobilised.
Latest Cash Flow News
Utilities Tighten Large-Load Tariffs With Upfront Fees, Longer Contracts
A new LBNL and Brattle Group analysis finds utilities increasingly requiring upfront payments, exit fees, and ramp schedules for large-load customers like data centers, a shift that will slow project timelines for grid-tie and on-site generation subcontractors.
4 days agoCash FlowTrump Administration Appeals Ruling Blocking Hudson Tunnel Funding Freeze
The Justice Department has appealed a federal court ruling that barred DOT from withholding funds on the $16B Hudson Tunnel Project, though reimbursements and construction continue for now, ENR reports.
11 days agoCash FlowMammoth Energy Still Owed $20M for 2017 Puerto Rico Storm Work
Nearly nine years after Hurricane Maria, Mammoth Energy subsidiary Cobra Acquisitions is still collecting on Puerto Rico power restoration invoices, with $20 million outstanding as of June 2026, OK Energy Today reports.
27 days agoCash FlowGordie Howe Bridge Opens to Pedestrians as Vehicle Traffic Begins
The Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit opened to pedestrians and cyclists this week, following last week's opening to motorists, according to a Canadian Press report via Daily Commercial News.
1 month agoRelated Guides
What Happens to Subcontractor Billing When a Project Stalls, Goes Over Budget, or Never Gets Commissioned
You did the work. The project was cancelled, shelved, or never activated. Here is what subcontractors need to know about billing rights, legal remedies, and how to get paid when no one wants to discuss the invoice.
Cash Flow GuidePost-Completion Warranty and Punch Work: Protecting Your Margins After the Job Ends
Warranty walks, punch lists, and post-completion callbacks eat into subcontractor margins. Learn how MSA warranty clauses work, when you can push back on mobilization costs, and how to document your way out of disputes.
Cash Flow GuideMechanic's Lien Rights for Subcontractors: What to Do When You're Not Getting Paid
A practical guide to mechanic's lien and materialman's lien rights for oilfield and construction subcontractors in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alberta — deadlines, filing steps, and leverage tactics.
Stay sharp on field operations
Industry news and insights, delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe to FieldNews
