A lump-sum payment made to a subcontractor to settle or terminate a contract early. It compensates for remaining work, mobilisation costs, or lost profit margins. Subcontractors should verify buyout terms are clearly written into their agreements before signing.
Buyout
Related Terms
Contingent Payment
Cash FlowPayment tied to a specific condition being met, such as project completion or client approval. Subcontractors must track these triggers carefully to invoice on time. Delayed conditions can create serious cash-flow gaps in the field.
Job Costing
Cash FlowThe process of tracking all costs associated with a specific job or project, including labor, equipment, materials, and overhead. Accurate job costing is essential for understanding profitability.
Close-Out
Cash FlowThe final phase of a contract where all work is confirmed complete, documentation is submitted, and outstanding invoices are settled. For subcontractors, delays in close-out often mean delayed final payment. Completing punch lists, timesheets, and lien waivers promptly helps accelerate the process.
Spring Breakup
Cash FlowThe seasonal period when thawing ground and flooding restrict heavy equipment access to remote job sites. For subcontractors, it typically means project delays, suspended haul routes, and reduced billable work. Plan cash flow carefully to cover the slow period.
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.
Iadc Ddr (international Association of Drilling Contractors Daily Drilling Report)
Cash FlowA standardised daily report documenting rig operations, hours worked, and downtime on a drilling project. Subcontractors often must align their own daily reports with the IADC DDR for invoicing and performance verification. Discrepancies between your records and the DDR can delay payment or trigger billing disputes.
Latest Cash Flow News
Prime Horizontal Completes Management Buyout, Kench and Dekker Take the Helm
Prime Horizontal, a global HDD guidance and tooling provider founded in 1997, has completed a management buyout with Simon Kench becoming CEO and Nico Dekker taking the CFO role as managing partners.
6 months agoIndustryCourt Forces DOD to Resume Wind Reviews as RWE Takes $1.2B Federal Buyout
A federal judge ordered the Defense Department to resume halted wind project security reviews, while RWE became the latest developer to accept a federal payout to exit U.S. lease sites, ENR reports.
2 months agoCash FlowBP Pays Louisiana $350M Lump Sum, Settles Coastal Suits
BP will give Louisiana an accelerated $350 million payment for Deepwater Horizon claims and resolve remaining parish coastal lawsuits. Here is what coastal civil subcontractors should do this quarter.
5 days agoCash FlowKinder Morgan Lifts Force Majeure, Restores Mexico Gas Flows on Tennessee Gas
Kinder Morgan has resumed US-Mexico gas deliveries on its Tennessee Gas Pipeline and lifted force majeure after repairs. Here is what the restart means for integrity, outage-window and callout crews, and for their cash flow.
16 days 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.
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