Fees paid to reserve a subcontractor's workforce or equipment availability, regardless of actual utilisation. Clients use these to secure priority access during peak demand periods. For subcontractors, they provide predictable revenue even during standby phases.
Capacity Charges
Related Terms
Tolling Agreement
Cash FlowA contract where a subcontractor processes or treats a client's raw material using your equipment or facility, without taking ownership of it. You charge a fee for the service rather than buying and reselling the material. Common in midstream and processing work, it directly affects how you invoice and recognise revenue.
Quantity Drift
Cash FlowThe gradual increase or decrease in actual field quantities compared to original contract estimates. For subcontractors, untracked drift leads to unbilled work or disputed invoices at project close-out. Monitor quantities continuously to support change order claims.
Well Abandonment Liability
Cash FlowThe legal and financial obligation to properly plug and decommission a well at end of life. For subcontractors, unpaid invoices near abandonment projects carry higher collection risk. Operators may deprioritise vendor payments as they wind down a well's operations.
Material Escalation
Cash FlowA contract provision allowing price adjustments when material costs rise above a set threshold. Subcontractors use it to recover cost increases on longer-duration projects. Without it, unexpected price spikes in steel, pipe, or consumables come directly out of your margin.
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.
Headline Inflation
Cash FlowThe overall rate of price increases across the economy, including fuel and materials. For subcontractors, it signals rising operating costs that may not be covered by fixed-rate contracts. Monitor it when renegotiating agreements or submitting bids.
Latest Cash Flow News
BP 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 agoCash FlowHudson Tunnel Boring Starts on $16B Project Amid Funding Fights
Tunnel boring machines are set to start cutting through 5,100 feet of Palisades rock on the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel project. Subcontractors should weigh payment and federal funding exposure before signing on.
1 month agoCash FlowClaremore Data Center Deal Sends $172M to Oklahoma Schools, County
A Beale Infrastructure data center project near Claremore, Oklahoma will pay $172 million in PILOT funds to local schools and county agencies over 25 years, with Sequoyah Public Schools receiving the largest share at $100 million.
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.
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