Day Rate

A client's approved spending plan for major projects, equipment, and infrastructure in a given year. When capital budgets are set or revised, subcontractors see direct impacts on contract awards and work volumes. Monitoring clients' capital budget cycles helps you time bids and resource planning effectively.

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.

Revenue that is earned but never collected due to operational inefficiencies. Common causes include lost field tickets, unbilled equipment hours, forgotten third-party charges, and documentation errors. Industry estimates suggest 1-5% of revenue is lost to leakage in paper-based operations.

A 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.

A freight rate applied when a shipment fills an entire truck, typically offering lower per-unit costs than partial loads. Subcontractors hauling equipment or materials to remote sites often negotiate FTL rates to reduce logistics costs. Consolidating loads before mobilisation helps field teams maximise savings under this pricing model.

The number of days equipment or crews are actively deployed and generating billable revenue on a job site. Subcontractors use this figure to track utilisation, forecast earnings, and negotiate day-rate contracts. Downtime, mobilisation delays, or weather shutdowns typically do not count as operating days.

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