What keeps construction & plant hire owners up at night
Profitable on paper, short on cash
Payment claims, retentions and 30–60 day terms mean cash lags profit. Weekly 13-week forecasting is essential.
Security of payment
Each state has its own Security of Payment Act. Issuing compliant payment claims on time protects your cash.
Licensing financial requirements
Regulators such as Queensland's QBCC set minimum financial requirements for licensees. Your CFO keeps you compliant as you grow.
Asset decisions
Buy, lease or hire-in? Utilisation and return per asset should drive fleet decisions, not gut feel.
Australian client
Premier Cranes & Rigging
Premier Cranes & Rigging is a Melbourne crane hire business with a fleet of mobile, Franna and crawler cranes serving construction, precast, bridges, rail, civil and wind projects. CFOSurge supported its leadership with CFO-level financial insight to help with better decision-making.
Read the case study →The KPIs your CFO should report
| KPI | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Margin by job / project | Estimate vs actual, every job |
| WIP and over/under-billing | Where cash is hiding |
| Retentions outstanding | Cash you've earned but can't use |
| Fleet utilisation | Revenue hours ÷ available hours per asset |
| Debtor days by head contractor | Who's stretching you |
| Interest cover & covenant headroom | Lender confidence |
All of these appear live in CFOAvatar, your AI CFO dashboard.
Ask CFOAvatar: sample questions
Run the numbers
How CFOSurge works with you
One of our Australian CPA partners owns your relationship, leads board and investor conversations, and signs off the advice that matters.
Experienced CFOs and analysts with Big Four and Fortune 500 backgrounds build your forecasts, reporting and models, working to Australian business hours.
Connects to your accounting software and watches cash, margin, debtors and KPIs every day. It answers questions 24/7 and flags risks before month-end.
Frequently asked questions
What does a CFO do for a construction company?
Sets up job costing and WIP reporting, forecasts cash around payment claims and retentions, manages bank and equipment finance, and monitors licensing financial requirements.
Do you work with plant and crane hire businesses?
Yes. Our Melbourne clients include Premier Cranes & Rigging. We measure utilisation and return by asset and model buy, lease and hire-in decisions.
Can you help with QBCC Minimum Financial Requirements?
Yes. We build MFR tracking into monthly reporting for Queensland licensees, so you know your position before renewal.
How do I improve construction cash flow?
Issue payment claims on the reference date, track retentions, review head contractor terms, and run a weekly 13-week cash forecast.