Builder money guides
Draws, waivers, job costing, 1099s — the money side of building, written for the person swinging between the truck and the bank.
What Goes in a Bank Draw Package (Checklist)
The exact documents construction lenders expect in a draw request — cover sheet, backup, payment proof, lien waivers — and the mistakes that get draws rejected.
Conditional vs Unconditional Lien Waivers, Explained
When to use each of the four lien waiver types, who signs what and when, and the one rule that keeps subs and builders both safe.
1099 Rules for Subcontractors: a Builder's Guide
Who gets a 1099-NEC, the $600 threshold, W-9 collection, deadlines, and the year-end scramble you can skip by collecting docs at onboarding.
Cost Codes for Custom Home Builders (Starter Set)
Why cost codes beat categories, how many you actually need, and a 33-code residential structure that maps to how houses actually get built.
The Construction Draw Process, Start to Finish
How construction loan draws actually work: schedules, inspections, holdbacks, timelines — and how builders keep draws from stalling the job.
How Builders Should Track Receipts (Field-First)
A receipt workflow for people who buy materials at 7am with gloves on: capture at the counter, code to the job, keep the image forever.
QuickBooks for Home Builders: What It Misses
QuickBooks is fine accounting and weak construction. Where builders hit the wall: draws, lien waivers, field capture, and real job costing.
Catching Budget Overruns Before They Eat the Margin
Overruns don't announce themselves — they compound quietly. The mechanics of budget-vs-actual that actually catches them in time to act.
Change Orders: Getting Paid for the Changes You Build
The change-order discipline that keeps scope creep from becoming free work: write it, price it, get a signature before the work happens.
Retainage Explained: the 10% Everyone Forgets
How retainage works on residential jobs, what it does to your cash flow, and how to bill and track it without spreadsheet gymnastics.