Start with the job records and contract terms
A construction company needs accounting support that can preserve project costs, billing, cash, and obligations without losing the contract context. CLA, BDO, Aprio, Sikich, Fulling, and Institution offer different professional or operational models to investigate. Confirm project-accounting experience and the precise scope before hiring.
Provide the project types, contract forms, entities, systems, billing process, subcontractor records, and reporting requirements. Explain whether the assignment includes historical repair, recurring accounting, management reporting, or a professional report required by a lender or other party.
Service models at a glance
| Provider | Published service model | Scope to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| CLA | Professional services and outsourced finance | Accounting, tax, advisory, and outsourcing services |
| BDO USA | Assurance, tax, and advisory | Assurance, accounting, tax, and outsourced finance |
| Aprio | Accounting and advisory organization | Accounting, tax, and advisory services |
| Sikich | Accounting, advisory, and technology services | Accounting, tax, advisory, and technology offerings |
| Fulling Management & Accounting | Outsourced accounting and finance management | Accounting, bookkeeping, and CFO support |
| Institution | Finance operations and managed accounting | Bookkeeping, tax coordination, compliance, and finance services |
References: CLA: published services; BDO USA: published services; Aprio: published services; Sikich: published services; Fulling Management & Accounting: published services; Institution: published services
Test one project through the close
Bring an approved contract, change order, cost records, progress invoice, payment, and retainage detail. Ask how each item reaches the books and which schedule supports the remaining balances. Recognition and classification should follow the contract facts and applicable accounting policy.
Request a job report with definitions for actual costs, committed costs, estimates to complete, billed amounts, and cash collected where those measures are in scope. The team should distinguish an approved accounting balance from a management estimate about future work.
Connect field and office information
Identify who approves time, materials, subcontractor invoices, and scope changes. Ask how late information reaches the accounting team and how closed-period corrections are handled. An integration cannot supply an approval or a missing project code that was never captured.
For subcontractors, equipment financing, payroll, and tax questions, identify the responsible professional. Confirm whether compliance work, information returns, or specialist reporting requires another engagement. A bookkeeping fee should not be assumed to include every project or employment obligation.
Compare the evidence and workload
Request sample job and company reports with confidential data removed. Check reconciliation, review, unresolved items, and the reporting calendar. Price project setup, historical cleanup, recurring accounting, software, professional work, and additional jobs or entities.
Retain approved balances, contract and billing schedules, cost mappings, policies, and open questions. Choose the provider whose proposal connects field evidence to reviewed financial reporting and makes the assumptions behind project results visible to management.
Sources
Requirements and product details can change. Check the linked guidance for the facts that apply to your situation.
Related reading
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General information, not personalized accounting, tax, legal, or investment advice. Have the appropriate qualified professional review decisions that depend on your circumstances.