Services
Experienced judgment,
on a software backbone.
The work is senior financial judgment, signed and accountable: covenant strategy, cash sequencing, and the decisions that protect your loan and your business. The dashboards, models, and reporting that support those decisions run on a software backbone.
01 · The model
Judgment is the product. The system is how it's produced.
Senior judgment, signed
The work only a named, accountable CFO can own.
- Covenant strategy and protection
- Cash-crisis sequencing: what to pull forward, what to stretch
- Forecasting judgment and prioritized recommendations
- Lender and board communication, with the Founder in the room
- The monthly decision call
- A signature on the numbers, and a written decision log
A software backbone
The reporting that supports the judgment, built on a standardized model we configure for you.
- A one-page dashboard and 5 to 10 KPIs
- A rolling 13-week cash flow
- Budget-versus-actual with variance commentary
- Covenant tracking and a forward calendar
- Contractor-fluent reporting: WIP, retainage, billings in excess
- Custom analyses shaped to the questions you are actually facing
02 · Engagements
Begin with the Sprint, then a monthly engagement.
Covenant & Cash Readiness Sprint
Fixed fee from $10,000 · 30 to 90 days A fixed-scope first engagement that shows where you stand before any retainer commitment. Includes- Data-quality review
- Reporting and forecasting setup, in accounts you own
- Your first 13-week cash flow
- A covenant baseline, tested forward against your forecast
- A findings and recommendations memo
- A quote to continue monthly, inside the deliverable
Growth CFO
From $6,000 per month For founder-led contractors who need ongoing covenant protection, lender credibility, and decision support. Includes- Covenant tracking and a forward-tested calendar
- A rolling 13-week cash flow
- Dashboard, KPIs, and budget-versus-actual with commentary
- A monthly decision call with prioritized recommendations
- Mid-month asynchronous access
Strategic CFO
From $12,000 per month For covenanted, sponsor-backed, or sale-prep companies that need a higher cadence. Includes- Everything in Growth
- Board and lender reporting cadence
- Scenario and capital planning
- More frequent touchpoints
- Support through quality-of-earnings and diligence
We price against two numbers: the cost of a covenant breach (repricing, default, or a forced sale) and the all-in cost of a full-time CFO ($250,000 to $400,000). Not against hours, and not against software.
03 · The front door
How the Sprint works.
Qualify
We confirm the vertical, the revenue band, and at least one trigger: a covenant, tightening cash or working capital, or a sale on the horizon.
Scope and sign
A fixed-fee engagement letter, with scope and disclaimers, before any data moves.
Data and quality review
A contractor-fluent checklist: financials, WIP schedule, AR and AP aging with retainage, loan agreements with covenant definitions, and your bonding program. Gaps are flagged.
Set up the system
Dashboard, KPIs, and the forecasting model, configured in accounts you own.
Baseline cash and covenants
Your first 13-week cash flow, and every covenant tested forward with dated risk.
Findings and a path forward
What we found, what it is worth, what to do, and a quote to continue as a monthly retainer.
04 · Project work
Available on their own when that's the better fit.
Most engagements start with the Sprint. When a single deliverable is the right fit, we also build them on their own: a 13-week cash flow, an annual budget, or a board or lender package. Each is scoped and priced per engagement.
05 · Scope
What we do, and what we don't.
We provide
- Management reporting and dashboards
- Forecasting and budgeting
- KPI and variance analysis
- Cash flow and covenant management support
- Lender and board reporting support
- Strategic finance and decision support
We do not provide
- Audit or assurance
- Tax advice or preparation
- Legal advice
- Securities advice
- Investment banking or broker-dealer services
- Registered investment advisory services
06 · FAQ
Straight answers.
What does Base Case CFO actually do?
We serve as the outsourced CFO for founder-led contractors, typically $10M to $50M in revenue. That means owning the numbers that decide your future: covenant compliance, a rolling 13-week cash flow, work-in-progress and margin visibility, and the reporting your bank and surety rely on. Your bookkeeper or controller keeps doing what they do. We sit above that work and turn it into decisions.
I already have a CPA and a bookkeeper. Why would I need this?
Different jobs. Your bookkeeper records what happened. Your CPA prepares your reviewed statements and your taxes, usually months after the fact. Nobody in that lineup is looking forward: whether you pass the next covenant test, whether cash covers the next 13 weeks, whether the margin on your biggest job is quietly eroding. That forward-looking work is a CFO's job, and most contractors our size can't justify a $250K+ full-time hire. That's the gap we fill.
Do you replace my CPA?
No, and we're built not to. We don't provide audit, review, tax, or attestation services. Your CPA-prepared statements remain essential, especially for your bonding program. We work alongside your CPA, and in practice we make their job easier because the books they receive are cleaner and the questions get answered faster.
Who is a good fit, and who isn't?
Good fit: a founder-led contractor or project-based business, roughly $10M to $50M in revenue, with a bank line, a bonding program, or an eventual sale on your mind, and a bookkeeper or controller in place. Not a fit: companies under $5M, businesses without a working bookkeeping foundation, or anyone looking for tax preparation, audit services, or the cheapest possible option.
How does an engagement start?
With a fixed-scope Covenant & Cash Readiness Sprint, typically 30 to 90 days. We install the reporting system, build your 13-week cash flow, test every covenant forward against the forecast, and deliver a findings memo with prioritized recommendations. You'll know exactly where you stand, usually for the first time. Most clients then continue on a monthly retainer; some take the findings and run. Either way, you keep everything we build.
What does it cost?
The Sprint is a fixed fee, typically $10,000 to $15,000 depending on complexity. Ongoing CFO retainers generally run $6,000 to $20,000 per month based on scope. For context, that's a fraction of a full-time CFO, and considerably less than what a covenant breach, a shrunk bonding line, or a mispriced job costs. We'll quote a firm number before any engagement begins.
How much of my time does this take?
Less than you'd think. Your office sends the monthly data, we handle production and analysis, and you get one focused monthly call plus a short written package: what changed, what's at risk, what to do about it. The goal is to give you back time, not create a new job for you.
Will you deal with my bank and surety directly?
Yes, with your approval, and it's often where we add the most value. Lenders and sureties extend more credit, on better terms, to contractors whose numbers they trust. We prepare the packages they actually want to see and can join those conversations with you. Bankers tend to like having us involved, because a borrower with real forward visibility is a better credit.
Start here
Know where you stand before the bank does.
A breach can mean repricing, default, or a forced sale. A full-time CFO runs $250,000 to $400,000 all in. The Sprint is a fixed fee, a clear assessment of where you stand, and a firsthand look at what it is like to work with us.