Construction Cash Flow Forecast Template — Excel
Construction Cash Flow Forecast Template (Excel)Billing S-Curve · Retention Tracking · Peak Financing CalculatorKnow exactly when your project will run out of cash — before it happens.This template turns a contract value, a billing schedule, and a cost budget into a full month-by-month cash flow forecast: how much you'll invoice, how much retention gets held back, when you actually get paid, and — most importantly — the exact month and dollar amount of your peak financing gap.Built for general contractors, subcontractors, project managers, and estimators who need to answer one question before a project starts: "How much working capital / line of credit do we actually need to carry this job?"What's includedOne Excel workbook (.xlsx) with 4 connected sheets, pre-filled with a sample project (a $2.4M, 12-month office build-out) so you can see it working immediately, then overwrite with your own numbers:1. Assumptions Project name, contract value, start date, duration Retention % withheld, payment collection lag, retention release lag Editable monthly billing curve (the "S-curve") — reshape it to match your actual draw schedule Cost budget by category (Labor, Materials, Subcontractors, Equipment & Plant, Overhead & Insurance, Contingency) Auto-calculated projected gross profit and margin 2. Inflows Gross billing, retention withheld, net invoiced amount, and actual cash received each month Retention release modeled separately in the month after project completion Total cash inflow by month and project total 3. Outflows Monthly cost breakdown by category, tied directly to your budget and billing curve Total cash outflow by month and project total 4. Summary Month-by-month net cash flow, opening balance, and closing balance Peak Financing Requirement — the largest negative cash position you'll hit, and which month it happens in Total projected net profit and profit margin Final cash position at project close-out Why this mattersContractors don't go broke from unprofitable jobs — they go broke from profitable jobs they didn't have the cash to carry. Retention withholding, payment lags, and front-loaded costs (labor, materials, subs) mean you're often paying out well before you get paid. This template shows you that gap in dollars and in time, so you can: Size a line of credit or draw schedule before you need it Negotiate better payment terms or a mobilization payment up front Spot which months are the tightest and plan around them Show a lender or partner a clear, professional cash flow projection How it works Enter your contract value, start date, and duration in Assumptions Edit the monthly billing % curve to match your expected draw schedule Enter your budgeted cost by category Everything else recalculates automatically — Inflows, Outflows, and Summary are all formula-driven, nothing is hardcoded Read your peak financing number straight off the Summary sheet Format & compatibility Delivered as a single .xlsx file Works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets Fully formula-based — change any assumption and the whole forecast updates No macros, no add-ins, no plugins required What this is NOT Not a full project management or scheduling tool Not accounting software — it's a planning/forecasting model, not a bookkeeping system Not tax or legal advice — always confirm retention terms against your actual contract Who it's forGeneral contractors · subcontractors · construction project managers · estimators · small construction business owners · anyone bidding fixed-price contract work who needs to plan working capitalQuestions before you buy? Message me and I'm happy to help.
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