Comparison
Level vs Traditional
Fractional CFO
Most contractors sit in a gap. Too complex for a generic bookkeeper, too small for a fractional CFO who will not touch job costing. Level is a dedicated team built for exactly that gap: job costing, WIP, and weekly operating decisions, from $500-$5,000/month depending on tier.
| Dimension | Level | Traditional Fractional CFO |
|---|---|---|
| Trades expertise | ✓Dedicated team with construction CPA, field software integration, and job costing built-in | Generalist finance background. Rarely has contractor-specific experience. |
| Benchmark data | ✓2,200+ contractor benchmarks, margins, billing speed, collection rates, crew utilization | None. Analysis based on your own historical data only. |
| Technology integration | ✓API connections to ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, and 20+ platforms | Manual export from QuickBooks. No field software integration. |
| Monthly deliverables | ✓Gross profit per technician hour, cash trapped in open jobs, weekly action lists, job-level P&L, benchmark comparison | Varies widely. Often just a monthly call and executive summary. |
| Team depth | ✓Dedicated CFO + construction CPA + financial analyst + data engineering team | One person. If they get sick, go on vacation, or resign, you have nothing. |
| Scalability | ✓Fixed monthly engagement. Add services as you grow. No billable hours. | Hourly or retainer. More complex needs = higher bills with no ceiling. |
| Cost | ✓$500-$5,000/month, depending on the finance tier and complexity. | $5,000-$15,000/month for a high-quality generalist. Often more. |
| Analysis approach | ✓AI-powered data processing. Pattern detection across your jobs, customers, and crew. | Experience-driven. As good as that one person's pattern recognition. |
Level engagement range
$500-$5K/mo
Depends on whether you need the bookkeeping foundation, the Scale operating layer, or a multi-office platform.
Traditional fractional CFO
$5-15K/mo
One person. Hourly or retainer. No benchmark data.
Potential savings
70-90%
Without sacrificing depth, because Level brings a team, not a consultant.
Level makes sense when
- ✓You're a contractor in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or GC
- ✓You need job-level visibility, not just consolidated financials
- ✓You want benchmark-driven insights, not one person's opinion
- ✓You're using field service software (ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro)
- ✓You're considering PE acquisition or agency sale in the next 1-5 years
- ✓You want a full team at a fraction of the cost
Traditional CFO makes sense when
- ✓You're running $50M+ with complex multi-entity structures
- ✓You need a named executive for board-level reporting
- ✓You're navigating a complex M&A transaction
- ✓You need capital markets experience or debt restructuring
- ✓You're not in the trades and need a generalist
What a dedicated Level engagement delivers
Month 1: Baseline
- ✓Books cleanup and data validation (the foundation the operating layer runs on)
- ✓Field software connection (ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro)
- ✓Job-level P&L for last 12 months
- ✓Benchmark comparison vs. 2,200+ contractors
- ✓First list of financial gaps and quick wins
Ongoing: Monthly cadence
- ✓Job-level profitability report
- ✓Rolling 6-week cash flow forecast
- ✓AR aging and collections tracker
- ✓Monthly strategy call with your dedicated CFO
- ✓Variance analysis vs. prior period and budget
Growth: Strategic layer
- ✓Annual budget and scenario planning
- ✓Tax strategy with your CPA
- ✓Exit readiness preparation
- ✓Service agreement profitability analysis
- ✓Crew utilization and capacity planning
Simple pricing
Three tiers, one ladder.
$500+/mo
Bookkeeping
The clean data layer: monthly books, reconciliations, and organized financials AI can work with.
$1,500-$5,000/mo
Scale
The full AI operating layer: custom agents, weekly actions, and benchmarks to grow margin per hour.
Custom
Platform / Multi-Office
Multi-branch benchmarking and scorecards for PE-backed and multi-location groups.
The construction fluency test
Do not pay a CFO to learn your operating model on your dime
Contractors do not only need a generic forecast and monthly P&L review. The finance function has to understand WIP, retainage, cost codes, progress billing, crew economics, and why field-system status may not match accounting. Industry fluency shortens diagnosis and keeps sensible general advice from missing how work actually becomes cash.
Ask a provider to trace one completed job from field status through cost, billing, collection, and margin. If the answer stays at the consolidated P&L, the engagement is still learning the business.
A full team. Trades-specific. A fraction of the cost.
We connect to your books and show you what a profitability audit would uncover.
No commitment. Real numbers, not generic advice.