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Contractor cash planning

Build a 13-week forecast, check work in progress against your books, and prepare a review packet.

Free to use. No account required.

Calculation methods and data storage

Planning workspace

EXAMPLE DATA · USD
Explore this fictional contractor, or start a blank plan with your own figures.

Cash assumptions

Enter expected cash receipts, not invoices sent. Exclude retainage until you expect it to be released.

STRESS TEST
Applies to all planned receipts and direct costs. Overhead and debt payments stay unchanged.
Expected cash low$72,000Opening balance + 13 weeks
Cash needed above reserve$34,400Under your stress scenario
Expected Stress scenario
-19k78k176kTodayW4W8W13Dotted horizontal line: your minimum cash reserve.
Your reserve is breached in week 3.

Review collection dates, upcoming commitments, and available funding for a $34,400 reserve gap.

$110,000 of planned receipts move beyond week 13; they are delayed, not lost.

The next 13 weeks

Direct costs: labor, materials and subcontractors. Other outflows: overhead, taxes, debt and owner draws.

Paste 13 weeks from a spreadsheet

Copy three columns: receipts, direct costs, other outflows. Spreadsheet cells separated by tabs may include dollar signs and grouped commas, such as $20,000.00. For comma-separated rows, use plain numbers such as 20000.00. An optional first column can contain week numbers 1–13.

Weekly cash inputs and calculated ending balances, in US dollars
WeekCash receipts ($)Direct costs ($)Other outflows ($)Expected cashStressed cash
01$78,500$60,800
02$72,000$26,600
03$95,500$7,400
04$74,000-$1,800
05$72,500$19,000
06$106,000-$5,200
07$94,500-$9,400
08$93,000$21,400
09$121,500$7,200
10$115,000$3,000
11$118,500$28,800
12$152,000$19,600
13$165,500$20,400

Include every cash outflow once. This is a weekly planning model, so a positive week-end balance can still hide a midweek shortfall. WIP figures are reviewed separately and do not automatically change this forecast.

Figures are calculated on this device. Saving is optional.
PREPARE FOR YOUR NEXT REVIEW

Using the workspace

01

Plan the cash

Update the next 13 weeks with your expected receipts and payments. Test a delay before it happens.

02

Review the WIP

Review underbillings, cost to complete, and loss-making jobs alongside your WIP schedule.

03

Prepare the packet

Save your plan, gather the supporting documents, and take the summary to your next review.

METHOD AND DATA HANDLING

How the calculations work

BondSBA helps you prepare. Your accountant, lender and surety make their own assessments.

How does the cash stress test work?

Each week ends with opening cash + receipts − direct costs − other outflows. The stress scenario shifts all receipts by the selected number of weeks and increases direct costs by the selected percentage. The reserve gap is the difference between your reserve and the lowest balance, including today. It is not a credit recommendation.

How is WIP calculated?

Percent complete = cost to date ÷ estimated total cost. Earned revenue = percent complete × contract value. Underbilling = earned revenue − billed amount, when positive. Overbilling is the reverse. Cost to complete = estimated total cost − cost to date. This simplified model does not include every accounting adjustment.

Read NASBP’s WIP guidance ↗
Where does my data go?

This workspace does not upload your inputs. Save on browser uses local storage on this device; anyone with access to the same browser profile may see it. Backups contain your data. There is no cloud sync or account recovery. Delete the saved copy here whenever you want.

Does this get me approved for a bond?

No. This is a preparation tool. It does not issue bonds, estimate your bonding capacity or certify SBA eligibility. SBA’s program works through participating sureties and agencies.

Read the SBA program overview ↗

Continue working on your forecast

BondSBA · Contractor review packet

Example · Oak & Iron Contracting

Week 1 starts 2026-09-11. FICTIONAL EXAMPLE. USD.

Opening cash: $95,000; minimum reserve: $25,000. Stress scenario: 2-week receipt delay and 10% direct-cost increase.

Expected low: $72,000. Stressed low: -$9,400. Reserve gap: $34,400. Receipts deferred beyond week 13: $110,000.

WeekReceiptsDirect costsOther outflowsBase cashStress cash
1$15,000$27,000$4,500$78,500$60,800
2$25,000$27,000$4,500$72,000$26,600
3$55,000$27,000$4,500$95,500$7,400
4$10,000$27,000$4,500$74,000-$1,800
5$30,000$27,000$4,500$72,500$19,000
6$65,000$27,000$4,500$106,000-$5,200
7$20,000$27,000$4,500$94,500-$9,400
8$30,000$27,000$4,500$93,000$21,400
9$60,000$27,000$4,500$121,500$7,200
10$25,000$27,000$4,500$115,000$3,000
11$35,000$27,000$4,500$118,500$28,800
12$65,000$27,000$4,500$152,000$19,600
13$45,000$27,000$4,500$165,500$20,400

WIP review

Check the schedule against your report

Cost to date in schedule: $310,000.00. Billings in schedule: $345,000.00.

Cost difference: Report total not entered. Billing difference: Report total not entered.

Report reference: Not supplied. Differences = schedule minus report. Use the same jobs, cut-off date and job-to-date period. Matching these two totals does not verify completeness, revenue recognition or the financial statements.

Riverside school: contract $400,000, cost to date $180,000, estimated total cost $320,000, billed $200,000. Underbilled $25,000; overbilled $0; estimated profit $80,000; remaining cost $140,000.

Westside fit-out: contract $250,000, cost to date $130,000, estimated total cost $265,000, billed $145,000. Underbilled $0; overbilled $22,358; estimated profit -$15,000; remaining cost $135,000.

Supporting documents

[Needed] Current balance sheet and income statement

[Needed] WIP schedule reconciled with the books

[Needed] Receivables and payables aging

[Needed] Debt schedule and available credit

[Needed] Contract, bid date and required bond forms

[Needed] Explanation of losses, underbillings and estimate changes

Notes and next decisions

No notes entered.

Method and limits

Cash = opening + receipts − direct costs − other outflows. Stress delays all receipts and increases direct costs; no financing is assumed. WIP uses cost-to-cost percentage complete. Estimates are not audited, and underbillings are not necessarily collectible. Weekly balances can hide intraweek cash deficits. This packet is not bond or loan approval, a complete underwriting submission, or accounting advice. Supporting documents are marked by the user, not verified by BondSBA. Prepared with bondsba.com.