— 01

Financial Operations

Do you know your real profit margin on each job — not just what you quoted, but what you actually kept?
Is every subcontractor invoice reconciled weekly against the original scope and purchase order?
Are change orders documented, priced, and signed before the additional work begins?
Do you have a system that flags overdue receivables before they hit 30 days?
Can you pull a real-time cash flow forecast without calling your bookkeeper?
Are material costs tracked per job — not just lumped into a monthly expense?

— 02

Job Management

Are estimates going out within 24 hours of a site visit?
Does every active job have a written scope, timeline, and assigned project lead?
Is there a daily or weekly progress check that catches schedule slippage before it compounds?
Do you have a punch list process that starts before the final walkthrough — not during it?
Are warranty callbacks tracked so you can identify recurring issues by trade or material?
Is your scheduling system visible to the crew, or does everyone rely on phone calls and texts?

— 03

Does every client get a proactive weekly update — even when there is nothing new to report?
Are phone calls answered during business hours, or do leads regularly hit voicemail?
Is there a defined response-time standard for inquiries (e.g., same day for calls, 1 hour for texts)?
Do you send a post-project follow-up asking for a review — within 48 hours of completion?
When a lead goes cold, is there an automated or manual follow-up sequence before you write them off?

— 04

Are all subcontractor COIs (certificates of insurance) current and filed before they step on site?
Is every job photographed at key stages — not just before and after?
Do you have a single, searchable place for contracts, permits, and lien waivers?
Are safety meetings documented, and do you have proof of attendance?
Is your licensing and bonding renewal tracked with reminders — not left to memory?

— 05

Do you know your lead-to-close ratio — and is it improving quarter over quarter?
Are you collecting Google reviews consistently, or only when you remember to ask?
Is there a referral program that rewards past clients for sending new business?
Do you have a “not right now” list — leads who said no but might say yes in 6 months?
Could your business run for two weeks without you personally managing every detail?

— Score yourself

How many boxes did you check? Be honest.

— 0–8 checked

Critical gaps in your operation. You are likely leaving money and reputation on the table.

— 9–17 checked

Room to grow. The foundation is there, but the cracks will widen as you scale.

— 18–27 checked

You are ahead of most contractors in Charleston. Time to optimize, not overhaul.