Blogs

Hello from LiquidOn — New Member Introduction

By Jaffa Levy posted yesterday
Hi CFMA Community! I'm Bella, VP Marketing & Origination at LiquidOn — and I'm thrilled to have just joined CFMA as an International Associate Member. LiquidOn is a Supply Chain Finance platform built specifically for the construction industry. We connect directly to a construction company's ERP and give their subcontractors and suppliers the option to receive early payment on approved invoices within 24-48 hours — at no cost to the GC — while the GC earns 5% of our net profit through the program. I've spent the past several months speaking with construction CFOs, Controllers and finance leaders across the U.S. about working ...

Fuel Is Going Up… But That’s Not Why Your Fleet Costs Too Much

By Lisa Bennetts posted 2 days ago
(Idle time, speed, and fuel behavior are the real margin drivers) Fuel is already expensive and likely heading higher over time—but the real cost drivers in your fleet aren’t prices. They’re idle time, speed between jobs, and using premium fuel when your trucks don’t require it. Most contractors still look at fuel like it’s a pricing problem. It isn’t. It’s a behavior problem that shows up on a fuel receipt. When fuel spikes, it feels external. Gas goes up. Nothing you can do. That’s just the market. And to be fair, fuel is influenced by market conditions. But focusing only on price is like blaming grocery inflation while ignoring what’s in your cart. ...

Capture, track, and resolve safety issues faster.

By Connor Watumull posted 3 days ago
Safety isn’t a single workflow. It’s what happens every day on jobs, across conversations, inspections, and what crews see in the field. But most teams are still managing incidents, observations, checklists, and toolbox talks in separate systems or on paper. It’s hard to see what’s happening across crews, and even harder to act on it in real time. That's why we built Miter Safety. Miter Safety gives finance and HR leaders real-time visibility into safety activity across every job, crew, and supervisor, all connected to the hours, people, and projects already in Miter. TRIR and DART rates are calculated automatically. OSHA reports are generated ...

Streamlining the Benefits Burden: A Modern Approach for Construction HR

By Erika Carosi posted 3 days ago
Managing employee benefits in the construction industry is notoriously complex. Between tracking hours for variable-hour workforces, managing union versus non-union requirements, and staying on top of ACA compliance, the administrative workload can quickly overwhelm even the most seasoned HR teams. For many firms, the "hidden cost" of benefits administration isn't just the premiums—it’s the hundreds of manual hours spent reconciling carrier invoices, updating payroll deductions, and chasing down Evidence of Insurability (EOI) forms. Why Construction Benefits Require a Specialized Engine Generic HR software often struggles with the unique variables of the ...

Beiing Human Achieves Trimble Marketplace Certification for AI-Powered Accounts Payable Automation with Trimble Vista

By Rishi Srivastava posted 6 days ago
Integration with Trimble® VistaTM financial management system is now available through the Trimble Marketplace Asheville, NC April, 2026 — Beiing Human, a provider of AI-powered accounts payable automation, today announced that its integration with Trimble Vista has been officially certified and listed on the Trimble Marketplace. Developed using Trimble App XchangeTM integration platform and available in the Trimble Marketplace , the certified integration gives construction firms a trusted way to modernize their AP workflows. Solving a Persistent Pain Point for Construction Finance Teams Managing invoices in construction is uniquely complex. ...

Q2 Construction Payroll Compliance Calendar: Key Deadlines for April–June 2026

By Erika Carosi posted 17 days ago
Construction payroll compliance doesn’t take a break—and neither do the deadlines that can impact your projects, audits, and bottom line. Our latest Q2 2026 Compliance Calendar breaks down the key federal and state payroll obligations from April through June so construction finance teams can stay ahead of reporting requirements, avoid penalties, and keep operations running smoothly. Whether you're managing prevailing wage work, multi-state payroll, or tight reporting cycles, this quick guide helps you stay organized and proactive all quarter long. 👉 Read the full blog here: ...

Miter x CFMA | Elite Partnership

By Connor Watumull posted 22 days ago
Construction financial leaders are being asked to do more than ever – modernize operations, manage growing compliance demands, and drive business growth – often while working around systems that were never built to keep up. Miter unifies HR, payroll, time tracking, and expense management in one place. Purpose-built for construction and field service contractors, Miter is designed to scale alongside your business. That's why we're proud to announce that Miter is now a CFMA Elite Partner. CFMA has long been the go-to community for construction financial professionals, and this partnership reflects a shared commitment to investing in the leaders shaping ...

AB 889 Changed the Rules on Fringe Benefits. Is Your Construction Payroll Ready?

By Erika Carosi posted 27 days ago
California just changed the rules and if your payroll isn’t ready, it could cost you. AB 889 is reshaping how California contractors calculate and claim fringe benefit credits on prevailing wage projects, requiring stricter annualization, eliminating past exemptions, and putting the burden on contractors to prove their calculations with detailed records. If you’re still running payroll the old way, you may already be at risk. We broke it all down in our latest blog: what changed, what it means, and how to stay compliant before 2026 hits. 👉 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/g6_kqFKm ...

Cost-to-Complete Challenges? This Course Is for You

By Valerie Bland-Page posted 04-03-2026
Join this 2-hour live online course and walk away with practical tools you can use immediately. Job Forecasting: Cost to Complete for Subcontractors April 9 | 3-5 PM ET Earn 2 CPE/CCIFP credits ⭐Rated 9.4/10 by previous attendees 💬"Practical, easy to understand, and immediately applicable to our forecasting process." You'll learn how to: Forecast labor & materials with confidence Build reliable cost reports Implement a simple monthly forecasting model Register today! ...

Better Together: Acumatica + Lumber Deliver a Seamless Payroll and ERP Experience

By Erika Carosi posted 03-17-2026
Smarter Construction Payroll Starts with One Connected System Construction payroll is one of the most complex—and high-risk—areas of any contractor’s business. Between certified payroll, union requirements, prevailing wages, and job costing, even small errors can create big problems: compliance issues, delayed payments, and inaccurate project financials. The root cause? For most contractors, it’s not a payroll problem—it’s a systems problem . The Challenge: Disconnected Systems Many construction companies still operate with separate systems for: Time tracking in the field Payroll processing ERP and financials This leads to ...

Miter is a CFMA Elite Partner

By Connor Watumull posted 03-17-2026
For construction financial professionals, the job has never been more complex. Compliance demands are growing, business models are evolving, and finance leaders are being asked to do more than ever, often without the systems or support to match. CFMA has spent decades building the community, education, and resources that help construction financial professionals rise to that challenge. Now, as a CFMA Elite Partner, Miter is joining that effort, bringing modern tools for payroll, HR, time tracking, and expense management purpose-built for construction, so finance leaders have what they need to modernize their operations and lead with confidence. ...

Union vs. non-union construction projects each come with unique advantages and trade-offs for contractors.

By Erika Carosi posted 03-16-2026
Union projects often provide structured training programs, standardized wages, and predictable labor costs, which can make budgeting and quality control more consistent. On the other hand, non-union environments offer more flexibility in hiring, compensation, and workforce management, which can be attractive for companies that need to scale quickly or adjust to market conditions. In reality, many contractors work with both union and non-union labor depending on the project, geography, and client requirements. Understanding the differences can help construction leaders make better decisions around labor strategy, compliance, and project planning. If you're ...

You mobilized your new project, broke!

By Gerard Aliberti posted 02-25-2026
The Challenge You just won a $60 million project. Signed the contract. Got the notice to proceed. Your team is “ready” to roll, and the owner wanted boots on the ground yesterday. So you do what every contractor does. You mobilize! Equipment gets ordered. First payroll goes out. Material deposits hit your accounts. Insurance, bonds, permits, mobilization costs the owner will not reimburse for 60 days, plus the terrible 10% retention terms. You just pulled a massive loan from your line of credit before anyone even broke ground, so you can cash flow the project. And now you are paying interest on that money every single day until you can bill it ...

When Estimating Wins a Project, the Field CAN’T Build

By Gerard Aliberti posted 02-24-2026
The Challenge You just got the call. Your team won the bid. Everyone's celebrating in the office, high-fiving, talking about the big win. But three months into the job, your superintendent is calling you stressed out because the numbers don't match reality. The scope that looked perfect on paper is falling apart in the field. Your crew is working overtime trying to figure out what the estimator actually meant. And now you're staring down a project that's bleeding money instead of making it. This disconnect between what gets sold and what actually gets built is tearing construction companies apart from the inside. Your estimating team lives in spreadsheets ...

Free CPE Course | Key Compliance Updates Every Construction Payroll Team Must Know in 2026

By Erika Carosi posted 02-23-2026
Lumber is hosting a free compliance course covering key Certified Payroll Reporting updates and best practices for 2026. Register here: https://www.lumberfi.com/webinar/key-compliance-updates-every-construction-payroll-team-must-know-in-2026 About the webinar Earn1 CPE Credit 2026 brings new compliance demands for construction payroll teams, and staying informed is critical. Gain insight into key federal and select state updates, IRS and payroll tax implications, common audit triggers, and the growing role of AI and digital tools in reducing compliance risk. Walk away with practical guidance and a 2026 compliance readiness checklist to help ...

CFMA’s Newest Elite Partner: Miter

By Connor Watumull posted 02-23-2026
We're proud to announce that Miter is now a CFMA Elite Partner. Construction financial leaders are being asked to do more than ever — modernize operations, manage complex compliance, and guide their companies through growth, often with systems that weren't built for it. This partnership is about changing that. Miter brings payroll, HR, time tracking, and expenses into a single platform built for construction — so finance teams can spend less time wrestling with disconnected systems and more time on what matters most: driving strategic decisions and strengthening their organizations. Together, CFMA and Miter are committed to investing ...

Digital Credentials Boost Construction Efficiency

By Erika Carosi posted 02-19-2026
The $12 Billion Paper Trail: Why Digital Credentials Are the New Gold Standard In the world of construction finance and HR, we often talk about "hidden costs." We track fuel surcharges, fluctuating material prices, and overtime. However, there is a massive, invisible drain on our bottom line: manual credential management. Industry data suggests that labor inefficiencies, largely driven by delays in verifying certifications and managing compliance gaps, cost the construction industry billions annually. For the average contractor, this looks like a foreman spending hours chasing down OSHA cards or a project stalling because a specialized operator’s certification ...

The "Excel Tax": Why Manual Payroll is the Riskiest Debt on Your Books

By Erika Carosi posted 02-17-2026
In the construction finance world, we talk a lot about "technical debt", the cost of choosing an easy, manual solution now instead of a better tool that scales. For many of us, that debt lives in our payroll process. We’ve all seen it: a complex web of Excel workbooks, VLOOKUPs, and manual "shadow" calculations used to bridge the gap between field time-tracking and our general payroll provider. While it feels like we’re saving on software seat licenses, we are often unknowingly paying a much higher "tax" in risk and lost efficiency. 1. The Fragility of the "Spreadsheet Single Point of Failure" Excel is a masterpiece of flexibility, but it lacks Internal ...

1099 Reporting in Construction: What Finance Teams Need to Know for 2026

By Erika Carosi posted 02-16-2026
For construction companies, 1099 reporting is more than a year-end administrative task—it’s a critical compliance function. With subcontractors making up a significant portion of the workforce, construction finance teams must ensure payments are properly tracked, classified, and reported. As reporting requirements evolve, 2026 is an important year for finance leaders to revisit their processes and ensure their systems and controls are aligned. What Is 1099 Reporting—and Why It Matters in Construction Form 1099-NEC is used to report payments made to independent contractors and subcontractors. Unlike employees, these workers are not issued W-2s, so 1099 reporting ...

Plexxis Webinar recording?

By Nikki Elkins posted 02-13-2026
Hi! Does anyone know if the Plexxis Webinar was recorded from earlier this week? Thanks!