How Much High Mast Lighting Owners Make on $11M–$52M Revenue

Track Finished Work Profit

Measure awarded jobs, completed jobs, gross profit per job, and days to collect. A clean rule: do not chase more volume unless each finished project still covers field labor, crane time, safety coverage, and admin load.

• Track completions, not bids.
• Price crane and safety separately.
• Hold payroll cash first.
• Test CAC by channel.

Build Overhead Into Bids

Price overhead recovery into every bid, not after the fact. Track billable hours, overhead per month, and job margin by project so you can see if each contract is funding the fixed load plus owner pay.

• Track overhead as a monthly percent of revenue.
• Separate job costs from fixed costs.
• Test bids against overhead recovery per hour.
• Watch compliance, insurance, and vehicle costs.

Track Cash Before Owner Pay

Watch days sales outstanding (days to collect cash), retainage %, weekly payroll, material deposits, and debt service. Build a 13-week cash forecast from billed work, expected collections, and required outflows so you can see gaps before they hit.

Keep a reserve sized for slow pay and closeout delays. Use that reserve before any owner distribution, then set a rule for draws only after payroll, materials, insurance, and bonding are covered. Cash pays the bills, so profit alone is not spendable income.

• Track collections by project.
• Separate retainage from cash.
• Fund payroll first.
• Delay owner draws if short.

Track Every Job Cost

Track costs by job, not just by month, and compare budget to actual after each lift, delivery, and shift. Build each estimate from the main inputs: raw materials, components, subcontracted lifting, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and change orders. The owner’s take-home rises only when actual cost stays below the bid allowance.

Keep separate codes for crane time, traffic control, rework, and overtime so you can price future bids better. Clean job costing improves cash and protects profit draw. A project that looks busy can still pay poorly if direct costs keep running above plan.

Price by Scope, Not by Habit

Track each bid by scope bucket, not just total contract value. Separate hours, materials, traffic control, airport work, and foundation work, then compare bid margin to actual job cost. Here’s the quick check: if the scope adds complexity but not price, the owner is funding the gap.

• Log retainage terms on every bid.
• Test pricing by scope line.
• Flag change orders early.
• Match price to procurement terms.

Watch cash, not just profit. A larger contract can grow top-line revenue, but slow pay and retainage can delay owner draws if materials and payroll land before collection. If a job needs more heavy equipment or longer billing cycles, build that into the price before you sign.

Track Crew And Equipment Use By Job

Track billable hours, idle hours, rental days, overtime, and equipment downtime by project, not by month. That shows which jobs are burning margin. If a lift needs a crane, bucket truck, and drill rig, line up the window first, then crew it. Poor sequencing can turn a profitable scope into thin contribution fast.

Use schedule controls that reduce waiting: confirm access dates, stage materials early, and match the right crew to the right equipment. The goal is simple: more paid productive time with the same assets. More utilization means more profit without new sales, and that is what funds owner pay.

• Measure paid hours vs idle hours
• Flag rental and overtime overruns
• Match crane, truck, and crew timing
• Review job-level equipment downtime