✺ Fractional CFOs for $5M–$30M contractors
Grow the business.
Bank the profit.
Most contractors grow revenue without growing take-home profit. We bring CFO-level clarity and cash-flow predictability to construction & specialty-trade businesses — so growth actually pays.
Clarity
Know exactly what's happening in your business, and why — no more financials that raise more questions than they answer.
Predictability
See cash, margin and risk months ahead — so payroll stops keeping you up and surprises stop running the show.
Better decisions
Hire, bid, buy equipment and grow on real numbers — so the big calls feel like strategy, not a gamble.
✺ The four numbers
Four numbers run your business. We keep all four in view.
Revenue becomes gross profit, becomes net profit, becomes cash. A leak anywhere drains what's left at the end — so we track all four together, never one in isolation.
Revenue
“More revenue won't fix a broken business.”
Gross Profit
“Won or lost in the field.”
Net Profit
“Busy doesn't mean profitable.”
✺ If this sounds familiar
You're not bad at this. You're flying without instruments.
"I don't have clear visibility into our cash flow."
"Payroll still keeps me up at night."
"Margins look good, but the profit isn't showing up."
"Hiring feels riskier than it should."
"Big decisions feel more like gambling than strategy."
"I want to scale or exit — but don't know the path."
✺ The Cash Gap
You bid for profit. Are you banking it?
Drag the sliders to see the gap between the margin you bid and the margin that actually reaches your account. For most growing contractors, the difference is a six- or seven-figure leak every year.
Let's close your gap
✺ Is it time?
The moments owners usually reach out.
If any of these sound like where you are right now, it's probably time for a conversation.
✺ How we work
Two phases. One outcome: confident control of your numbers.
We get to work — and to early wins
A focused first stretch to get our arms around your business, surface quick wins, and build the foundation everything else runs on — working alongside the accounting team you already have.
✺ A clear lane
We do one thing — and we're honest about the rest.
✺ Proof in the numbers
Clarity isn't a report. It's a bigger bottom line.
Real outcomes from Coastal CFO Advisors engagements. Client names withheld for privacy; figures are actual and projected as noted.
More than triple the 4.4% net-margin average for Industrial & Nonresidential contractors — and ahead of the 12.0% “Best in Class” benchmark in the 2025 CFMA Benchmarks.
✺ Who's behind Coastal CFO Advisors
Not every great builder is naturally finance-minded — and you shouldn't have to be.
Coastal CFO Advisors was founded by Nate Smieja, who brings a background across banking, finance and business ownership. Having sat on every side of the table — reviewing businesses as a lender, evaluating them as an investor, and running one as an owner — he saw the same pattern again and again: capable, hard-working contractors making major financial decisions without the visibility to make them well.
So Coastal CFO Advisors was built for owners who want a more profitable, predictable business — with an experienced financial strategist in their corner. Practical, direct, and focused on your decisions. We communicate like a CEO, teacher and coach. Never a guru.
✺ Free guide
The Builder's Financial Visibility Guide
Five practical moves to know your most profitable jobs, catch underbilling before it wrecks your runway, and plan cash with confidence. No call required.
✺ Common questions
Questions owners ask before reaching out.
What does a fractional CFO actually do?
A CFO is the person who watches over the money side of your business, so you're not guessing. Fractional just means you get one part-time — a few days a month instead of paying a full salary. In plain terms: we keep an eye on your cash, show you which jobs actually make money, give you a heads-up before a tight month hits, and help you think through big decisions like hiring or buying equipment. You stay in charge; we make sure the numbers are working for you.
How is this different from my bookkeeper, accountant, or tax preparer?
Bookkeeping, accounting, and tax keep the past accurate and compliant — important work we don't replace. Our focus is forward: cash flow, margins, and the decisions in front of you. It's the difference between recording the score and helping you win the game.
Do you replace our accountant or bookkeeper?
No. We work alongside your existing accounting and tax team, and often coordinate with your banker, bonding agent, and other advisors. Good accounting is the foundation we build on — we add the strategic layer on top.
Who do you work best with?
Growth-oriented construction and specialty-trade owners, typically $5M–$30M in revenue, who already have accounting in place and are feeling the financial complexity that comes with scaling. The best fit is an owner who's coachable, decisive, and ready to run the business on real numbers.
How does pricing work?
We work as an ongoing advisory partner — not by the hour or the task — so the relationship is built around outcomes rather than a meter running. The right structure depends on your size and what you need, and we'll walk through it together.
Will you make the decisions for us?
No — and that's intentional. The decisions, and the business, stay yours. Our job is to improve the quality of your judgment with better visibility and perspective, so the big calls feel like strategy instead of a gamble.