Our House Construction Financial Model Structure covers all the essential aspects you need to consider when starting or scaling a House Construction business. By following this structure, you can better understand your revenue streams, costs, and assets, helping you optimize profitability and strategically plan for growth.
Financial planning is crucial for any business; however, it’s especially significant in the house construction industry—where margins can be thin and projects can be lengthy and capital-intensive. A well-structured house construction financial model outlines typical revenues, direct costs, employees, expenses, and assets needed to start or grow a house construction business. It can also provide insights into new and profitable revenue streams.
The House Construction Financial Model Structure
This section delves into structural components of a house construction financial model.
Revenues
A house construction business typically benefits from diverse revenue streams (which include various avenues).
- Custom Home Builds: Revenue is calculated based on contracted price per square foot multiplied by total square footage, however, this can fluctuate.
- Renovation Projects: Earnings from home renovations can be calculated by estimating costs per project and adding a margin (although this often varies).
- Commercial Constructions: This includes constructing office buildings (where revenue is anticipated from the agreed contract price), but market conditions can affect outcomes.
- Consultancy Services: Charging clients for architectural design or construction management typically on an hourly rate (because demand can vary, this may influence income).
- Subcontractor Management: Fees earned by managing projects and subcontractors, based upon a percentage of project costs, can be unpredictable.
- Maintenance Services: Regular maintenance agreements are often calculated as fixed annual fee per client; however, this depends on client needs.
- Property Development: Selling developed properties at a price higher than acquisition and construction costs combined can yield substantial profits, but risks are involved.
Cost of Goods Sold
The cost of goods sold (COGS) for each revenue stream varies; it typically includes raw materials (like lumber and concrete), labor costs associated with construction, subcontractor fees , and other project-specific expenses necessary to deliver the final product. However, because of fluctuating prices, these costs can change dramatically. This creates challenges for budgeting, although careful planning can mitigate risks.
Employees
Typical employees in a house construction business include:
- Project Managers: Oversee construction projects from start to finish.
- Construction Workers: Perform physical labor involved in building structures.
- Architects/Designers: Develop building designs and plans.
- Site Inspectors: Ensure compliance with building codes and safety regulations.
- Administrative Staff: Handle office duties such as scheduling, communication, and documentation.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses frequently incurred by a house construction business encompass:
- Rent: Leasing cost for office space or storage.
- Utilities: Water, electricity, and gas services; however, these costs can vary significantly.
- Salaries: Employee compensation and benefits, which are essential for retention.
- Insurance: Coverage for liability, workers’ compensation, and equipment.
- Office Supplies: Materials required to run the office.
- Vehicle Costs: Maintenance and fuel for company vehicles.
- Marketing: Expenses for advertising and promotions.
- Legal Fees: Costs for legal advice and documentation.
- Professional Fees: Accountancy and other professional services.
- Maintenance: Repair and upkeep of equipment and facilities.
Assets
Typical assets needed for a house construction business include:
- Construction Equipment: Tools and machinery required for building projects.
- Vehicles: Transport vans or trucks for logistical purposes.
- Office Equipment: Computers, printers, and communication devices.
- Properties: Land or buildings for development or as operational bases.
Funding Options
The most typical funding options for a house construction business are:
- Bank Loans: Secured to fund large projects or capital expenditures.
- Investor Financing: Attracting investments in exchange for equity or returns on investment.
- Line of Credit: Allowing the business to draw funds as needed for operational expenses.
- Government Grants: Available for sustainable and innovative construction projects.
Driver-Based Financial Model for House Construction
A truly professional house construction financial model is based on operating KPIs (also known as “drivers”) relevant to the industry. Key operating KPIs include:
- Project Completion Rate: Measures the percentage of projects completed on time and within budget.
- Cost per Square Foot: Average cost incurred to build one square foot of construction.
- Revenue per Project: Average revenue generated from each completed project.
- Labor Cost Ratio: Proportion of total project costs attributed to labor expenses.
- Material Cost Variance: Difference between projected and actual material costs.
- Employee Productivity: Output generated per employee measured against time or cost.
- Client Satisfaction Rate: A metric that assesses clients’ satisfaction levels with completed projects.
- Breakeven Point: The volume of projects (or revenue) necessary to cover all expenses.
However, the significance of these metrics cannot be overstated, because they provide insight into the efficiency and profitability of operations. Although many factors influence these KPIs, understanding them is essential for making informed decisions that drive success in the construction sector.
Driver-based financial planning is a process of identifying key activities (often called ‘drivers’) that significantly impact your business outcomes. This method enables one to establish relationships between financial results and required resources (such as people, marketing budgets, equipment, etc.). If you wish to learn more about driver-based financial planning and why it is indeed the optimal approach to planning, however, consider watching the founder of Modeliks elucidate it in the video provided below.
The Financial Plan Output
The purpose of the financial forecast outputs should enable you—your management, board, or investors—to: swiftly comprehend how your house construction business will perform in the future. You will gain comfort, however, that the plan is thoroughly considered, realistic, and achievable. It is crucial to understand what investment is needed to implement this plan and what the expected return on investment will be. To achieve these goals, here is a one-page template that effectively presents your financial plan.
Apart from this summary, you will require three projected financial statements: Profit and Loss, which reflects the company’s revenues and expenses during a specific period; Balance Sheet, showing the company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity at a specific point in time; and Cash Flow Statement, which highlights the inflows and outflows of cash, indicating the company’s cash position. Although this may seem straightforward, it is essential to approach it with diligence.
House Construction Financial Model Summary
A professional house construction financial model can help you think through your business; it identifies the resources needed to achieve targets. You should set goals and measure performance—however, raising funding is crucial. Confident decisions are essential to manage and grow your business, because this process enables strategic planning. Although challenges may arise, the model serves as a tool for navigating complexities.
If you need help with your financial plan, try Modeliks , a financial planning solution for SMEs and startups or contact us at contact@modeliks.com and we can help.
Author:
Blagoja Hamamdjiev
, Founder and CEO of
Modeliks
, Entrepreneur, and business planning expert.
In the last 20 years, he helped everything from startups to multi-billion-dollar conglomerates plan, manage, fundraise, and grow.