Stop guessing and start feeling in control. As your fractional Finance Director, I connect what happens on site with your numbers, so you know your cash, your margins and which projects make money, every month.
Silver Runner-up, Fractional CFO of the Year, Accounting Excellence Awards 2026
Is a fractional FD right for your construction business?
You started your business to build, not to sit up at 10pm worrying whether there is enough in the bank to pay the subbies on Friday.
You have outgrown a once-a-year accountant. Your projects are bigger, your team is growing, and every decision carries more risk. But a full-time Finance Director at £100k or more a year does not make sense yet.
A fractional FD is probably right for you if:
- You are busier than ever, but cash still feels tight and you are not sure why
- You only find out a job lost money once it is finished, when it is too late to fix
- Your accounts tell you what happened a year ago, not what to do next month
- What happens on site and what your numbers say feel like two different worlds
- Retentions, applications for payment and CIS keep squeezing your cash flow
- You want to grow, borrow or tender for bigger work, but you are not confident the numbers will back you up
What a fractional Finance Director does for you
A fractional Finance Director, sometimes called a fractional CFO, is a senior, qualified finance leader who works in your business part-time. You get the thinking of a full-time FD, at a fraction of the cost.
- Monthly management reports you can actually use, in plain English, within days of the month end
- Cash flow forecasting, so you see pressure weeks ahead, not when the bank balance drops
- Project profitability, tracking every job against its target margin while there is still time to act
- Pricing and tendering support, so you win work at a margin that pays
- Board-level advice: we join your management meetings and help you make the big decisions
- Bank and funding readiness, with forecasts and reports lenders trust
- Guidance for your finance team: we coach your in-house team so bookkeeping, VAT, CIS and payroll are done right and the numbers can be trusted
We work with Xero, Dext and Fathom to automate the routine work, so your time with us goes on decisions, not data entry.
What it feels like: you walk into every month knowing where you stand. You spot red flags early, make decisions with confidence, and stop lying awake over cash. Your team works from the same numbers, and you finally have a finance partner who understands what happens on site.
How we work with you
- Discovery call. A free conversation about your business, your numbers and where you want to take it.
- Review of your systems and processes. We find what is holding you back: duplicated work, missing reports, gaps in job costing.
- Set up the foundations. We get all procesess working properly, so the numbers are accurate and on time.
- Monthly FD meetings. In person or online, we review cash, project margins and performance against your goals, and agree the actions.
- Month-three review. After three months we review the fee and scope together, so the service fits what your business actually needs.
We work with construction businesses like yours across the UK, with regular face-to-face meetings and online support in between.
What our clients achieve
Each line links to its case study:
- SDH Building Services: turnover up 255% since 2020, with every project tracked against its target margin each month
- DRS Mechanical: cash flow back under control during rapid growth, a major project finished five months early and turnover set to double
- RPMG Global: CIS gross status within six months and £15k a year saved by ending factoring
- NTB Survey: from near-insolvency to profit within a year, with budgets and job costing
Why construction businesses choose Prevail
We are not a start-up learning on your business. We have lived these problems with construction firms for nearly 20 years, and we have seen what keeps you in control and what costs you money.
- Led by Kasia Machalinski FCMA CGMA, a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant and Lean Six Sigma Certified, supporting construction businesses since 2007
- Construction specialists: we understand project management, WIP, CIS and subcontractor management
- Award-winning: Silver Runner-up, Fractional CFO of the Year 2026; Winner, Digital Transformation Award 2025; Winner, Sole Practitioner of the Year 2024 (Accounting Excellence Awards)
- A full team behind your FD: qualified accountants and cloud accounting specialists who support your finance team and keep your systems running smoothly
- Xero certified advisors, with tools as Dext and Fathom for automated, real-time reporting. We help you implement the right tools
What does a fractional FD cost?
A full-time Finance Director typically costs £100k or more a year once salary, pension and benefits are added. A fractional FD gives you the same level of expertise for a fixed monthly fee.
Our fractional FD service starts from £1,500 + VAT a month. For smaller businesses, compliance can be added as an option. The fee depends on the size of your business and how often we meet. We review it together at month three, so you only pay for what you need.
Fractional FD: common questions
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What is the difference between a fractional FD and a construction accountant? A traditional construction accountant mainly looks back: year-end accounts, tax returns and VAT. A fractional FD looks forward, using your numbers every month to manage cash, price projects for profit and plan growth. Your accountant or in-house team keeps doing the compliance; we make sure the numbers are right and turn them into decisions.
Is a fractional FD the same as a fractional CFO? Yes, broadly. “Finance Director” is the usual term in UK owner-managed businesses, and “CFO” is more common in larger or investor-backed companies. The role is the same: senior financial leadership on a part-time basis.
How much time does a fractional FD spend in my business? It depends on your size and needs. Most construction clients have a monthly FD meeting plus support in between, and more time during busy periods such as raising finance or planning for growth.
Do I need to change my tax accountant? It depends.. Many of our clients keep their accountant for tax and compliance, and we work alongside them, guiding the team and making sure the numbers are accurate. For smaller businesses, we can take on the compliance too, if that is simpler.
What size of business do you work with? Owner-managed construction businesses turning over between £500k and £10m: main contractors, subcontractors, M&E, roofing, building services and specialist trades.
Do you work outside the North West? Yes. We work with construction businesses across the UK, with face-to-face meetings and online support.
How quickly will I see results? Most clients have accurate monthly reports and a cash flow forecast within the first two to three months. One client removed duplicated data entry in the first month.
Ready to feel in control of your numbers?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and a finance health check. We will look at your cash, your project margins and your plans, show you where money may be slipping away, and tell you honestly whether a fractional FD is right for you.