Fractional CFO vs. bookkeeper vs. controller.
Three roles, three altitudes. A bookkeeper records, a controller organizes, a CFO decides. Knowing which one you actually need saves you from paying for the wrong seat.
A bookkeeper records transactions: bills, deposits, payroll, reconciliations. Essential, but purely historical and company-wide, not job-level.
A controller sits above the bookkeeper, owning the accuracy and structure of the books, closing the month, and producing clean financial statements. Still largely backward-looking.
A fractional CFO is the senior, forward-looking seat, without the full-time cost. For a construction company that means job costing, WIP schedules, cash-flow forecasting, bonding strategy, tax planning, and exit planning. For a $2M to $15M contractor, a fractional CFO delivers the decisions a full-time CFO would, at a fraction of the price.
| Bookkeeper | Controller | Fractional CFO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records transactions | Yes | Reviews | Oversees |
| Closes the month & statements | No | Yes | Directs |
| Job costing & WIP | No | Sometimes | Yes, built for it |
| Cash-flow forecasting | No | Rarely | Yes |
| Bonding & tax strategy | No | No | Yes |
| Exit & value planning | No | No | Yes |
| Cost | Lowest | Mid | Fractional, not full-time |
FAQ
Not necessarily. For most $2M to $15M contractors, a good bookkeeper plus a fractional construction CFO covers both the recording and the strategy without the cost of a controller and a full-time CFO.
It means you get senior CFO-level work on a part-time or retainer basis, rather than hiring a full-time executive. You get the decisions without the six-figure salary.
No. They work together. The bookkeeper handles day-to-day recording; the fractional CFO turns that data into job-level profit, cash forecasts, and strategy.
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