In the last weeks of the year, many companies, property managers and institutions look at their capital and maintenance budgets and find money that has to be committed or spent before December 31. For contractors who know where to look, it is one of the easiest times of the year to win work.
In this article
Who has year-end money
Not every owner works on a calendar fiscal year, but many do. Common sources of year-end work:
- property managers and real estate owners with unused capital or maintenance budgets;
- facility managers at companies, warehouses and offices;
- retail and restaurant chains finishing their store programs;
- private schools, churches and nonprofits that received year-end donations;
- owners with insurance or reserve money that needs to be used.
Many of them face a simple rule: commit the budget or lose it next year.
Projects that fit
Year-end work needs a clear scope and quick start. Good fits:
- interior refreshes, paint and flooring in offices and common areas;
- roof repairs, sealing and parking lot work when weather allows;
- ADA upgrades, lighting retrofits and signage;
- small tenant improvements and restroom upgrades;
- equipment replacement with installation in January.
Large design-heavy projects rarely fit. Projects that can be scoped in a site visit do.
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How to find them now
- Call every property manager and facility manager you've worked with and ask directly: "Do you have budget that needs to be committed before year-end?"
- Check your list of jobs you bid this year and lost on budget. Some of those owners now have money.
- Contact architects and owner's reps who manage several properties.
- Post on LinkedIn and your website that you have crew availability for December and January starts.
Speed wins
Owners with year-end money don't have time for a long bid process. Offer a site visit within two days and a proposal within a week, with clear scope, price, schedule and exclusions. Two options (base and expanded scope) let the owner match their exact budget.
What can happen before December 31
Ask what the owner's finance team needs: a signed contract, a purchase order, a deposit invoice, materials ordered and invoiced, or work completed. Then plan around it. Ordering long-lead materials in December and starting work in January is often the best fit for both sides.
Contracts and deposits
Use your standard contract with a clear start date and scope. If materials are invoiced in December, define where they are stored, who insures them and how they are billed. Get the deposit or purchase order in hand before ordering anything.
An example
A commercial contractor in Nashville called 45 property managers in the first week of November with one question about year-end budgets. Eleven said yes. The company sent proposals within five days, closed seven projects worth $680,000 (lighting retrofits, common area renovations and two roof repairs), invoiced materials in December and started four of the jobs in January, when its crews would otherwise have been slow.
Numbers to watch
- owners contacted and how many have year-end budget;
- days from site visit to proposal;
- proposals won and total contract value;
- crew utilization in January from year-end work.
Common mistakes
Waiting for owners to call, sending slow or vague proposals, promising completion dates that can't be met, ordering materials before getting the purchase order and forgetting to ask what the owner's finance team actually needs.
Run tighter jobs and win the right ones.
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Frequently asked questions
Does the project need to be finished by December 31?
Usually not. Most owners need the money committed (a signed contract or purchase order, sometimes a deposit or materials invoiced) before their fiscal year ends. Ask the owner exactly what their finance team requires, because that defines what you need to deliver in December.