Research · August 15, 2026
The Three Numbers Every Contractor Should Watch
Scheduling, estimates, and reporting are really about three figures — and most owners track none of them.
Ask a busy contractor how business is and you will get a feeling, not a figure. The reporting tools inside Kelti exist because three numbers, tracked weekly, predict the health of a trade business better than any gut check.
The first is close rate: what share of estimates become signed jobs. A low rate with high volume means your pricing or your qualifying is off. A high rate with low volume means your pipeline is starving.
The second is margin per job, not per month. Businesses go under while revenue grows because two unprofitable job types hide inside a good quarter. Knowing which work actually pays changes what you bid on.
The third is schedule utilization — the percentage of available crew hours that are billable. Every gap between jobs is invisible payroll. Tightening scheduling by even ten percent often matters more than raising prices.
This is the reporting philosophy behind Kelti: few numbers, watched honestly, beat many numbers watched never.
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