Host Ryan Gilmore talks with Deb Defer, Director of CAS Consulting at Woodard, about building a modern, resilient construction accounting practice. They unpack what CAS means today, cash flow discipline and forecasting, spotting balance sheet red flags, and making job costing easy for crews. Deb outlines a practical tech stack with QuickBooks Online and Knowify, and shares burnout-proof habits for stronger advisor-client relationships.

Uncertainty is the norm in construction—variable input costs, weather delays, labor constraints, bid wins and losses—and cash flow sits in the middle of it all. In this episode of The Cost Codes Show, host Ryan Gilmore speaks with Deb Defer (Director of CAS Consulting at Woodard) about how contractors and construction-focused accountants can navigate uncertainty with structure, data, and disciplined communication.

Deb reframes Client Advisory Services (CAS) into three tiers—pre-accounting, controllership, and FP&A—so teams can build services that match where a contractor is today and where they’re headed. She calls out AP vs. AR as a simple but powerful early-warning indicator, then shows how forecasting scenarios turn anxiety into action plans for hiring, equipment purchases, and cash reserves.

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