Construction in France: 13 hours per week lost to administrative tasks, a major obstacle for tradespeople

In the construction industry, administrative management has become a direct factor in operational performance.

Administrative time that distracts leaders from the field

Construction managers spend an average of 13 hours and 21 minutes per week on administrative and financial management, and one in two spends more than a whole day on it.

This time, far from being marginal, directly encroaches on the business: monitoring projects, coordinating teams, client relations, and business development. In often small organizations where the manager wears many hats, every hour spent on administrative tasks translates into a loss of operational capacity.

The paradox is clear: a field-oriented sector, still held back by management constraints.

This observation is shared by CAPEB, the Confederation of Crafts and Small Building Enterprises.

According to Claude Cutajar, Secretary General of CAPEB Grand Paris: “Today, construction professionals spend up to four extra hours a day on the administrative and financial management of their businesses, at the expense of their time on construction sites. They need simple and suitable digital tools that can facilitate quotes, invoicing, and cash flow management. Artificial intelligence and electronic invoicing should be a lever to help them save time on these tasks and allow them to focus on their core business.”

A strained cash flow, managed in an emergency

This burden is accompanied by persistent financial fragility. 60% of managers have already experienced financial difficulties, and 38% have faced recent payment disruptions.

In this context, cash management still largely relies on defensive reflexes: chasing up clients, negotiating payment terms, and adjusting short-term expenses. Few tools currently exist to anticipate cash flows or provide a consolidated, real-time view of income and expenses.

The result: cash flow that is more passive than proactive, which directly limits the ability of companies to maintain their activity and absorb risks.

Financial frictions that directly slow down construction projects

In the construction industry, financial tensions do not remain theoretical: they translate immediately on the ground.

When they occur, payment blockages generate:

• significant stress for 53% of managers
• a significant waste of time for 28%
• supplier delays accounted for 22%
• and direct impacts on the progress of construction projects for 13%

These situations stem from both cash flow mismatches and banking processes that are still too inflexible and unresponsive, poorly adapted to environments where decisions must be made immediately. In this sector, a blocked cash flow can be enough to slow down, or even halt, a construction project.

Digitalization remains incomplete on the eve of the electronic invoicing reform.

While 68% of businesses use invoicing software, 22% still rely on manual tools or spreadsheets. However, this level of equipment does not guarantee their readiness for electronic invoicing, which requires structured formats and integration with approved platforms.

This discrepancy is partly explained by the complexity of industry practices—down payments, progress payments, revised quotes—but it becomes critical as the reform approaches. With electronic invoicing, the issue is no longer simply about acquiring the necessary equipment, but about managing end-to-end workflows. Without this continuity, the reform risks creating as much friction as it eliminates.

Environmental transition: an issue still constrained by the daily realities of businesses

In the construction industry, the environmental transition remains hampered by very real constraints. 67% of managers have not made any investments to reduce the impact of their business, primarily due to the initial cost (27%) and lack of time (18%). While nearly one in three managers has launched or plans to take action, the majority remain on the sidelines, faced with immediate operational priorities. In this context, the digitalization of processes appears as a pragmatic lever: by reducing paperwork, data entry, and administrative tasks, it saves time and limits certain inefficiencies. However, the main factor driving action remains financial: the ability to invest without jeopardizing cash flow, in an environment where room for maneuver remains limited.

Rethinking financial management in line with the pace of the construction project

The study highlights a structural misalignment: highly operational companies, yet still equipped with financial tools designed for office use. In the construction industry, performance depends directly on the ability to adapt to the pace of the construction site, that is to say:

• collect cash quickly to secure cash flow.
• anticipate cash flow to avoid tensions.
• and not be blocked in his purchases of materials or his payments

The challenge is therefore no longer just to digitize, but to have a fluid, responsive financial management adapted to the constraints on the ground.

According to Philippine Rougevin-Baville, General Manager for Western Europe at Qonto: “In the construction industry, financial management isn’t a support issue; it’s an execution issue. A delayed or blocked payment means a supplier waiting, a construction site slowing down—or even stopping—and decisions being delayed. Today, many companies are still dealing with tools and processes that are too rigid for their reality. The challenge, therefore, is to make flows simpler, faster, and above all, more adapted to the field, to give managers back control over their business.”

To address these challenges, it is necessary to adopt an integrated approach to financial management, designed for the constraints on the ground:

• Billing tailored to the construction industry, including advance payments, progress payments, and electronic invoicing
• Create, send, and track invoices from the field, with real-time visibility on payments.
• Simplified payment processing, via payment links or Tap to Pay directly on site
• Connected business account and invoicing, to reduce the time between issuing and receiving payment and limit re-entry.
• Payments and limits designed for the needs of the construction industry: real-time adjustable limits, instant transfers, so you're never held up again.
• Real-time cash flow management, with a clear view of incoming/outgoing flows and flexible solutions (deferred debit, invoice advance, financing subject to eligibility)
• Expense management for field teams, with customizable cards, automated receipts and controls (limits, usage rules, validations)
• Automation of administrative tasks (reconciliation, categorization, accounting export)

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.