A property preservation CFO keeps cash moving when servicers, banks and national vendors pay on their own review clocks. They price each order against investor limits, chase rejected bills and plan for the slow winter months.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for overseeing the financial strategy and operations for the Property Preservation Services division. Drives financial planning, budgeting, and cash flow stability to support sustainable business growth. Serves as a critical advisor to the executive team in making informed, strategic decisions.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and implement effective budgeting processes and cost controls.
Monitor cash flow to ensure financial stability and operational efficiency.
Analyze financial performance and prepare timely reports for senior management.
Lead financial forecasting, strategic planning, and risk management initiatives.
Ensure compliance with applicable financial regulations and industry standards.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily financial reports and monitor variances against budget.
Oversee regular cost control measures and expense analysis.
Engage in cross-departmental meetings to discuss financial strategies and business impact.
Manage banking relationships and coordinate cash management efforts.
Provide financial insights to support business development and strategic initiatives.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Operating cash flow stability: Maintain a minimum of 95% target achievement.
Cost control efficiency: Achieve a reduction of operating costs by 10% year-over-year.
Budget adherence: Ensure variance within 5% of projected budgets.
Financial reporting accuracy: Achieve 100% compliance and timeliness with financial reports.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field; MBA or CPA preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive financial leadership experience.
Strong analytical, strategic planning, and risk management skills.
Excellent communication and leadership abilities with high attention to detail.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience within the home services or property preservation industry.
Successful track record in managing large budgets and financial operations in a growth environment.
Proven experience in implementing robust financial processes and controls.
Familiarity with relevant financial software and enterprise resource planning systems.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in an office environment with extended periods of desk work.
Occasional travel may be required to company sites or meetings.
Minimal physical exertion required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with occasional extended hours during peak financial reporting periods.
Minimal overtime expected; occasional travel for industry conferences or strategic meetings.
Collaborative work environment with a mix of independent and team-based tasks.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range of $150,000 - $200,000 USD annually.
Performance-based bonuses tied to achieving financial KPIs and budget targets.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster an inclusive and growth-oriented environment that values innovation, teamwork, and excellence.
Our culture is built on transparency, continuous learning, and a commitment to customer satisfaction.
We offer our team the opportunity to drive meaningful financial strategy within an expanding market.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What makes property preservation finance different
Every CFO plans cash and controls costs. In preservation, investor schedules cap what an order can bill, and payment waits until the client signs off on the work.
Investor schedules cap the invoice
On FHA loans, HUD pays servicers up to 5,000 dollars per property for preservation work, with line limits in Appendix 7.0 of its handbook. Some costs sit outside that cap but keep their own limits. These include debris removal, grass cuts, boarding, inspections, pools, sump pumps, demolition, registration fees and utilities. Expect servicers to hold your prices to these numbers, and cost each order type against them before you quote. Source: HUD: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, last revised August 12, 2026 (property preservation and Appendix 7.0).
Many preservation companies send far-off counties to subcontracted crews. For tax years beginning after 2025, you file Form 1099-NEC for each crew that isn't a corporation and that you paid at least 2,000 dollars for services in the year. Parts and materials count when they come with the service. From 2027 that floor can rise with inflation. Get a W-9 before you pay a new crew, so year-end filing and backup withholding don't stall. Source: IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC.
Rejected orders are a cash problem
Clients review photos and paperwork before they approve an invoice, and an order kicked back for a missing shot or a wrong date holds the payment until someone fixes it. Track rejections by client, crew and reason next to your receivables aging. A rising rejection count shows up in the bank balance weeks before it reaches the profit and loss.
How much property preservation chief financial officers make
The closest BLS group for property preservation chief financial officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 430 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for building services companies.
Expect salary plus a bonus when cash flow and budget goals are met. The chart uses the chief executives code, and the template's range runs above its median for this industry.
Building services companies
$130,000$130,000 median Middle half $102,340–$208,630 10th–90th $93,610–$275,020
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$93,610
$102,340
$130,000
$208,630
$275,020
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for property preservation companies on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Cash forecasting for a business paid on client review cycles
Job costing by order type, client and county
Controls over subcontractor onboarding and payment
Reading service agreements for pricing, chargebacks and payment terms
Clear talk about margins with the CEO and field leaders
Teach these on the job
Allowable schedules from HUD and other investors
Each client's invoicing portal and rejection codes
How your work order platform feeds the accounting system
Vacant property registration and utility costs by city
Order types such as initial secures, recuts and trash-outs
Plan on accounting software like QuickBooks Online or NetSuite linked to the work order platform, plus a login for each client's billing portal. The ad should name your systems and say if the CFO owns the link between closed orders and bills.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Chargeback cost
Chargebacks rose sharply this quarter. How do you find their cost and their cause?
A strong answer: Sorts them by reason and by crew or vendor, totals the cost, takes it to operations and tracks the fix.
Behavioral · Building controls
Tell me about a time you put money controls in place at a company that had almost none, such as vendor payments or approvals.
A strong answer: Names the controls (approval limits, separation of duties, vendor setup checks, reconciliations), how they won buy-in from owners and a problem the controls caught.
Think of these targets as samples. Pick yours from your receivables history and budget, and agree on them with the CEO before the year starts.
Operating cash flow stability
Compare actual operating cash flow with the monthly forecast. Note whether each shortfall came from a slow client payment, a large chargeback or an actual drop in work.
Cost control efficiency
Track operating cost for each finished order, split by type, so a shift toward costlier trash-outs isn't mistaken for waste. Keep dump fees, fuel, subs and labor apart.
Budget adherence
Review actual spending against budget each month by department and territory, and write down the reason behind every variance.
Financial reporting accuracy
Count reports delivered on the agreed date with no correction afterward, including client reconciliations and lender covenant reports.
Career path
Accountant at a mortgage servicer or field services firmLearns how preservation invoices are billed, reviewed and paid.
ControllerRuns the month-end close and the controls.
Chief financial officerPlans cash, prices order types and manages banking relationships.
How should a preservation CFO handle client chargebacks?
Clients may take money back after an audit finds a missed photo, a late order or work that didn't match the bid. Read each contract's chargeback terms before signing. Log every chargeback with the order number and reason, and send the patterns to operations each week. Dispute the ones the photos disprove, which only works when the order file is complete.
How much does a property preservation chief financial officer make?
Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $102,340 and $208,630 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What insurance do preservation clients usually ask for?
Client contracts often ask for general liability, auto and workers' comp coverage. Some add errors and omissions. Most want a certificate that names the client as an additional insured. Limits differ by client, so collect each one's list when you sign on, and build the premium into that area's prices. Hold subcontractors to the same list, and track when each certificate runs out.
How does winter change cash flow at a preservation company?
In northern states, recurring mowing stops for the season while inspections, winterizations and snow orders carry on. Revenue per stop falls, but crews, trucks and insurance cost the same. Build the forecast month by month from last year's order mix, and arrange a line of credit in late summer rather than after the first thin invoice cycle.
What does a new client portfolio cost before it pays?
Hiring, trucks, materials and onboarding all land weeks before the first invoice clears review. Before the CEO signs, model the payment terms, the client's review time and a realistic rejection rate in a cash plan. Taking on a large portfolio without one is how a profitable preservation company runs short of cash.
