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Construction companies in the UAE face serious cash management challenges that can kill project profitability. Poor construction expense tracking, outdated construction management and weak construction estimating worksheets practices often lead to delays, overspending, and even compliance risks.
Here’s how to stop petty cash leakage without creating more admin work.
Petty cash management for construction companies often fails because:
- Too many staff handle cash at job sites, leading to petty cash leakages
- Paper receipts get lost in work vehicles or never get submitted
- No spending limits for day-to-day purchases, causing overspending
- Reconciliation only happens weeks later, too late to act
- No visibility into site spending
- Limited segmentation into site spends
Worse, petty cash fraud detection shows common scams like duplicate receipts and false handwritten invoices.
- Set Clear Petty Cash Policy Limits
• Daily limits: AED 500 for materials, AED 200 for fuel
• Weekly caps: AED 3,000 per site
• Require manager approval for any spend over AED 500 - Replace Cash with Cards
Get cards for materials, fuel, and emergencies with set spend limits. A fuel card for construction company fleets alone reduces leakage as all spending is digitized. - Use Real-Time Expense Tracking
Adopt a job-site expense tracking app like Qashio with mobile receipt capture, and automatic categorisation. - Make Daily Reconciliation a Habit
A five-minute daily check avoids major month-end surprises. - Enable Fraud Alerts
Set up automated controls for unapproved merchants, out-of-hours spending, and duplicate transactions. - Create Project-Specific Budgets
Allocate funds per project phase to track costs tightly.
- Integrate With Construction Accounting Software
Modern cash management software connects directly to your ledgers and creates audit-ready reports.
Cash-flow swings are common in the UAE construction industry. Weather delays, supplier issues, and price fluctuations can drain liquidity fast. Using spend management software or travel and expense management software gives you real-time visibility and control.
Qashio lets you create unlimited corporate cards with custom limits based on the site requirements. You can assign a card to each employee and limit where they spend. This gives you control of the outflow of funds and real-time visibility into where each dirham is spent.
Qashio also enables receipt collection over WhatsApp, allowing contractors to upload receipts on-the-go, minimising missing receipts.
By syncing to your ERP, you can also track spending by project, or site, allowing you to manage spending for multiple projects with audit-ready accuracy.
Leading UAE contractors are switching to construction expense tracking software with cards and automated reconciliation. These tools cut admin time, prevent fraud, and give managers the visibility they need.
Ready to stop petty cash problems?
Qashio’s modern solution helps you plug leaks in days, not months. Book a 5-minute demo to see how we help UAE construction firms take control.
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