Construction glossary
Portal-to-portal
Also called mob, demob, travel time, yard to yard.
Portal-to-portal means the clock starts at the yard (or agreed portal) and stops when the crew is back — travel included. On-site means the clock runs only on the job. The two are not interchangeable on a hydrovac or crane ticket.
Why tickets get rejected
A four-hour minimum that is portal-to-portal can burn most of a short potholing visit in windshield time. If the sheet says on-site, travel is a separate mob line or it is not billable. Write the rule on the rate sheet. Do not leave it to the foreman’s memory.
What to lock before the first LEM
Where the portal is, whether the truck rolls loaded, and whether return travel bills. Equipment moves on a lowboy are a different line from production hours.
Portal-to-portal FAQ
Does portal-to-portal include fuel?
Not automatically. Fuel, water, and disposal are often extra even when travel is in the hourly.
Is mob the same as portal-to-portal?
Mob is usually a trip charge or hours to get to site. Portal-to-portal is how the hourly itself is measured.
The index is a benchmark. Rate sheets are how you bill.
Rates shows public charge-out ranges. SubTrack rate sheets lock your crew numbers into a template the field actually bills from, on every LEM.
One template, every job
Labor, equipment, materials, and subs live in one sheet. Assign it to a project and tickets read the same numbers.
OT and markup apply themselves
Standby, overtime, and markup rules ride with the sheet. The field does not retype them.
The client sees what they signed
Line items match the agreed rates. Fewer disputes, faster approvals.
Project rate sheet
Labor · assigned to the job
| Position | Reg. rate | OT rate |
|---|---|---|
| Foreman | $72/hr | $108/hr |
| Operator | $68/hr | $102/hr |
| Laborer | $35/hr | $52.50/hr |