Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this report, including the Financial Statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Presentation of Information
The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020. For a discussion of changes from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (filed March 4, 2020).
Overview-Introduction
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and western Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include facility owners and general contractors.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We had revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $2.25 billion compared to $2.07 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. was $58.8 million compared to $37.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Overview-Segments
Transmission and Distribution segment . Our T&D segment provides comprehensive solutions to customers in the electric utility industry. Our T&D segment generally serves the electric utility industry as a prime contractor to customers such as investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. We have long-standing relationships with many of our T&D customers who rely on us to construct and maintain reliable electric and other utility infrastructure. Our T&D segment provides a broad range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks and substation facilities, which include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade, maintenance and repair services, with a particular focus on construction, maintenance and repair. Our T&D services include the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines, substations, lower voltage underground and overhead distribution systems, renewable power facilities and limited gas construction services. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, our T&D revenues were $1.15 billion, or 51.4%, of our revenue, compared to $1.13 billion, or 54.8%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019 and $893.1 million, or 58.3%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018. Revenues from transmission projects represented 64.6%, 68.1%, and 62.6% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Our T&D segment also provides restoration services in response to hurricanes, ice storms or other storm related events, which accounted for less than 5% of our annual revenues in 2020, 2019 and 2018.
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Measured by revenues in our T&D segment, we provided 43.9%, 49.7% and 40.5% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year maintenance service agreements and other variable service agreements.
Commercial and Industrial segment . Our C&I segment provides a wide range of services including design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, the installation of traffic networks and the installation of bridge, roadway and tunnel lighting. In our C&I segment, we generally provide our electric construction and maintenance services as a subcontractor to general contractors in the C&I industry as well as directly to facility owners. We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We concentrate our efforts on projects where our technical and project management expertise are critical to successful and timely execution. The majority of C&I contracts cover electrical contracting services for airports, hospitals, data centers, hotels, stadiums, convention centers, renewable energy projects, manufacturing plants, processing facilities, water treatment facilities, mining facilities and transportation control and management systems.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, our C&I revenues were $1.09 billion, or 48.6%, of our revenue, compared to $936.7 million, or 45.2%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019 and $638.1 million, or 41.7%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018.
Measured by revenues in our C&I segment, we provided 82.5%, 75.2% and 71.0% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Overview-Revenue and Gross Margins
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Additionally, contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition.
Gross Margins. Our gross margin can vary between periods as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include: the mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve, the size and duration of our projects, the mix of business conducted in different parts of the United States and Canada, the mix in service and maintenance work compared to new construction work, the amount of work that we subcontract, the amount of material we supply, changes in labor, equipment or insurance costs, seasonal weather patterns, changes in fleet utilization, pricing pressures due to competition, efficiency of work performance, fluctuations in commodity prices of materials, delays in the timing of projects and other factors. The gross margins we record in the current period may not be indicative of margins in future periods.
Overview-Economic, Industry and Market Factors
We operate in competitive markets, which can result in pricing pressures for the services we provide. Work is often awarded through a bidding and selection process, where price is always a principal factor. We generally focus on managing our profitability by: selecting projects that we believe will provide attractive margins; actively monitoring the costs of completing our projects; holding customers accountable for costs related to changes to contract specifications and rewarding our employees for controlling costs.
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The demand for construction and maintenance services from our customers has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to downturns in the markets we serve as well as the economy in general. The financial condition of our customers and their access to capital, variations in the margins of projects performed during any particular period, and regional and national economic conditions in the United States and Canada may materially affect results. Project schedules, particularly in connection with larger, multi-year projects, can also create fluctuations in our revenues. Other market and industry factors, such as changes to our customers’ capital spending plans or delays in regulatory approvals can affect project schedules. Changes in technology, tax and other incentives and new or changing regulatory requirements affecting the industries we serve can impact demand for our services. Additionally, continued economic slowdowns related to the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic could have a significant impact on our business. While we actively monitor economic, industry and market factors affecting our business, we cannot predict the impact such factors may have on our future results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As a result of economic, industry and market factors, our operating results in any particular period or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period or for any other year.
Overview-Seasonality and Nature of Our Work Environment
Although our revenues are primarily driven by spending patterns in our customers’ industries, our revenues and results of operations, particularly those derived from our T&D segment, can be subject to seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by weather, daylight hours, availability of system outages from utilities, and holidays. During the winter months, demand for our T&D work may be high, but our work can be delayed due to inclement weather. During the summer months, the demand for our T&D work may be affected by fewer available system outages, due to peak electrical demands caused by warmer weather, which limits our ability to perform electrical line service work. During the spring and fall months, the demand for our T&D work may increase due to improved weather conditions and system availability; however, extended periods of rain and other severe weather can affect the deployment of our crews and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, our work is performed under a variety of conditions in different locations, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, sites which may have been exposed to harsh and hazardous conditions, and in large urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted.
We also provide storm restoration services to our T&D customers. These services tend to have a higher profit margin. However, storm restoration service work that is performed under an MSA typically has similar rates to other work under the agreement. In addition, deploying employees on storm restoration work may, at times, delay work on other transmission and distribution work. Storm restoration service work is unpredictable and can affect results of operations.
Outlook
Our business is directly impacted by the level of spending on T&D infrastructure and the level of C&I electrical construction activity across the United States and western Canada. We are optimistic about infrastructure spending and believe that industry activity will continue in both our transmission and distribution market segments and the drivers for utility investment will remain intact. We believe that regulatory reform, state renewable portfolio standards, the aging of the electric grid, and potential overall improvement of the economy will positively impact the level of spending by our customers in all of the markets we serve. Although competition remains strong, we see these trends as positive factors for us in the future.
Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy, including the US and Canadian economies. As the situation continues to evolve, we are closely monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of our business, including how it impacts our customers, subcontractors, suppliers, vendors and employees. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a slowdown of certain projects due to specific state, local, municipal and customer mandated stay-at-home orders and new project requirements that were established to protect construction workers and the general public, most of which continue to impact our C&I segment. Although the majority of stay-at-home orders have been phased-out, we continue to experience impacts associated with the COVID-19 project-specific protocols. We expect the project-specific requirements to remain in place which will continue to impact project schedules and workflow going forward.
We are unable to predict the ultimate impact that COVID-19 will have on our business, employees, liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Most of the Company’s operations are considered critical and essential businesses, making our projects generally exempt from stay-at-home or similar orders in certain parts of the United States and western Canada. However, if this pandemic persists for an extended timeframe our business could be more significantly impacted as a result of prolonged unfavorable economic conditions. The Company began implementing changes in March of 2020 in an effort to protect our employees and customers and to support appropriate health and safety protocols, including implementing alternative and flexible work arrangements where possible. As the conditions surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic remain fluid, and if disruptions do re-emerge, they could materially adversely impact our business. Our key estimates that could potentially be impacted include estimates of costs to complete contracts, the recoverability of goodwill and intangibles and allowance for doubtful accounts.
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We continue to expect long-term growth in the transmission market, although the timing of large bids and subsequent construction will likely continue to be highly variable from year to year. The electric grid is aging and requires significant upgrades and maintenance to meet current and future demands for electricity. Over the past several years, many utilities have begun to implement plans to improve reliability of their transmission systems and reduce congestion. These utilities have started or planned new construction, line upgrades and maintenance projects on their transmission systems. We believe that our customers remain committed to the expansion and strengthening of their transmission infrastructure, with planning, engineering and funding for many of their projects already in place.
State renewable portfolio standards, which set required or voluntary standards for how much electricity is to be generated from renewable energy sources, as well as general environmental concerns, continue to drive the development of renewable energy projects. The economic feasibility of renewable energy projects, and therefore the attractiveness of investment in the projects, may depend on the availability of tax incentive programs or the ability of the projects to take advantage of such incentives. Renewable energy-related construction contracts, depending on the type, may benefit both the T&D and C&I business segments.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion and connect to new sources of renewable generation. Consequently, we believe we will continue to see significant bidding activity on large transmission projects over the next two years. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards and substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Significant construction on any large, multi-year projects awarded in the second half of 2021 will not likely occur until 2022. Bidding and construction activity for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades remain active, and we expect this trend to continue, primarily due to reliability and economic drivers. However, in light of the uncertain COVID-19 environment, there may be a potential slowdown of construction activity in the transmission market, the recovery of which will be dependent upon the pace and timing of the United States overall recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because of reduced spending by United States utilities on their distribution systems for several years, we believe there is a need for sustained investment by utilities on their distribution systems to properly maintain or meet reliability requirements. In 2020, we continued to see increased bidding activity in some of our electric distribution markets, as economic conditions improved in those areas. We believe the increased hurricane activity over the past several years and recent destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen utility distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Several industry and market trends are also prompting customers in the electric utility industry to seek outsourcing partners rather than performing projects internally. These trends include an aging electric utility workforce, increasing costs and staffing constraints. We believe electric utility employee retirements could increase with further economic recovery, which may result in an increase in outsourcing opportunities. We expect to see an incremental increase in distribution opportunities in the United States in 2021, however, in light of the uncertain COVID-19 environment, there may be a potential slowdown of construction activity in distribution systems, the recovery of which will be dependent upon the pace and timing of the United States overall recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we expect C&I bidding opportunities to be impacted and market uncertainty could contribute to an overall deceleration in projects coming out to bid. Recovery of the C&I market will be heavily dependent on overall economic recovery. We are hopeful that stimulus packages will provide greater opportunity and are encouraged by the possible approval of a long-awaited infrastructure bill. We believe that the primary markets we serve may be somewhat less vulnerable to economic slowing, such as health care, transportation, data centers, warehousing, renewable energy and water projects. We are hopeful that the service industry and small project market could quickly rebound in the near future as pent-up demand will need to be addressed.
In addition, the United States has experienced a decade of economic expansion which has challenged the capacity of public water and transportation infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the economic growth of the regions we serve.
We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers. In an effort to support our growth strategy and maximize stockholder returns, we seek to efficiently manage our capital. Through 2020, we continued to implement strategies that further expand our capabilities and allow opportunities to provide prudent capital returns. On July 15, 2019, we completed the acquisition of substantially all the assets of CSI Electrical Contractors, Inc. (“CSI”), which expanded our C&I operations in California. Additionally, we ended 2020 with $364.6 million available under our credit facility.
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We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to manage the challenges and uncertainties in the markets we serve, including new challenges and uncertainties associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategies. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity. In 2020 and 2019, we invested in capital expenditures of approximately $44.4 million and $57.8 million, respectively. Most of our capital expenditures supported opportunities in our T&D business. We plan to continue to evaluate our needs for additional equipment and tooling. Our investment strategy is based on our belief that spending in transmission and distribution projects will continue to remain strong over the next several years as electric utilities, cooperatives and municipalities make up for the lack of infrastructure spending in the past, combined with the overall need to integrate new generation into the electric power grid, and our belief that distribution demand will increase over the next several years.
Understanding Backlog
We define backlog as our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, can all take place within the period. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of MSAs that typically have a one- to three-year duration from execution. Additionally, the difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our MSAs under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of our unconsolidated joint venture contracts.
Changes in backlog from period to period are primarily the result of fluctuations in the timing of awards and revenue recognition of contracts. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
Understanding Gross Margins
Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Gross profit is calculated by subtracting contract costs from revenue. Contract costs consist primarily of salaries, wages and benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment expenses, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, insurance, facilities expenses, materials and parts and supplies. Various factors affect our gross margins on a quarterly or annual basis, including those listed below.
Performance Risk. Margins may fluctuate because of the volume of work and the impacts of pricing and job productivity, which can be impacted both favorably and negatively by customer decisions and crew productivity, as well as other factors. When comparing a service contract between periods, factors affecting the gross margins associated with the revenues generated by the contract may include pricing under the contract, the volume of work performed under the contract, the mix of the type of work specifically being performed, the availability of labor resources at expected labor rates and the productivity of the crews performing the work. Productivity can be influenced by many factors including the experience level of the crew, whether the work is on an open or encumbered right of way, weather conditions, geographical conditions, trade stacking, performance of other sub-trades, schedule changes, effects of environmental restrictions and regulatory and permitting delays.
Revenue Mix and Contract Terms. The mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve will impact gross margins. Changes in our customers’ spending patterns in each of the industries we serve can cause an imbalance in supply and demand and, therefore, affect margins and mix of revenue by industry served. Storm restoration services typically command higher profit margins than other maintenance services. Seasonal and weather factors, as noted below, can impact the timing at which customers perform maintenance and repairs, which can cause a shift in the revenue mix. Some of our time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts include shared savings clauses, in which the contract includes a target price and we agree to share savings from that target price with our customer. Additionally, new construction work has a higher gross margin than maintenance and repair work. New construction work is often obtained on a fixed-price basis, which carries a higher risk than other types of pricing arrangements because a contractor can bear the risk of increased expenses. As such, we generally bid fixed-price contracts with higher profit margins. We typically derive approximately 20% to 45% of our revenue from maintenance and repair work that is performed under pre-established or negotiated prices or cost-plus pricing arrangements which generally allow us a set margin above our costs. Thus, the mix between new construction work, at fixed-price, and maintenance and repair work, at cost-plus, in a given period will impact gross margin in that period. The timing of accounting recognition of such savings can
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impact our margins. In addition, change orders and claims can impact our margins. Costs related to change orders and claims are recognized in contract costs when incurred, but revenue related to change orders is only recognized when it is probable that the change order will result in an addition to contract value and can be reliably estimated, whereas revenue related to claims is recognized only to the extent that contract costs related to the claim have been incurred and when it is probable that the claim will result in an addition to contract value which can be reliably estimated. Generally, no profit is recognized on a claim until final settlement occurs.
Seasonal, Weather and Geographical. Seasonal patterns, primarily related to weather conditions and the availability of system outages, can have a significant impact on gross margins in a given period. It is typical during the winter months that parts of the country may experience snow or rainfall, which can affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Additionally, our T&D customers often cannot remove their T&D lines from service during the summer months, when consumer demand for electricity is at its peak, delaying maintenance and repair services. In both cases, projects may be delayed or temporarily placed on hold. Conversely, in periods when weather remains dry and temperatures are moderate, more work can be done, sometimes with less cost, which would have a favorable impact on gross margins. The mix of business conducted in different parts of the country could also affect margins, as some parts of the country offer the opportunity for higher margins than others due to the geographic characteristics associated with the location where the work is being performed. Such characteristics include whether the project is performed in an urban versus a rural setting; in a mountainous area or in open terrain; or in normal soil conditions or rocky terrain. Site conditions, including unforeseen underground conditions, can also impact margins.
Depreciation and Amortization. We include depreciation on equipment and finance lease amortization in contract costs. This is common practice in our industry, but can make comparability to other companies difficult. We spend a significant amount of capital on property, facilities and equipment, with the majority of such expenditures being used to purchase additional specialized equipment to enhance our fleet and to reduce our reliance on lease arrangements and short term equipment rentals. We believe the investment in specialized equipment helps to reduce our costs, improve our margins and provide us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and complex projects.
Material and Subcontract Costs. Projects that include a greater amount of material or subcontractor costs can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material and subcontractor costs in our bids than what we would to our labor and equipment cost. In addition, successful completion of our contracts may depend on whether our subcontractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations. If our subcontractors fail to satisfactorily perform their contractual obligations as a result of financial or other difficulties, we may be required to incur additional costs and provide additional services in order to make up such shortfalls. Additionally, we are required to allocate more working capital to projects when we are required to provide materials.
Insurance. Gross margins could be impacted by fluctuations in insurance accruals related to our deductibles and loss history in the period in which such adjustments are made. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to high deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Losses up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
Fleet Utilization, Estimation, and Bidding. We operate a centrally-managed fleet in the United States in an effort to achieve the highest equipment utilization. We also develop internal equipment rates which provide our business units with appropriate cost information to estimate bids for new projects. Availability of equipment for a particular contract is determined by our internal fleet ordering process which is designed to optimize the use of internal fleet assets and allocate equipment costs to individual contracts. We believe these processes allow us to utilize our equipment efficiently, which leads to improved gross margins. Transmission and distribution projects can require different types of equipment. A significant shift in project mix or timing could impact fleet utilization, causing gross margins to vary.
Cost of Material. On fixed-price contracts where we are required to provide materials, our overall gross margin may be affected if we experience increases in the quantity or costs of materials. Projects that include a greater amount of material cost can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material cost in our bids than what we would add to our labor and equipment cost.
Our team of trained estimators helps us to determine potential costs and revenues and make informed decisions on whether to bid for a project and, if bid, the rates to use in estimating the costs for that bid. The ability to accurately estimate labor, equipment, subcontracting and material costs in connection with a new project may affect the gross margins achieved for the project.
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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) consist primarily of compensation, related benefits and employee costs for management and administrative personnel, office rent and utilities, stock compensation, communications, professional fees, depreciation, IT expenses, marketing costs and bad debt expense.
Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the years indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2019
For the year ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands) 2020 2019
Contract revenues $ 2,247,392 100.0 % $ 2,071,159 100.0 %
Contract costs 1,971,539 87.7 1,857,001 89.7
Gross profit 275,853 12.3 214,158 10.3
Selling, general and administrative expenses 188,535 8.4 156,674 7.6
Amortization of intangible assets 3,586 0.2 3,849 0.2
Gain on sale of property and equipment (2,813) (0.1) (3,543) (0.2)
Income from operations 86,545 3.8 57,178 2.7
Other income (expense):
Interest income 9 — 4 —
Interest expense (4,563) (0.2) (6,225) (0.3)
Other expense, net (606) — (515) —
Income before provision for income taxes 81,385 3.6 50,442 2.4
Income tax expense 22,626 1.0 14,228 0.7
Net income 58,759 2.6 36,214 1.7
Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (1,476) (0.1)
Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. $ 58,759 2.6 % $ 37,690 1.8 %
Revenues. Revenues increased $176.2 million, or 8.5%, to $2.25 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $2.07 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to incremental revenues from the CSI acquisition, partially offset by impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic primarily associated with our C&I segment.
Gross margin. Gross margin increased to 12.3% for the year ended December 31, 2020 from 10.3% for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in gross margin was primarily due to an increase in higher margin and storm-related work as well as better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects. These increases were partially offset by labor inefficiencies as well as unfavorable settlements on certain projects. Additionally, gross margin during the year ended December 31, 2019 was negatively impacted by projects at lower than historical margins and inefficiencies associated with a joint venture project, that has since been completed. Changes in estimates resulted in gross margin decreases of 0.8% for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Gross profit. Gross profit increased $61.7 million, or 28.8%, to $275.9 million for year ended December 31, 2020 from $214.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, due to higher margins and revenues.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. SG&A, was $188.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $31.8 million from $156.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to the acquisition of CSI and higher employee incentive compensation costs.
Gain on sale of property and equipment. Gains from the sale of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2020 were $2.8 million compared to $3.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2019. Gains from the sale of property and equipment are attributable to routine sales of property and equipment no longer useful or valuable to our ongoing operations.
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Interest expense. Interest expense was $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $6.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in our outstanding debt and a decrease in our weighted average interest rate during the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, partially offset by prepayment penalties from early retirements of equipment notes.
Other expense, net. Other expense was $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to other expense of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The change was primarily attributable to contingent consideration related to margin guarantees on certain contracts associated with the acquisition of CSI recognized in the year ended December 31, 2020.
Income tax expense. Income tax expense was $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, with an effective tax rate of 27.8%, compared to $14.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, with an effective tax rate of 28.2%. The decrease in the tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to a favorable impact from stock compensation excess tax benefits, partially offset by the impact of the global intangible low tax income (“GILTI”).
Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. increased to $58.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $37.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily for the reasons stated above.
Segment Results
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, statements of operations data by segment, segment net sales as a percentage of total net sales and segment operating income as a percentage of segment net sales:
For the Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
(dollars in thousands) Amount Percent Amount Percent
Contract revenues:
Transmission & Distribution $ 1,154,378 51.4 % $ 1,134,411 54.8 %
Commercial & Industrial 1,093,014 48.6 936,748 45.2
Total $ 2,247,392 100.0 $ 2,071,159 100.0
Operating income (loss):
Transmission & Distribution $ 109,387 9.5 $ 73,580 6.5
Commercial & Industrial 37,247 3.4 30,506 3.3
Total 146,634 6.5 104,086 5.0
Corporate (60,089) (2.7) (46,908) (2.2)
Consolidated $ 86,545 3.8 % $ 57,178 2.8 %
Transmission & Distribution
Revenues for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $1.15 billion compared to $1.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $20.0 million, or 1.8%. The increase in revenue was primarily related to an increase in revenue on distribution projects which include an increase in storm work related to certain weather events, partially offset by a decrease in revenue on transmission projects.
Revenues from transmission projects represented 64.6% and 68.1% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2020, measured by revenue in our T&D segment, we provided 43.9% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts, as compared to 49.7% for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Operating income for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $109.4 million compared to $73.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $35.8 million, or 48.7%. The increase in T&D operating income from the prior year was primarily due to better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects, and an increase in higher margin and storm related work. These increases were partially offset by labor and material inefficiencies and inclement weather experienced on certain projects. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our T&D segment increased to 9.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020 from 6.5% for the year ended December 31, 2019.
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Commercial & Industrial
Revenues for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $1.09 billion compared to $936.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $156.3 million, or 16.7%, primarily due to incremental revenues from the CSI acquisition, partially offset by impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Measured by revenue in our C&I segment, we provided 82.5% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to 75.2% for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Operating income for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $37.2 million compared to $30.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $6.7 million, or 22.1%. The year-over-year increase in operating income was primarily due to higher revenues, an increase in higher margin work on certain projects and better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects, partially offset by labor inefficiencies as well as unfavorable settlements on certain projects. As a percentage of revenues, operating income for our C&I segment was 3.4% and 3.3% for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Corporate
The increase in corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily attributable to higher incentive compensation and other employee-related expenses to support operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had working capital of $193.3 million and $242.4 million, respectively. We define working capital, a non-GAAP measure, as current assets less current liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the operating activities of our business provided cash of $175.2 million, compared to $64.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Cash flow from operations is primarily influenced by demand for our services, operating margins, timing of contract performance and the type of services we provide to our customers. The $110.3 million year-over-year increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to favorable net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $89.1 million, $22.5 million in net income, $1.9 million in depreciation and amortization, and $1.3 million in non-cash stock compensation expense. The favorable change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to net favorable year-over-year changes in various working capital accounts that relate primarily to the timing of costs incurred on work performed that does not coincide with the billing terms (accounts receivable, contract assets, accounts payable and contract liabilities) of $49.6 million and favorable changes of $46.2 million in other liabilities (of which $26.1 million was due to the timing of payroll and the related tax payments, that we elected to defer under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act")), partially offset by a decrease of $5.1 million in other assets. The increase in cash provided by other liabilities was primarily due to the payment of net asset adjustments related to favorable changes in contract assets and contract liabilities due to the timing of billings and payments under our contracts.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we used net cash of $40.9 million and $133.5 million, respectively, in investing activities. The $40.9 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted of $44.4 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $3.4 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment. The $133.5 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2019 consisted of $57.8 million for capital expenditures and $79.7 million to acquire CSI, partially offset by $4.0 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment.
Financing activities used cash of $124.3 million, compared to $73.4 million of cash provided, during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The $124.3 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted primarily of $103.8 million of net repayments under our revolving line of credit, $32.6 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements and $1.2 million of repayments of finance lease obligations, $0.7 million of cash used to purchase shares surrendered by employees to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs during the year ended December 31, 2020, partially offset by $0.7 million of proceeds from the exercise of stock options. The $73.4 million of cash provided by financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2019 consisted primarily of $45.5 million of net borrowings under our revolving line of credit, primarily to fund the CSI acquisition, $35.1 million of new equipment notes under our master equipment loan agreements and $0.3 million of proceeds from the exercise of stock options, which were partially offset by $4.6 million of repayments of principal obligations under equipment notes, $1.1 million of debt refinancing costs related to the amendment to the Credit Agreement, $1.2 million of repayments of finance lease obligations and share repurchases of $0.8 million, all of which represented shares surrendered to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs during the year ended December 31, 2019.
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We anticipate that our $364.6 million borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit at December 31, 2020 and future cash flow from operations will provide sufficient cash to enable us to meet our future operating needs, debt service requirements, capital expenditures, acquisition and joint venture opportunities, share repurchases, and any new challenges and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we believe that we have adequate cash and borrowing capacity to meet our liquidity needs, any large projects or acquisitions may require additional capital. Additionally, in light of the uncertainties around the economic impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are focused on controlling our costs and capital expenditures to preserve our ability to continue to fund our operations; however, we continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
We have not historically paid dividends and currently do not expect to pay dividends.
Debt Instruments
Credit Agreement
On September 13, 2019, we entered into a five-year amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A. The Credit Agreement provides for a facility of $375 million (the “Facility”), subject to certain financial covenants as defined in the Credit Agreement, that may be used for revolving loans of which $150 million may be used for letters of credit. The Facility also allows for revolving loans and letters of credit in Canadian dollars and other currencies, up to the U.S. dollar equivalent of $75 million. We have an expansion option to increase the commitments under the Facility or enter into incremental term loans, subject to certain conditions, by up to an additional $200 million upon receipt of additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Subject to certain exceptions, the Facility is secured by substantially all of our assets and the assets of our domestic subsidiaries and by a pledge of substantially all of the capital stock of our domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of our direct foreign subsidiaries. Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, our domestic subsidiaries also guarantee the repayment of all amounts due under the Credit Agreement. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, amounts outstanding under the Facility may be accelerated and may become or be declared immediately due and payable. Borrowings under the Facility are used for refinancing existing debt, working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at our option, at a rate equal to either (1) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.00% to 0.75%; or (2) Adjusted LIBO Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.00% to 1.75%. The applicable margin is determined based on our consolidated leverage ratio (“Leverage Ratio”) which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated Total Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Letters of credit issued under the Facility are subject to a letter of credit fee of 1.00% to 1.75% for non-performance letters of credit or 0.50% to 0.875% for performance letters of credit, based on our consolidated Leverage Ratio. We are subject to a commitment fee of 0.15% to 0.25%, based on our consolidated Leverage Ratio, on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement restricts certain types of payments when our consolidated Leverage Ratio exceeds 2.50 or our consolidated Liquidity (as defined in the Credit Agreement) is less than $50 million.
Under the Credit Agreement, we are subject to certain financial covenants and are limited to a maximum consolidated Leverage Ratio of 3.0 and a minimum interest coverage ratio of 3.0. The minimum interest coverage ratio is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The Credit Agreement also contains a number of covenants, including limitations on asset sales, investments, indebtedness and liens. We were in compliance with all of the financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020, we had no debt outstanding under the Facility and letters of credit outstanding of approximately $10.4 million. As of December 31, 2019, we had $103.8 million of debt outstanding under the Facility and letters of credit outstanding of approximately $10.6 million.
Equipment Notes
We have entered into multiple Master Loan Agreements with multiple banks. The Master Loan Agreements may be used for financing of equipment between us and the lending banks pursuant to one or more equipment notes (“Equipment Notes”). Each Equipment Note constitutes a separate, distinct and independent financing of equipment and contractual obligation.
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As of December 31, 2020, we had four executed and outstanding Equipment Notes that are collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. In addition to regularly schedule payments we retired five of our Equipment Notes during the year ended December 31, 2020. The outstanding balance of these Equipment Notes was $29.4 million as of December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2019, we had executed nine Equipment Notes that are collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. The outstanding balance of these Equipment Notes was $62.0 million as of December 31, 2019.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As is common in our industry, we enter into certain off-balance sheet arrangements in the ordinary course of business that result in risks not directly reflected in our balance sheets. Our significant off-balance sheet transactions include liabilities associated with letter of credit obligations and bond guarantees entered into in the normal course of business. We have not engaged in any off-balance sheet financing arrangements through special purpose entities.
Purchase Commitments for Construction Equipment
As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $9.5 million in outstanding purchase obligations for certain construction equipment to be paid with cash outlays scheduled to occur over the first nine months of 2021.
Letters of Credit
Some of our vendors require letters of credit to ensure reimbursement for amounts they are disbursing on our behalf, such as to beneficiaries under our insurance programs. In addition, from time-to-time certain customers require us to post letters of credit to ensure payment to our subcontractors and vendors under those contracts and to guarantee performance under our contracts. Such letters of credit are generally issued by a bank or similar financial institution. The letter of credit commits the issuer to pay specified amounts to the holder of the letter of credit if the holder claims that we have failed to perform specified actions in accordance with the terms of the letter of credit. If this were to occur, we would be required to reimburse the issuer of the letter of credit. Depending on the circumstances of such a reimbursement, we may also have to record a charge to earnings for the reimbursement. Currently, we do not believe that it is likely that any claims will be made under any letter of credit.
At December 31, 2020, we had $10.4 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement, including $9.8 million, at an interest rate of 1.125%, related to the Company’s payment obligation under its insurance programs and approximately $0.6 million, at an interest rate of 0.625%, related to contract performance obligations. At December 31, 2019, we had $10.6 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement, including $10.0 million, at an interest rate of 1.125%, related to the Company’s payment obligation under its insurance programs and approximately $0.6 million, at an interest rate of 0.625%, related to contract performance obligations.
Performance and Payment Bonds and Parent Guarantees
Many customers, particularly in connection with new construction, require us to post performance and payment bonds issued by a financial institution known as a surety. These bonds provide a guarantee to the customer that we will perform under the terms of a contract and that we will pay subcontractors and vendors. If we fail to perform under a contract or to pay subcontractors and vendors, the customer may demand that the surety make payments or provide services under the bond. We must reimburse our sureties for any expenses or outlays they incur. Under our continuing indemnity and security agreements with our sureties, with the consent of our lenders under the Credit Agreement, we have granted security interests in certain of our assets to collateralize our obligations to the surety. We may be required to post letters of credit or other collateral in favor of the surety or our customers. Posting letters of credit in favor of the surety or our customers reduces the borrowing availability under the Credit Agreement. To date, we have not been required to make any reimbursements to any of our sureties for bond-related costs. We believe that it is unlikely that we will have to fund significant claims under our surety arrangements. As of December 31, 2020, an aggregate of approximately $1.33 billion in original face amount of bonds issued by our sureties were outstanding. Our estimated remaining cost to complete these bonded projects was approximately $629.1 million as of December 31, 2020.
From time to time we guarantee the obligations of our wholly owned subsidiaries, including obligations under certain contracts with customers, certain lease agreements, and, in some states, obligations in connection with obtaining contractors’ licenses. Additionally, from time to time we are required to post letters of credit to guarantee the obligations of our wholly owned subsidiaries, which reduces the borrowing availability under our credit facility.
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Indemnities
From time to time, pursuant to our service arrangements, we indemnify our customers for claims related to the services we provide under those service arrangements. These indemnification obligations may subject us to indemnity claims, liabilities and related litigation. We are not aware of any material unrecorded liabilities for asserted claims in connection with these indemnification obligations.
Contractual Obligations
As of December 31, 2020, our future contractual obligations are as follows:
(in thousands) Total Less than
1 Year 1 – 3 Years 3 – 5 Years More than
5 Years Other
Short and long term debt (1)
$ 29,420 $ 4,381 $ 9,156 $ 9,291 $ 6,592 $ —
Operating lease obligations 26,803 9,111 12,998 3,899 795 —
Finance lease obligations 321 321 — — — —
Purchase obligations 9,491 9,491 — — — —
Income tax contingencies 422 — — — — 422
Total $ 66,457 $ 23,304 $ 22,154 $ 13,190 $ 7,387 $ 422
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(1) Includes obligations under the Facility and obligations under Equipment Notes.
Excluded from the above table are interest and fees associated with our short term and long term debt and letters of credit outstanding under our Facility, because the applicable interest rates and fees are variable. We have also excluded our multi-employer pension plan contributions, which are determined annually, based on our union employee payrolls, and which cannot be determined for future periods in advance.
The amount of income tax contingencies has been presented in the “Other” column in the table above due to the fact that the period of future payment cannot be reliably estimated. For further information, refer to Note 12 — Income Taxes to our Financial Statements.
Concentration of Credit Risk
We grant trade credit under contractual payment terms, generally without collateral, to our customers, which include high credit quality electric utilities, governmental entities, general contractors and builders, owners and managers of commercial and industrial properties. Consequently, we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and economic factors. However, we generally have certain statutory lien rights with respect to services provided. Under certain circumstances such as foreclosures or negotiated settlements, we may take title to the underlying assets in lieu of cash in settlement of receivables. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, none of our customers individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable.
Inflation
Inflation did not have a significant effect on our results during the years ended December 31, 2020 or 2019.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1 — Organization, Business and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our Financial Statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities known to exist at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements:
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Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer-controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we estimate profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. In addition, we estimate a cost accrual every quarter that represents unbilled invoicing activity for services performed by subcontractors and suppliers during the quarter, and estimate revenue from the contract cost portion of this accrual based on current gross margin rates to be consistent with our cost method of revenue recognition. The estimated value of unbilled amounts are determined using a regression analysis that estimates value based on our historical experience, and is adjusted for large individual projects. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. We utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. For purposes of recognizing revenue, we follow the five-step approach outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606-10-25.
As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Because our billings are based on contract terms and do not coincide with our progress in a project, revenue recognition also includes an amount related to our contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded. Additionally, the contract asset includes retainage billed to the customer that cannot be collected until the contract work has been completed and approved. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded. Additionally, the contract liability includes a liability for the excess of costs over revenues for all contracts that are in a loss position.
Contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition. Additionally, we estimate costs to complete on fixed price contracts which are determined on an individual contract basis by evaluating each project’s status as of the balance sheet date, and using our historical experience with the level of effort required to complete the underlying project. Claims and change orders are also measured based on our historical experience with individual customers and similar contracts, and are evaluated by management individually. A change order is a modification to a contract that changes the provisions of the contract, typically resulting from changes in scope, specifications, design, manner of performance, facilities, equipment, materials, sites, or period of completion of the work under the contract. A claim is an amount in excess of the agreed-upon contract price that we seek to collect from our clients or others for client-caused delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders that are either in dispute or are unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes. We include these estimated amounts of variable consideration to the extent that it is probable there will not be a significant reversal of revenue.
Some of our contracts may have contract terms that include variable consideration such as safety or performance bonuses or liquidated damages. In accordance with ASC 606-10-32, we estimate the variable consideration using one of two methods. In contracts in which there is a binary outcome, the most likely amount method is used. In instances in which there is a range of possible outcomes, the expected value method is used. In accordance with ASC 606-10-32-11, we include the estimated amount of variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative recognized revenue will not occur when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, we use constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. Although we often enter into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses, we rarely incur them, and as such, we do not include amounts associated with liquidated damage clauses until it is probable that liquidated damages will occur. These items are continually monitored by multiple levels of management throughout the reporting period.
A portion of the work we perform requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Many of our contracts include retention provisions of up to 10%, which are generally withheld from each progress payment as retainage until the contract work has been completed and approved.
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The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period is dependent on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottoms up” approach and we believe our experience typically allows us to provide materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include, among others:
• the completeness and accuracy of the original bid;
• costs associated with scope changes, change orders or claims;
• costs of labor and/or materials;
• extended overhead due to owner, weather and other delays;
• subcontractor performance issues;
• changes in productivity expectations;
• site conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid (to the extent contract remedies are unavailable);
• the availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of the project; and
• a change in the availability and proximity of equipment and materials.
The foregoing factors as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit between periods.
We provide warranties to customers on a basis customary to the industry; however, the warranty period does not typically exceed one year. Historically, warranty claims have not been material.
Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes. Sales tax and value added tax collected from customers is included in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
Insurance. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to certain deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Our deductible for each line of coverage is up to $1.0 million, except for wildfire coverage which has a deductible of $2.0 million. Certain health benefit plans are subject to stop-loss limits of up to $0.2 million, for qualified individuals. Losses up to the deductible and stop-loss amounts are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
The insurance and claims accruals are based on known facts, actuarial estimates and historical trends. While recorded accruals are based on the ultimate liability, which includes amounts in excess of the deductible, a corresponding receivable for amounts in excess of the deductible is included in current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based Compensation. We determine compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognize the related compensation expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to stock-based awards, such as restricted stock and restricted stock units, that have only service conditions. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on internal performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period, but adjust inception-to-date expense based upon our determination of the expected achievement of the performance target at each reporting date. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We recognize forfeitures as they occur. Shares issued under the Company’s stock-based compensation program are taken out of authorized but unissued shares.
Goodwill and Intangibles. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We perform either a qualitative or quantitative assessment to review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment on an annual basis. This assessment is performed at the beginning of the fourth quarter, or when circumstances change, such as a significant adverse change in the business climate or the decision to sell a business, both of which would indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets with finite lives are also reviewed for impairment and tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
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A qualitative assessment considers financial, industry, segment and macroeconomic factors, if the qualitative assessment indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative assessment is performed to determine if impairment exists. The quantitative assessment begins with a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit or intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit or intangible asset. If the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite lived assets exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded in the statement of operations.
As a result of the annual qualitative review process in 2020 and 2019, we determined it was not necessary to perform a qualitative assessment. In 2018, we performed a quantitative assessment on our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives, this assessment did not indicate that our goodwill or indefinite lived intangible assets were impaired.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We do not generally charge interest to our customers, and we carry our customer receivables at their face amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Based on our experience in recent years, the majority of customer balances at each balance sheet date are collected within twelve months. As is common practice in the industry, we classify all accounts receivable as current assets.
We grant trade credit, on a non-collateralized basis (with the exception of lien rights against the property in certain cases) to our customers, and we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and overall economic activity. We analyze specific accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event that a customer balance is deemed to be uncollectible the account balance is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.