2. Revenue Recognition

Adoption and Accounting Policy

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) using the modified retrospective method for contracts that were not completed as of January 1, 2018. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under this new pronouncement, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported under the accounting standard Revenue Recognition Topic 605, which was in effect for prior periods. The Company recorded an increase to opening retained earnings of $0.7 million, net of tax, as of January 1, 2018 due to the cumulative impact of adopting Topic 606, representing revenues which would have been recognized in prior periods under Topic 606. The impact to revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was an increase of $0.1 million as a result of adopting Topic 606. The cumulative adjustment and the impact experienced during the three months ended March 31, 2018 were due to accelerated recognition of contract provisions related to variable consideration previously not permitted to be recognized under Topic 605 until no remaining contingency existed related to this consideration.

Under Topic 606, the Company recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as the Company’s performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, which the Company has an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract for performance completed. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, the Company estimates profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. For purposes of recognizing revenue, the Company follows the five step approach outlined in ASC 606-10-25.

As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, the Company calculates 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. Revenue recognition also includes an amount related to a contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded in costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded in billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts. 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.

Some of the Company’s 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, the Company estimates 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, the Company includes 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 result when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, the Company uses constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. Although the Company often enters into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses, the Company rarely incurs them, and as such, the Company does 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 the Company performs requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Most 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.

Disaggregation of Revenue

A majority of the Company’s revenues are earned through contracts with customers that normally provide for payment upon completion of specified work or units of work as identified in the contract. Although there is considerable variation in the terms of these contracts they are primarily structured as fixed-price contracts, under which the Company agrees to do the entire project for a fixed amount, or unit-price contracts, under which the Company agrees to do the work at a fixed price per unit of work as specified in the contract. The Company also enters into time-and-equipment and time-and-materials contracts under which the Company is paid for labor and equipment at negotiated hourly billing rates and for other expenses, including materials, as incurred. Finally, the Company sometimes enters into cost-plus contracts, where the Company is paid for costs plus a negotiated margin. On occasion, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost plus contracts require the Company to include a guaranteed not-to-exceed maximum price.

Historically, fixed-price and unit-price contracts have had the highest potential margins; however, they have had a greater risk in terms of profitability because cost overruns may not be recoverable. Time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts have historically had less margin upside, but generally have had a lower risk of cost overruns. The Company also provides services under master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements. MSAs normally cover maintenance, upgrade and extension services, as well as new construction. Work performed under MSAs is typically billed on a unit-price, time-and-materials or time-and-equipment basis. MSAs are typically one to three years in duration; however, most of the Company’s contracts, including MSAs, may be terminated by the customer on short notice, typically 30 to 90 days, even if the Company is not in default under the contract. Under MSAs, customers generally agree to use the Company for certain services in a specified geographic region. Most MSAs include no obligation for the contract counterparty to assign specific volumes of work to the Company and do not required the counterparty to use the Company exclusively, although in some cases the MSA contract gives the Company a right of first refusal for certain work. Additional information related to the Company’s market types is provided in Note 10–Segment Information to the Financial Statements.

The components of the Company’s revenue by contract type for the three months ended March 31, 2018 were as follows:

	Three months ended March 31, 2018
	T&D					C&I					Total
(in thousands)	Amount		Percent			Amount		Percent			Amount		Percent
Fixed price	$	79,435		36.7	%	$	89,155		69.0	%	$	168,590		48.8	%
Unit Price		45,676		21.1			9,650		7.5			55,326		16.0
T&E		80,345		37.1			9,457		7.3			89,802		26.0
Other		10,930		5.1			20,963		16.2			31,893		9.2
	$	216,386		100.0	%	$	129,225		100.0	%	$	345,611		100.0	%

The components of the Company’s revenue by market type for the three months ended March 31, 2018 were as follows:

	Three months ended March 31, 2018
(in thousands)	Amount		Percent			Segment
Transmission	$	134,452		38.9	%		T&D
Distribution		81,934		23.7			T&D
Electrical Construction		129,225		37.4			C&I
Total Revenue	$	345,611		100.0	%

Contract Assets and Liabilities

Contracts with customers usually stipulate the timing of payment, which is defined by the terms found within the various contracts under which work was performed during the period. Therefore, contract assets and liabilities are created when the timing of costs incurred on work performed does not coincide with the billing terms, which frequently include retention provisions contained in each contract. The following table provides information about receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities from contracts with customers:

	March 31,		December 31,
(in thousands)	2018		2017		Change

Contract assets	$	93,206	$	78,260	$	14,946
Contract liabilities		(18,699)		(28,919)		10,220
Net contract assets (liabilities)	$	74,507	$	49,341	$	25,166

The difference between the opening and closing balances of the Company’s contract assets and contract liabilities primarily results from the timing of the Company’s performance and customer payment. The amounts of revenue recognized in the period that was included in the opening contract liability balances was $25.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. This revenue consists primarily of work performed on previous billings to customers.

Remaining Performance Obligations

On March 31, 2018, the Company had $881.8 million of remaining performance obligations. The Company’s remaining performance obligations 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. The following table summarizes that amount of remaining performance obligations that the Company expects to be realized as of March 31, 2018 and the amount of the remaining performance obligations that the Company reasonably estimates will not be recognized within the next twelve months. The Company expects a vast majority of the remaining performance obligations to be recognized within twenty-four months, although the timing of the Company’s performance is not always under its control. Additionally, the difference between the remaining performance obligations and backlog is due to the exclusion of a portion of the Company’s MSAs under certain contract types from the Company’s remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by the Company or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Additional information related to backlog is provided in “Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

	Remaining Performance Obligations as of March 31, 2018
(In thousands)	Total		Amount estimated to not be recognized within 12 months

T&D	$	359,902	$	57,413
C&I		521,887		149,349
Total	$	881,789	$	206,762