Budget Tracking

Know Exactly Where Every Dollar Goes

Custom home budgets are complex—thousands of line items across hundreds of cost codes. BuildTools gives you real-time visibility into budget vs. actual, change order impacts, and remaining funds so you can protect your margins.

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BuildTools budget tracking showing detailed cost codes, approved change orders, and budget vs actual comparison

Budget Blind Spots Kill Profits

If any of these sound familiar, you're not alone.

1
Discovering cost overruns only after the project is complete
2
Spreadsheets that are always out of date by the time you update them
3
No clear picture of how change orders affect the overall budget
4
Guessing at remaining budget when making purchasing decisions
5
End-of-project surprises that eat your entire margin

The Solution

Real-Time Financial Visibility

BuildTools budget tracking connects your estimates, change orders, purchase orders, and invoices into one live view. See exactly where you stand—by cost code, category, or entire project—at any moment.

$2.6M+

Average project value tracked

Change orders per project managed

Average margin improvement

Powerful Features for Budget Tracking

Everything you need to manage budget tracking effectively.

Hierarchical Cost Codes

Organize budgets by category and detailed cost codes. Roll up from individual items to categories to project totals. See the level of detail you need.

Change Order Integration

Approved change orders automatically update the revised budget. Track original budget, approved CO's, and revised totals in real-time.

PO & Invoice Tracking

See sent purchase orders, approved invoices, and paid amounts for every line item. Know your committed costs vs. actual spend.

Budget vs. Actual

Instantly compare revised budget to actual costs. Identify variances before they become problems.

Remaining Budget Visibility

See exactly how much budget remains for each cost code. Make informed purchasing and allocation decisions.

Flexible Reporting

Export budget reports for internal review or client presentation. Compare budgets across projects to improve estimating.

See It In Action

Real interface, real data, real results.

Why Builders Choose BuildTools

Real benefits that impact your bottom line.

Catch Overruns Early

Real-time variance tracking highlights problem areas while you can still take action. No more end-of-project surprises.

Make Informed Decisions

Know exactly what's available before committing to purchases or allowance spends. Negotiate from a position of knowledge.

Improve Estimating Accuracy

Compare estimates to actuals across projects. Learn where you consistently under- or over-estimate and adjust future bids.

Protect Your Margins

Tight financial control on every project means healthier margins and a more profitable business.

How Builders Use This Feature

Real scenarios from real custom home builders.

Weekly Budget Review

Review budget vs. actual across all active projects. Identify cost codes trending over budget and investigate before it's too late.

Proactive cost management instead of reactive scrambling

Client Allowance Management

Track allowance budgets and actual selections in real-time. Show clients exactly where they stand before they make choices.

Transparent allowance conversations

Change Order Impact

When a change order is approved, instantly see how it affects category budgets and project totals. Make sure pricing covers the full impact.

Accurate change order pricing

"We used to find out we'd lost money on a project after it was finished. Now I know exactly where we stand every single day. That visibility has completely changed how we run our business."

David Park

Park Custom Homes

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about budget tracking.

How does the budget connect to my estimates?

When you convert an estimate to a project, the estimate becomes your starting budget. All the cost codes and line items transfer automatically.

Can I track costs at the line item level?

Yes! Track budgets and actuals at whatever level of detail you need—from broad categories down to individual cost codes and line items.

How do change orders affect the budget?

When a change order is approved, BuildTools automatically updates the revised budget. You'll see original budget, CO impact, and new totals side by side.

Explore Related Features

See how other BuildTools features work together.

Ready to Transform Your Budget Tracking?

See how BuildTools can help your business save time, reduce errors, and build more profitably.