Construction Job Costing Software for Custom Builders and Remodelers
BuildTools gives residential builders real-time job costing by cost code: committed costs, actuals, change orders, and projected margin in one live view. The number you see is the number the job actually is, not a spreadsheet someone updated last Tuesday.
What it does
- Tracks budget, committed costs, and actuals by cost code on every job in real time.
- Rolls POs into committed costs and approved invoices into actuals automatically.
- Carries approved change orders into the budget so the cost picture stays current.
- Calculates projected cost at completion and projected margin per cost code and per job.
- Surfaces cost-to-complete and over/under variances so problems show up early.
- Feeds clean cost data into WIP reporting and stays consistent with QuickBooks.
Why builders need it
Most builders run job costing in a spreadsheet that is always a little bit wrong. The budget tab is from the contract, the actuals are whatever got typed in last, and committed costs from open POs live in someone's head. By the time the spreadsheet is reconciled, the job has already moved, and the margin you thought you had is not the margin you have. Spreadsheets do not lie on purpose; they just lag, and on a construction job a lag of a few weeks is the difference between catching a cost overrun and eating it.
Real-time job costing protects margin because it shows the truth while you can still do something about it. When committed costs, actuals, and approved change orders all roll into the same live picture by cost code, an overage on framing shows up the week it happens, not at closeout. BuildTools keeps that picture connected to your POs, invoices, and change orders, and keeps it consistent with QuickBooks, so the field and the books agree on what the job costs and what margin is left.
How BuildTools handles it differently
- Each job carries a cost-coded budget, and BuildTools tracks committed costs and actuals against it in real time.
- Issued POs become committed costs and approved, coded invoices become actuals without separate re-entry.
- Approved change orders flow into the budget so projected cost and margin reflect the current scope.
- BuildTools projects cost at completion and margin per cost code, flagging variances before they compound.
- Cost data stays consistent with QuickBooks and feeds WIP reporting, so operations and accounting agree.
Common workflows
- A PM issues a PO and the amount immediately shows as a committed cost against the right cost code.
- An approved invoice posts as an actual, and the cost code's remaining budget updates on the spot.
- An approved change order raises the budget line so projected margin reflects the new scope.
- An owner reviews projected margin by job and catches a framing overage while the job is still framing.
- Job cost data rolls up into WIP reporting and stays aligned with the QuickBooks books at month-end.
Who it is for
Related BuildTools features
Frequently asked questions
What is construction job costing software?
It is software that tracks what each job costs against its budget, broken down by cost code, including committed costs from open POs, actuals from invoices, and approved change orders. BuildTools keeps that picture live so you always know projected cost at completion and the margin left on the job.
How is this better than a job costing spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet only reflects what someone last typed into it, and it has no live link to your POs, invoices, or change orders. BuildTools rolls committed costs and actuals in automatically, so the cost picture is current instead of weeks behind. That timing is what lets you catch an overrun while you can still act on it.
How does BuildTools calculate projected margin?
It starts from the cost-coded budget, adds committed costs and recorded actuals, carries in approved change orders, and projects cost at completion per cost code. From there it shows projected margin for each code and for the job as a whole, so an overage in one area is visible against the whole picture.
Does job costing work with QuickBooks?
Yes. BuildTools is built to keep QuickBooks as your accounting system of record. Cost codes map between the systems and approved costs stay consistent, so your job costing in BuildTools and your books in QuickBooks agree instead of drifting apart.
What is the difference between committed costs and actuals?
Committed costs are amounts you have obligated but not yet paid, typically open purchase orders and subcontracts. Actuals are costs that have been invoiced and recorded. Tracking both is what makes a projection trustworthy, because committed costs warn you about money that is already spoken for before the invoice ever lands.
One connected platform for custom builders and remodelers.
BuildTools is the AI-first operating system for custom builders and remodelers: budget control, schedule control, client decisions, field documentation, and project intelligence in one connected platform.