Budget against actual, cost code by cost code, while the job is running
Appello compares each job's budget with what it has actually cost, cost code by cost code, as labour and bills are approved. Budgets come from the estimate, or you enter them against your cost code template. Actuals come from approved timesheets, bills and expenses coded to the job. Every cost code is marked on budget, at risk or over budget. It is live today for trade contractors in Canada and the US.
Job cost report: how it works
A budget on every cost code
Carry the estimate's cost codes onto the job, or apply your cost code template and enter each code's budget. Change orders add to the job's budget on the financial summary.
Actuals arrive with approvals
Approved hours land at the rate each worker was paid, with travel, board and parking from the timesheet. Approved bills and employee expenses land on the cost code they were coded to. Nothing counts until it is approved.
Earned against spent
The approved percent complete turns each budget into what has been earned. In the earned-vs-burned view, spending ahead of progress marks a code at risk; more than 10% of its budget behind marks it over budget. Group by area, system or phase if the job uses them.
By account, and across jobs
The financial summary shows estimate, change orders, total, actual and the difference for each account. Export the financial summary to PDF or CSV. The Job Cost report puts every active job on one page, revenue against expense, and exports to CSV.
A normal week with it
- Monday to Friday
Foremen enter hours by cost code. The office approves timesheets and codes bills to the job and cost code as they arrive.
- Friday
The project manager opens the job's cost codes, looks at anything at risk, and asks the foreman why before it becomes an overrun.
- Month end
Set the date to month end and the numbers show the job as it stood that day. Export it for the owner's meeting.
What job costing costs without it
Most shops learn a job lost money at close-out, when the accountant's report finally lands and nothing can be done about it.
- Labour cost waits for payroll and the accounting system, weeks after the hours were worked.
- The budget lives in the estimate file and the actuals live in accounting, and nobody lines them up by cost code.
- An overrun on one scope hides inside a job total that still looks fine.
- The project manager finds out about a bad week a month after it happened.
Job cost report: common questions
Does Appello replace our accounting system?
No. Appello does not replace your accounting system; your accounting system stays the books. Appello keeps the job cost: labour from its own approved timesheets, and the bills and expenses your team enters and codes to the job and cost code. It compares that with each cost code's budget as approvals come in, and the financial summary exports to PDF or CSV.
What rate does labour cost use?
Appello costs labour at the rate each worker was paid on that timesheet row, set by their trade level and agreement, plus the travel, board and parking recorded on the timesheet. Hours count toward the job only once the timesheet is approved, and they land on the cost code the hours were entered against.
Can I see where a job stood last month?
Yes. Appello's job costing lets you pick an as-of date, and only hours, bills and expenses dated on or before it count. Set the date to month end and the job's cost codes show budget against actual as they stood that day, ready to export for the owner's meeting.
Job cost report, on your own jobs
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