Job costing for general contractors

Most of a builder’s cost is subcontractors, and most of a builder’s margin risk is change: client requests built before they’re priced, and subs billing ahead of the work. JobFigure tracks subs, your own crew, and every variation against the job, without the setup weeks that big construction software needs.

What general contractors track in JobFigure

• Subcontractors against budget. Sub invoices post to the job’s Subcontractors line, so you can compare what they’ve billed to how far along the work is.
• Self-perform labour and burden. Your carpenters clock in on their phones, and labour burden gets its own budget line.
• Variations into the contract. Every client change, add or deduct, goes straight into the contract value the day it’s agreed.
• Invoices with retention. Invoice the client, track retention held and payments, and see what’s left to bill.
• Daily logs and photos. Site supervisors log work, problems, and weather with photos, and problems show up on the owner’s Home screen the same day.

Set up for general contracting from the first day

When you pick General Contractor as your trade, JobFigure loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.

• Labour
• Subcontractors
• Materials
• Equipment Rental
• Labour Burden
• Permits & Fees
• Disposal
• Fuel
• Insurance
• Overhead
• Other

Bid line items use the units general contracting actually bid in: square metres (m²), metres (m), each (EA), and lump sum (LS).

Example: what a builder job looks like mid-way

A 390 m² restaurant fit-out with your own carpenters, and subs for M&E, kitchen equipment, and finishes. The job is about 55% complete.

Subs are billing right with progress at 56%. Your own materials are a little ahead at 65%, often a sign that client-requested changes are being built before they’re priced. Log each one as a variation the day it’s agreed, so the contract value grows with the work instead of the margin shrinking.

Invoices the New Zealand way

Set your company to New Zealand and every progress invoice is a GST tax invoice with retentions. Tick one box to make it a payment claim under the Construction Contracts Act 2002, with the statement, work period and due date it needs. Prices are in New Zealand dollars. More in our guide: Payment claims under the Construction Contracts Act 2002.

Guides and tools for general contractors