Job costing for general contractors

Most of a main contractor’s cost is subcontractors, and most of a main contractor’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 managers 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 main contractor 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 UK way

Set your company to the United Kingdom and every quote and invoice carries VAT, with the domestic reverse charge when you work for a main contractor. Subcontractors can switch on CIS: enter the labour figure and the deduction comes off the labour only, alongside any retention. Prices are in pounds. More in our guide: CIS and the VAT reverse charge on subcontractor invoices.

Guides and tools for general contractors