Budgeting by Constructable
Construction budgeting software for general contractors
Our construction budgeting software tracks budget, committed cost, and actual cost for every cost code as your team enters commitments, change orders, and invoices. Budgeting comes with the Field, Project, and Financial Management plan, and we do flat pricing with unlimited users.
Budget setup
Start the budget from your estimate, not a blank sheet
Import your estimate and Constructable builds the Original Budget from it, so you don't retype a single line.
• You have a bid sheet: save it as a CSV, choose Import Budget File, and upload one or more files
• You have the owner's SOV: copy the Prime Contract SOV lines as a starting point, then adjust them to cost
• You're starting fresh: add lines by Budget Code, which is a cost code plus a cost type
Budget Modifications
Lock the original budget and track every change
The Original Budget stays as your baseline. Approved changes go in as Budget Modifications, so the Revised Budget shows how the job got from bid to today.
• The owner approves a change order: when the Prime Change Order becomes billable, it adds a locked Budget Modification
• An approved amount was wrong: add a negative line in a new modification, so the original value and the correction both stay on record
• Protecting approved values: lock the Original Budget and each modification. Unlocking takes its own permission
Budget vs. actual
Know what's committed and spent against every cost code
For budget vs. actual job costing, Budget vs Cost puts the budget next to commitments and actual cost for each Budget Code. Combined Budget adds the owner side, with Over/Under on every line.
• Job costing by division: group by Budget Code, by cost code alone, or roll up by cost code division
• Pending change orders: choose whether totals include them. Excluded values stay visible in italics
• Costs outside a contract: receipts, and payroll costs from time cards, count as non-committed costs on the same Budget Code
WIP report
See over and under billing on every job
The WIP Report compares what you've billed with the work you've completed. It shows Over Billed and Under Billed for each Budget Code, next to revenue and cost percent complete.
• Across the company: the organization WIP Report shows the same columns with one row per project and a totals row. See our construction reporting software
• Digging into a job: open a project from the organization report to go straight to its Budget
• Month-end review: export the WIP Report as a PDF or CSV
Cell breakdown
Click any number to see where it came from
Click a money total on Combined Budget or Budget vs Cost. A breakdown lists each source with its amount and description, and you can open each source record in a new tab.
• A cost looks high: see the subcontracts, change orders, and receipts behind it
• Explaining a total: show the owner or your CFO the records that add up to it
• Tracing a change: the activity log shows changes to the budget, commitments, change orders, and forecasts by date
Forecast at Completion
Forecast the final cost and write down why
Forecast at Completion starts from the greater of revised budget and cost to date. When your PM knows about cost that isn't in the records yet, they override it and say why.
• Known cost, no paperwork yet: enter the Forecast to Complete, and the Forecast at Completion follows
• Keeping the reason: add a note to the override, and the note appears in the budget report
• Assumption on hold: turn an override off to keep the note without applying the number
Accounting integrations
Works with Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online, and QuickBooks Desktop
Constructable runs the project budget. Your accounting system stays the book of record.
- Sage Intacct: project estimates can create the Original Budget or Budget Modifications, and cost codes sync both ways.
- QuickBooks Online: approved owner invoices can sync as QuickBooks Invoices and approved subcontractor invoices as Bills. QuickBooks Bills and Purchases can come in as receipts that count toward actual cost.
- QuickBooks Desktop: executed contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, and change orders go to QuickBooks, and so do approved invoices. Job-coded Bills, Checks, and Credit Card Charges come back as Non-Committed Costs against the budget. Connect QuickBooks Desktop
- Learn more: read how to use Budget in our Help Center.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import my estimate or budget spreadsheet?
Yes. Save your estimate or bid sheet as a CSV, choose Import Budget File, and upload it. Constructable creates the Original Budget lines from it. You can also copy the Prime Contract SOV as a starting point, or enter the lines yourself.
How do change orders affect the budget?
When a Prime Change Order reaches its Billable On date, it creates a locked Budget Modification for its budget impact. Vendor change orders count toward committed cost. Pending change orders show in their own columns, and you choose whether totals include them.
What's the difference between Original Budget, Budget Modifications, and Revised Budget?
The Original Budget is your baseline, and you lock it once it is approved. Budget Modifications record later changes, either entered by your team or created from Prime Change Orders. The Revised Budget is the Original Budget plus every modification and Prime Change Order budget impact.
Does the budget update in real time with commitments and invoices?
Yes. Constructable calculates the budget from your project records, so a new commitment, change order, invoice, or receipt shows up as soon as it is saved. The budget is a live report, not an accounting ledger. Your accounting system stays the book of record.
Do you have a WIP report for over/under billing?
Yes. Each project's Budget has a WIP Report tab with Over Billed and Under Billed by Budget Code, next to revenue and cost percent complete. The organization WIP Report shows the same columns with one row per project. Export a project's WIP Report as a PDF or CSV.
Can I forecast cost at completion?
Yes. Every Budget Code has a Forecast at Completion. When your team expects cost that is not in the records yet, override it with a Forecast to Complete and a note that explains why. Forecast at Completion estimates final cost. It does not forecast cash flow timing.
Does it integrate with Sage Intacct or QuickBooks?
Yes. With Sage Intacct, project estimates can create the Original Budget or Budget Modifications, and cost codes sync both ways. With QuickBooks Online, approved owner and subcontractor invoices can sync to QuickBooks, and QuickBooks Bills and Purchases can come in as receipts that count toward actual cost. With QuickBooks Desktop, executed contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, change orders, and approved invoices go to QuickBooks, and job-coded Bills, Checks, and Credit Card Charges come back as Non-Committed Costs that count toward actual cost. QuickBooks Desktop connects through Intuit's QuickBooks Web Connector. See Connect QuickBooks Desktop.
Can I export the budget to Excel or PDF?
Yes. Download the budget as a PDF, or as a CSV that opens in Excel. The export uses your current filters, grouping, and pending change order setting.
Which plan includes budgeting?
Budgeting is part of the Field, Project, and Financial Management plan, along with commitments, change orders, and invoicing. Every plan is a flat monthly rate with unlimited users. View our pricing page for more details.
Know all your numbers
at a glance
at a glance
Win more work
with better bids
with better bids
Every question tied
to the drawing
to the drawing