Job Cost Variance Reports for Projects

Are you using Excel spreadsheets to track your projects or do you use one of the software programs to do this?  I've used Timberline for years and love it and have worked with many standard and customized reports, but what about the new start up companies?  The companies that can't yet afford the good programs?  What do they do?

Do you know what your job profit is on your projects at a glance?  Do you have a way of getting a report that tells you where your projects are at any given time?

What about costs to complete, owner change order status, subcontractor change order status and commitments that are outstanding?  The small details on projects can impact your bottom line and can get out of control quickly if they are not properly tracked.  

Whether you are a subcontractor or general contractor, you need to track your jobs and all the details carefully.  You should be able to track your labor hours against your estimate as well as your committed costs to subcontractors and suppliers.

Variance reports are a great tool to track your job progress.  Knowing the profitability of a project or where you are running tight makes a world of difference in your bottom line.  It's the difference between making money and enjoying the art of construction and just breaking even or losing money.

I have created many spreadsheets for all types of contractors to track job costs, labor hours (burdened and unburdened), job schedule progress, payment applications, break even calculations, and am currently working on a dashboard report in Excel to help contractors track all their projects.

You need to know where your projects are at all times -- what would help you, what do you look at to get your job cost variance reports?  

Charlene S. Reed, Owner/Author

"Construction Administration Handbook"

www.MyConstructionOffice.com