Construction Job Costing Software
See committed versus actual cost on every job while it's running, broken down by cost code and phase, instead of finding out the margin after it closes.
A job that loses money usually announces it weeks before the final numbers land — in a committed cost that already exceeds the budget line, or labor hours piling into a phase that was quoted light. That signal is only useful if someone can see it while the job is still open.
SiteAnchor tracks what's been committed (issued purchase orders, subcontractor agreements, rentals) separately from what's actually been spent, against the budget the estimate created. The gap between the three is the number that tells you where a job is heading.
What it does
Committed vs. actual, side by side
- Every budget line shows what was estimated, what's been committed through purchase orders and subcontracts, and what's actually been paid. Overruns surface as they're committed, not when the bill arrives.
Cost codes across the company
- Define your own cost code structure once and apply it to budget lines, purchase orders, labor, and equipment, so costs roll up consistently across every job.
Labor cost by phase
- Crew members pick a timeline phase at clock-in, so hours land against the part of the job they were worked on rather than a single undifferentiated labor bucket.
Subcontractor rates per project
- A subcontractor can carry several named rates, chosen per project and per payment, instead of one company-wide number that never matches the actual agreement.
Equipment and rental cost
- Owned equipment and rented gear both carry cost against the job, with rental double-booking flagged before two crews plan on the same machine.
Budget overage warnings at the point of commitment
- Issuing a purchase order that would push a budget line over warns you at the moment you'd commit the money, which is the only moment the decision is still cheap.
How it works
- 01
The estimate seeds the budget
A signed estimate creates the job budget, so the baseline is the number you actually quoted.
- 02
Commitments book against it
Purchase orders, subcontracts, and rentals reduce the remaining budget as they're issued.
- 03
Actuals land as they happen
Crew hours, received materials, and paid bills post to their cost codes.
- 04
Compare while it matters
Watch estimated, committed, and actual diverge in time to act on it.
Works with the rest of the platform
Job Costing isn't a standalone module — it shares the same job record as everything else in SiteAnchor.
Estimating
Build a priced estimate from your own material catalog, reuse the assemblies you quote most, and send it out for a signature without leaving the job.
Purchase Orders
Generate purchase orders from the signed estimate, receive against them, and keep stock levels honest without a separate inventory system.
Crew Time Tracking
Crew clock in and out against a specific job and phase from their phones, with off-site clock-ins flagged for review and hours that flow into job costing and invoices.
QuickBooks Sync
Customers, vendors, invoices, payments, bills, and job costing sync to QuickBooks Online automatically — no double entry, no month-end reconciliation ritual.
For General Contractors
Coordinate subs, schedules, budgets, and clients across every job you have running — without a different app for each one.
For Home Builders
Run long build cycles with draw schedules, selections, and a client portal that keeps buyers informed without keeping you on the phone.
For Concrete Contractors
Schedule pours around weather and inspection windows, cost yardage and labor by phase, and document conditions on the day.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between committed and actual cost?
- Committed is money you've promised — an issued purchase order or a signed subcontract — but haven't necessarily paid. Actual is what's been spent. Tracking both means an overrun shows up when you commit it, weeks before the invoice arrives.
Can I use my own cost codes?
- Yes. Cost codes are defined per company and applied across budget lines, purchase orders, labor, and equipment.
Can I see labor cost broken out by phase?
- Yes, when crew select a phase at clock-in. Hours then roll up by phase rather than into one company-wide labor total.
What is job costing in construction?
- Tracking what a specific job costs against what it was estimated to cost, broken down finely enough to act on — by cost code, by phase, and split between labor, material, equipment, and subcontractors. Done during the job it's a steering wheel; done afterward it's a post-mortem.
What should construction job costing software do?
- Seed the budget from the estimate rather than a blank sheet, track committed cost separately from actual, roll costs up by your own cost codes, cost labor to the phase it was worked on, and warn you at the moment you'd commit money you don't have left.
Does job costing show up in QuickBooks?
- Yes, through project-level class linkage — costs sync with their class so job costing appears in QuickBooks reporting rather than only inside SiteAnchor.
Can I export the numbers?
- Yes. Company reporting covers jobs, costs, time, and revenue with CSV and PDF export, and you can export your company's data yourself without asking us for it.