Stop Guessing, Start Knowing: Master Your Job Budgets

The Problem: When “Fixed-Price” Feels Like a Financial Gamble

You quoted a job based on a solid estimate, but halfway through, you get that sinking feeling. Unforeseen site conditions, extra client requests, and small delays are adding up. The crew is working hard, but are you making money? Without real-time data, you’re flying blind. By the time you run the numbers at the end of the month, the profit you counted on has vanished, eaten away by untracked hours and unexpected costs.

This isn’t just about one bad job. Inaccurate bidding and poor budget tracking can silently drain your firm’s profitability, making it impossible to grow with confidence.

The Solution: Real-Time Budget Tracking for Land Surveyors

Job Book’s Budgeting & Estimates feature turns your financial data into a powerful project management tool. Create detailed budgets based on your firm’s actual rates, and then watch your progress in real-time as your team logs their hours and expenses.

Stop waiting for month-end reports to see if you were profitable. Get ahead of problems and give your project managers the live data they need to keep jobs on track and on budget.

How This Helps Your Firm

• ✅ Create Accurate, Flexible Estimates: Define your own line items (like “2-Man Crew” or “CAD Tech”) and build budgets using multiple, client-specific rate sheets. Set a default rate for a customer, then override it for special projects.
• ✅ Track Profitability Instantly: The Active Job Dashboard gives you a live view of the “burn” (billable value of work done) versus the budgeted amount and the total contract value (PO amount).
• ✅ Pinpoint Overruns with Precision: The Job Charge-Out Rate Summary Report provides a line-by-line breakdown, comparing budgeted hours to actuals. A “Delta” column shows the exact variance, so you know if the survey crew went over by 2 hours or 20.
• ✅ Empower Your Project Managers: Give your PMs the data they need to manage jobs proactively, without giving them access to sensitive company-wide accounting software.
• ✅ Streamline T&M and Fixed-Price Billing: Easily see what’s been spent on Time & Materials jobs and ensure your fixed-price projects stay within their financial guardrails.

Why Job Book’s Budgeting is Different

Generic accounting software gives you a rearview mirror look at your finances. Job Book gives you a live dashboard for the road ahead.

• Integrated with Field Operations: Budgets are tied directly to Daily Work Records (DWRs). When your crew logs time, the budget updates instantly—even before the timesheet is approved. No manual data entry, no delays.
• Built for Surveying Workflows: Stop treating estimates as unpaid overhead. Log hours against a preliminary “E-Job” (Estimate-Job). When you win the bid, convert it to a live project with one click, preserving the time you’ve already invested.
• Connects to Your Accounting Software: Job Book isn’t another data silo. Export invoice and payroll data directly to QuickBooks (Online and Desktop) or Sage, eliminating double-entry and keeping your bookkeeper happy.
• Actionable Feedback Loop: Use the detailed charge-out rate reports to see why a job went over budget. Was it a bad estimate? A change order? An inefficient crew? Use that knowledge to make your next bid better.