Direct answer: Contractor job cost tracking should compare the approved budget with committed purchase costs, material issues, labour, other expenses and revenue. Each material issue needs an exact cost snapshot when it is posted. The job view can then show current cost, variance and gross profit without rewriting earlier records when stock prices change.
Keep actual and committed costs separate
Actual costs have already happened. Committed costs are approved purchases that have not been fully received or posted. Showing both prevents an apparently profitable job from hiding open supplier commitments.
- Approved budget
- Posted material and labour cost
- Open purchase commitments
- Revenue and current gross profit
Post one immutable material cost snapshot
When stock is issued to a job, record the quantity and unit cost once. A later supplier price change must not rewrite the cost already attached to the job. Corrections use a linked reversal or adjustment so the original record stays visible.
Review variance before the job closes
Compare budget, committed cost, actual cost and revenue at a regular checkpoint. Investigate the source transaction rather than editing the summary total, and export the detail when an accounting or owner review needs a separate copy.
Sources reviewed
These sources support the category wording or external method referenced above. SystemLineage’s workflow and limits are stated separately.
Review Job Material and Job Cost Tracking, then decide which records, limits and setup apply to your work.
See Job Material and Job Cost Tracking