Material Contingency vs Escalation Clause: Which One
Material contingency vs escalation clause: one is money you carry and can lose, the other is a contract right to be paid. Here is which belongs on which job.
By Emily9 min read
The invoice desk, page 5
Live Material Pricing Estimating Software vs Your Invoices
Live material pricing estimating software prices your bid off a catalog feed your distributor runs. Your own invoices show what you actually pay. Use both.
By Emily10 min read
Takeoff to Purchase Order: The Material Price Gap
The takeoff to purchase order material price gap is where estimate accuracy is lost. Five leaks, the release checklist that closes them, and a running tally.
By Emily10 min read
How Long Should a Construction Bid Be Valid?
How long should a construction bid be valid when copper is moving? No rule sets it, your bid letter does. How to pick the window and what each week costs.
By Emily10 min read
Estimating Material Costs Under Price Volatility
Estimating material costs during price volatility is a system, not a bigger contingency. Date-stamped quotes, your own purchase history, and a closed loop.
By Emily11 min read
Gross Margin by Job vs by Trade in Construction
Company margin looks fine while two jobs bleed out. Here is why gross margin by job in construction exposes material leakage that trade-level averages hide.
By Emily11 min read
WIP Report Material Costs: What Your Banker Sees
Material cost overruns land in your WIP report before they land in your P&L. Here is how a banker and bonding agent read a contractor WIP, line by line.
By Emily10 min read
Truck Stock and Job Costing: Why Some Jobs Look Bad
Truck stock wrecks job costing for contractors because unallocated material lands on whichever job was open. Here is how to find it and how to fix it.
By Emily8 min read
How to Code Material Invoices to Job Cost Codes
Code material invoices to job cost codes without slowing the field down: capture the job at the counter. Here is the workflow that survives a busy week.
By Emily9 min read
Committed Cost vs Actual Cost in Construction Job Costing
Committed cost in construction job costing is money you have promised but have not yet been invoiced for. Here is how to see it before the invoice lands.
By Emily10 min read
Why Your Job Went Over Budget on Materials
Your job went over budget on materials and the estimate may not be why. Here is how to tell a bad takeoff from a market move from an invoice that drifted.
By Emily11 min read
Job Costing Material When Purchases Are Counter Runs
Job costing material counter purchases is the part textbooks skip. Here is a ticket-to-job system that works when half your material leaves on a will-call.
By Emily9 min read