Job Costing Overview From Start to Finish

Use Job Costing to track detailed cost information on large projects, such as pool construction or renovation. This detailed information gives you the ability to quickly determine job profitability, cost-cutting opportunities, and areas for improvement. This topic outlines the entire Job Costing process, everything from contacting lead to completing and closing the job.

Click here to review Job Costing field descriptions.

Step by Step:

Step 1: Record the customer's information in Evosus using the Add Lead or Customer button on the Customer tab of the main menu.

Step 2: (optional) Create a quote for the job requirements using the Quotes tab on the Customer screen.

Step 3: (optional)Site survey: Visit the potential construction site. The information gathered during this visit helps you create a more accurate final bid for the customer.

Step 4: Create a bid/proposal: The bidding process can be done in or outside of Evosus. Create the job if you are going to generate the bid using Evosus.

  1. Add a new job using the New Job screen. You can open this screen using the Jobs tab on the Customer screen, or the Administration tab on the main menu.
  2. Use the Job Budget tool in the Job to generate a bid amount.
  3. Use the bid amount created from the Job Budget tool to update the customer's quote.
  4. Print the quote using the Print button on the Quotes tab of the Customer screen.

Evosus does not print a formal bid or proposal for the customer. This must be done externally if you are not using Quotes in Evosus.

Step 5: The customer accepts the bid.

Step 6: If you did not use Evosus to create the Job Budget/Bid you'll now want to add the new job

Step 7: Add Job Phases: Phases are the steps that you take to complete the job - for example, excavation, plumbing, and electrical. Use the Phases tab on the Job screen to add phases to the job. All costs associated with the job will be associated with a Phase, so Phases should resemble not only the high-level steps to complete the job but also reflect how you want to run your costing reports. 

Step 8: Add Inventory to the Job: Add the materials that you expect to use on the job using the Materials tab on the Job screen.

 

Step 9: Finalize budget & bid figures: We recommend that you add the inventory that you expect to use on the job to the Materials tab of the Job screen (step 8 above). This allows you to quickly copy the cost of those materials into your budget.

Step 10: Enter subcontractors and your job team.

Step 11: Make job active: Change the status of the job to active using the Change Status tab on the Job screen.

Step 12: Schedule work orders: Once the job is active, you can create work orders using the Work Orders tab on the Job screen. Use work orders to schedule and assign employees to complete specific tasks related to a job. This is an easy and efficient way to manage all of the tasks performed on a job. Once work orders are scheduled, they appear on the Service and Delivery calendar.


Step 13: Record and track costs (timecards, AP invoices, checks): Once the job is active, you can record costs and allocate them to the job. These costs can include materials that you've used on the job, employee labor, and AP invoices for subcontractor expenses. You can see the costs that have been allocated to a job using the Cost Log tab on the Job screen.

Step 14: Adjust the Customer BidChange Orders are used to record adjustments made to the original bid amount and could include unforeseen excavation issues or product upgrades.


Step 15: Bill the Customer  You will send the customer bills (invoices) for the current balance due on the job. This amount could be based on the percent complete or a pre-determined amount based on date or phase accomplishments. The frequency and amount of job bills are up to you. Change orders are also available to track adjustments to the original bid amount through changes in the job, such as customer requests or unexpected environmental issues (buried rocks). Use the Billing tab on the Job screen to invoice the customer.


Step 16: Recognize Revenue: Revenue is not recognized when the job bill is created. You manually recognize revenue either as the job progresses (percent complete) or at the completion of the job (completed contract).
  • Percent Complete: You recognize revenue as the job progresses. This means that you create revenue, costs, and profit postings as the job progresses.
  • Completed Contract: You wait until the job is 100% complete before recognizing any revenue. This means you will see no revenue, cost or profit postings until the final revenue recognition has occurred.

Step 17: Close the Job:  Change the status of the job to 'Closed' using the Change Status tab on the Job screen.
  • All revenue must be recognized before you can close the job.
  • All Change Orders must have a status of Executed or Cancelled

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