What Is Job Costing? A Contractor's Plain-English Guide
Job costing, explained by a contractor: what it is, why your P&L can look fine while jobs lose money, and how to know your real margin on every job.
Chris Sibley ·
The Job Cost Pro blog
Job costing, margins, and the paperwork side of contracting — written plainly, by a contractor.
Job Costing Software for Contractors: What Actually Matters
Most job costing software is built for the office. A contractor breaks down the five things that matter in the field — and what you can skip.
Chris Sibley ·
Construction Job Costing: How to Do It Right
A working contractor’s method for construction job costing: cost codes that fit on one hand, loaded labor rates, and capturing costs the day they happen.
Chris Sibley ·
Contractor Expense Tracking That Doesn't Eat Your Evenings
A contractor’s system for tracking expenses without Sunday-night data entry: capture at the point of spend, auto-file to the job, and let the totals build themselves.
Chris Sibley ·
Free Construction Job Costing Spreadsheet Template (Excel)
A free, working construction job costing spreadsheet: budget vs actual by category, a cost log with live SUMIF totals, and auto margin. No email required.
Chris Sibley ·
Job Costing in QuickBooks: How Far It Gets You
QuickBooks can do job costing — to a point. A contractor explains what projects and classes handle well, where field capture breaks down, and how to bridge it.
Chris Sibley ·
What's a Good Profit Margin for a Construction Company?
Real numbers on construction profit margins: NAHB’s 2024 remodeler data (29.9% gross, 6.3% net), why gross and net get confused, and how to know your own.
Chris Sibley ·
Job Costing Example: A Real $42,000 Bathroom Remodel
A worked job costing example with real numbers: how a $42,000 bathroom remodel bid at 30% margin came back from the accountant at 12% — and the math behind it.
Chris Sibley ·
HVAC Job Costing: Why Per-Job Numbers Beat a Monthly P&L
HVAC job costing explained: why install vs. service margins hide inside a monthly P&L, and how per-job tracking shows which work actually pays.
Chris Sibley ·
Job Cost Tracking Apps vs. Spreadsheets: When to Switch
Spreadsheets do real job costing — until capture falls behind. A contractor’s honest line for when to switch to a job cost tracking app, and what to pick.
Chris Sibley ·
How I Job-Cost My Own Remodeling Jobs (Case Study)
The builder of Job Cost Pro runs a Fort Worth remodeling company. Here’s the exact per-job workflow he uses on his own bathrooms and kitchens, dogfooded daily.
Chris Sibley ·