Finally Know If You’re Making Money
BuildFolio is the only contractor software that tracks what you actually make on every job. Stop guessing margins—see your real profit in real-time, not just what you quoted.
Quick Answer
BuildFolio’s Profit Intelligence tracks actual costs against estimates in real-time, so you know your true margin on every job—not just what you quoted, but what you actually made. It’s the difference between revenue tracking and profit tracking.
The margin blind spot problem
Most contractors know their revenue. They know what they quoted. They know what the customer paid. But ask them what they actually made on a job—their true profit margin after all costs—and most can’t answer.
Why this happens
Traditional contractor software tracks jobs, schedules, and invoices. But it doesn’t track what you spent on each job. Without that, you can’t know your real margin.
- Materials costs get lumped into general expenses
- Labor hours aren’t tracked against specific jobs
- Equipment rentals disappear into overhead
- Subcontractor invoices come weeks after the job closes
The result: you think you’re making 20% margins, but you’re actually making 8%. Or losing money entirely on certain job types.
The silent profit killer
A contractor doing $500K in revenue with 20% estimated margins expects $100K profit. But if actual margins are 15%? That’s $25,000 gone. And they never know it happened.
How Profit Intelligence works
BuildFolio’s Profit Intelligence creates a closed loop: you enter costs as they happen, and we calculate your real margin against your original estimate. Here’s the flow:
Create Estimate
Quote the job with your target margin
Log Costs
Enter materials, labor, equipment, subs
See Margin
Real-time margin calculation
Get Alerts
Know when margins slip
Real-time calculations
As you log costs, BuildFolio instantly recalculates your margin. You see:
- Estimated margin — what you expected when you quoted
- Current margin — what you’re actually on track for
- Variance — how far off you are (positive or negative)
- Projected final — where you’ll end up if current trends continue
Catch problems early
The goal isn’t to find out you lost money after the job’s done. It’s to see margin slipping while you can still do something about it—negotiate with subs, use different materials, or adjust scope.
What you can track
Profit Intelligence covers four cost categories—everything that affects your job margins:
Materials
Log material purchases against jobs. Attach receipts, track quantities, see running totals. Know if you’re over budget on materials before it’s too late.
Labor
Track hours by crew member. Compare actual hours against estimated. See labor cost per job, including burden rates if you configure them.
Equipment
Log equipment rentals and allocate owned equipment usage. Track costs that would otherwise disappear into overhead.
Subcontractors
Record sub invoices against jobs. See total sub costs vs estimates. Track which subs are reliable on pricing.
Mobile cost entry
Your crew can log costs from the field using the BuildFolio mobile app. Take a photo of a receipt, tag the job, and it’s recorded. No paperwork, no end-of-week data entry marathon.
Real-time margin alerts
Profit Intelligence doesn’t just track—it warns you when things go sideways:
- Margin threshold alerts: Get notified when a job’s margin drops below your target (e.g., “Kitchen remodel now at 12% margin, below your 18% target”)
- Cost overrun warnings: See when a category exceeds its estimate (“Materials 15% over budget on Job #1234”)
- Labor hour alerts: Know when labor hours exceed estimates before the job’s done
- Daily/weekly digests: Optional summary of all jobs with margin issues
Actionable intelligence
Alerts aren’t just notifications—they’re opportunities. When you see margin slipping, you can negotiate better material prices, reduce scope, or have a conversation with the customer before you’ve already lost money.
Comparison to alternatives
Most contractor software tracks revenue and jobs. Here’s how BuildFolio’s Profit Intelligence compares:
| Feature | BuildFolio | Jobber | ServiceTitan | Housecall Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time profit tracking | Yes | No | Limited | No |
| Job cost entry | Yes | Basic | Yes | Basic |
| Margin alerts | Yes | No | Premium only | No |
| Mobile cost entry | Yes | Limited | Yes | Limited |
| Estimate vs actual | Automatic | Manual | Yes | Manual |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $49/mo | $500+/mo | $79/mo |
Bottom line: Jobber tracks jobs. ServiceTitan charges enterprise pricing. BuildFolio tracks profit—at a price any contractor can afford.
Trade-specific examples
How contractors in different trades use Profit Intelligence:
Roofing
A roofing contractor tracks materials (shingles, underlayment, flashing), labor hours, and waste. They discover their 23% margin target drops to 15% on steep-pitch roofs because labor takes 30% longer. Now they adjust their steep-roof pricing.
HVAC
An HVAC contractor logs equipment costs, labor, and refrigerant. They find their maintenance contract jobs are actually more profitable than installs because callbacks are rare. They shift marketing focus accordingly.
Remodeling
A remodeler tracks materials, subs (plumber, electrician), and labor. They identify that kitchen remodels under $25K have 8% margins while bathrooms over $15K have 22% margins. They adjust their target market.
General Contracting
A GC tracks primarily sub costs and their own oversight labor. They discover one subcontractor consistently comes in under bid while another always runs over. The data guides future sub selection.
Frequently asked questions
How does BuildFolio calculate profit?
BuildFolio calculates profit by subtracting all logged costs (materials, labor, equipment, subcontractors) from the job’s invoice total. Margin is this profit divided by revenue, shown as a percentage. The calculation updates in real-time as you log costs.
Can I track costs by category?
Yes. Every cost is tagged to a category: Materials, Labor, Equipment, or Subcontractors. You can see totals and percentages for each category on any job, and compare against your estimates.
Does it integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. BuildFolio integrates with QuickBooks Online. You can sync job costs to expense accounts, import vendor invoices, and ensure your accounting matches your job tracking.
What if I forget to log a cost?
You can add costs at any time, even after a job is complete. BuildFolio recalculates margins when you add historical costs. We also show “incomplete” warnings on jobs that have invoices but minimal logged costs.
Can I see profit margins in real-time?
Yes. As you log costs, the job’s margin updates immediately. You can also view a portfolio dashboard showing margins across all active jobs.
How do I set margin targets?
You can set a default target margin for your company (e.g., 20%) and optionally set different targets by job type. Alerts trigger when actual margin drops below target.
Can my crew log costs from the field?
Yes. The BuildFolio mobile app lets crew members log material purchases, take receipt photos, and record hours against jobs. Data syncs in real-time.
Is Profit Intelligence included in BuildFolio Pro?
Yes. Profit Intelligence—including real-time margin tracking, cost alerts, and detailed analytics—is included in the $39/mo Pro plan. No add-ons or upgrades required.
How is this different from QuickBooks?
QuickBooks is accounting software—it tracks expenses and creates financial statements. BuildFolio is job management software that ties costs to specific jobs and calculates per-job profitability. They’re complementary, not competing.
What reports can I generate?
You can generate profit margin reports by job, job type, date range, customer, or crew member. Export to CSV or PDF for analysis or sharing with accountants.
Related Resources
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