What is job costing after project completion?
What does a post-calculation show?
The pre-calculation works with assumptions. The post-calculation verifies these assumptions based on the actual execution. To do this, planned hours, quantities, and costs are compared against the values actually reported. The result shows not only whether the overall project was profitable, but also where deviations occurred.
A post-calculation can be performed after a project is completed. For longer construction sites, an ongoing budget-to-actual comparison is useful so that critical developments do not only become visible at the end.
Which data is compared?
- calculated vs. reported labor hours
- planned vs. consumed material quantities
- purchasing, transport, and rental costs
- vehicle and machinery expenses
- calculated vs. actual external services
- quoted quantities and verified Scope
- Main contract, change orders, and documented time and material work
- Revenue, direct costs, and operationally defined performance metrics
Example of a variance
An installation task was estimated at 120 hours. 148 hours were reported. The difference of 28 hours does not in itself explain why the estimate was missed. Project documentation shows that twelve hours belong to an approved change order, eight hours were caused by waiting time, and eight hours are due to an initial estimate that was too low. Only this breakdown provides actionable insights.
Step by step
- Secure planned values from the original estimate.
- Assign actual data completely to the same item or project phase.
- Separate variances by quantity, price, and performance.
- Evaluate causes with project management and the execution team.
- Distinguish between one-off events and systematic errors.
- Incorporate findings into master data, time estimates, and future bids.
Typical causes of discrepancies
- incomplete or unclear scope of work
- underestimated time or material requirements
- changes in execution without proper change order management
- waiting times, retooling, or missing preliminary work
- price fluctuations in procurement or external services
- time sheets that cannot be assigned to a specific line item
From hindsight to better bids
The greatest value isn't just identifying that you spent "too many hours." Effective post-calculation improves concrete decision-making: adjusting time estimates, correcting material factors, preparing execution differently, or explicitly flagging certain risks in the future. This creates a learning cycle between the quote, project planning, time tracking, and new calculations.
Don't wait until the end to gather your data
When quotes, project data, and time sheets are stored in separate systems, post-calculation becomes a manual scavenger hunt. A unified database reduces transcription errors and enables real-time budget-to-actual comparisons during the project. Caturix connects quotes, projects, planning, and reports in a seamless workflow.
Frequently asked questions about post-calculation
When should post-calculation be performed?
For short jobs, upon completion; for longer projects, additionally at logical milestones. The sooner a systematic deviation becomes visible, the sooner the project manager can react.
Is accounting data required for this?
Reliable actual costs are important for a complete result. However, operational insights can already be gained from reported hours, quantities, purchases, and external services. A reconciled data basis is ideal.
Is post-calculation worth it for small businesses?
Especially there, individual miscalculated jobs have a significant impact. A simple, consistent evaluation of the most important services is often more useful than complicated controlling that isn't maintained in day-to-day operations.