Budgets and change orders

The Money tab is where a project's numbers live. It is not shown to crew.

The budget

1. When a customer accepts the estimate, choose Make this the budget. Cedar builds one line for each item on the estimate, skipping the options the customer did not take.
2. Edit a line in place with Edit, or add one with + Line. An edit can be undone.
3. No estimate yet? Choose Start an empty budget and add the lines yourself, or Write an estimate first.

Cost codes

Cost codes are the categories every dollar is filed under, such as drywall, paint or framing. Cedar tries to match each new line to a cost code by its wording. When nothing matches, the line waits for you to choose one. Add your own with + Cost code on the cost codes page.

Change orders

When the customer asks for more work, or less, write a change order with + Change order on the project. Add the lines, and choose Save draft until it is ready. Send it to the customer, who signs it online from a link or in their portal. Once it is signed, it is added to the budget and to the contract, and it cannot be changed. If a change order is edited after it was sent, the old signature cannot be used. Only an owner or admin can void a change order.

Committed cost and what is left

Each cost code shows its budget, what you have committed to subs and suppliers, what has actually been spent, and what is left. The project header marks it On budget, Watch when less than 5 percent is left, or Over budget. A commitment is a subcontract or a purchase order filed against a cost code.