What Field PM does for electrical job costing
- •Field PM tracks actual job costs against budget by cost code in real time, so electrical contractors catch overruns before billing — not after job completion.
- •Field PM allocates labor, material, subcontractor, and equipment costs to each cost code and phase of work.
- •Field PM tracks labor burden so the job-cost number reflects the fully-loaded cost of every field hour, not just base wage.
- •Field PM reports budget vs actual in real time, by cost code, as the crews report hours and quantities.
- •Field PM ties change orders to cost codes so approved scope changes flow into the budget and the bill.
- •Field PM captures field time against cost codes directly from the daily report, so production data drives job costing with no re-keying.
- •Field PM produces AIA G702/G703 progress billing with a schedule of values and retainage from the same cost-coded data.
- •Field PM syncs two-way with the accounting system you already run — QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Xero, NetSuite, Acumatica — and a file bridge for Sage 100/300 and Foundation.
What to look for in electrical job costing software
The criteria that separate real field job costing from after-the-fact accounting reports — and how Field PM meets each:
| Capability | Field PM |
|---|---|
| Real-time job cost by cost code | Yes — live as crews report, not month-end |
| Labor / material / sub / equipment by phase | Yes — allocated to each cost code |
| Labor burden tracking | Yes — fully-loaded hourly cost |
| Budget vs actual reporting | Yes — real time, by cost code |
| Change orders tied to cost codes | Yes |
| Field time captured against cost codes | Yes — from the daily report, no re-keying |
| AIA G702/G703 billing + retainage | Yes |
| Accounting sync | QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, NetSuite, Acumatica + Foundation file bridge |
| Industrial / electrical extras | Weld mapping, NDE, QA/QC, energized-work safety |
How field job costing differs from accounting job costing
Accounting job costing tells you what a job cost after the bills post — accurate, but too late to change the outcome. Field job costing captures hours and installed quantities by cost code as the work happens, so budget vs actual is visible this week, by scope, while you can still act on it.
That is the Field PM positioning: it is the field layer that feeds your accounting system, not another general ledger to replace Foundation, Sage, or QuickBooks. The crew captures cost-coded time and quantities on site; the totals sync to the books you already keep. You do not fight a 30-year-old ERP — you give it better field data.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best job costing software for electrical contractors?+
The best fit tracks actual costs against budget by cost code in real time — not after the job closes — and captures the data in the field. Field PM is job costing software built for electrical and industrial contractors: it allocates labor, material, subcontractor, and equipment costs by cost code and phase, tracks labor burden, reports budget vs actual live, and syncs to QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, NetSuite, or Acumatica.
What should industrial electrical contractors look for in job costing software?+
Real-time job cost by cost code (not month-end), labor/material/sub/equipment allocation by phase, labor burden, budget-vs-actual reporting, change orders tied to cost codes, field time captured against cost codes, AIA/progress billing with retainage, and two-way accounting sync. Field PM does all eight, with weld mapping and QA/QC for industrial scopes.
How is field job costing different from accounting job costing?+
Accounting job costing tells you what a job cost after the bills are posted — accurate but late. Field job costing captures hours and installed quantities by cost code as the work happens, so you see budget vs actual this week and can correct a slipping scope. Field PM is the field layer: it captures the cost data on site and syncs the totals to your accounting system — it does not replace your GL.
Does Field PM replace our accounting system (Foundation, Sage, QuickBooks)?+
No. Field PM is the field layer that feeds your accounting system, not another general ledger to replace it. It captures cost-coded field time, quantities, and change orders, then syncs two-way with QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Xero, NetSuite, and Acumatica, plus a file bridge for Sage 100/300 and Foundation. Your office keeps its system of record.
Does it track labor burden?+
Yes. Field PM applies labor burden so each cost-coded hour reflects the fully-loaded cost — base wage plus taxes, insurance, and benefits — instead of bare wage. That keeps budget-vs-actual honest and your margin real.
Job costing built for the field, by an electrician
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