Sample made from invented data
Sample: job cost exceptions for Alder Creek Builders (invented business and data)
Budget against actual for each job, and a short list of costs worth a second look, with the transactions behind each.
Everything in this sample is invented: the business, the people, the numbers and the contact details. It was produced by the same code a pilot uses, then checked by the quality checks listed at the end. In a pilot, a person reviews the output before it goes to you.
What went in (all invented)
- 6 jobs with budgets by cost code, 13 codes in the cost-code list, 48 cost transactions dated through 2026-10-09
- Flagged: a cost code over budget by more than 10% and more than $500.00; an active job whose % spent is more than 15 points ahead of % complete; same vendor and amount on one job within 3 days
The sample output
Summary
6 jobs (5 active, 1 closed): $118,885.05 spent of $161,200.00 budgeted (74%), from 48 cost transactions through 2026-10-09.
7 exceptions for review: 1 over budget, 1 spending ahead of progress, 1 possible duplicate bill, 1 cost on a closed job, 2 no budget for this code, 1 code not in your cost-code list. Each one lists the transactions or budget line behind it and who should look at it.
This is a read-only review of the exports you sent: nothing in your books was changed.
Jobs at a glance
| Job | % complete | Budget | Spent | % spent | Gap (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 80% | $46,800.00 | $41,333.65 | 88% | +8 |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 40% | $25,400.00 | $10,562.90 | 42% | +2 |
| J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 85% | $16,000.00 | $15,133.45 | 95% | +10 |
| J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 100% | $14,200.00 | $13,467.15 | 95% | -5 |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 25% | $38,000.00 | $18,727.90 | 49% | +24 |
| J-106 Patel window replacement | 80% | $20,800.00 | $19,660.00 | 95% | +15 |
% complete is the PM's estimate. Gap is % spent minus % complete, in points; an active job above +15 is listed as an exception.
Budget vs actual by cost code
| Job | Cost code | Budget | Actual | Remaining | % used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 02-200 Demolition | $3,500.00 | $3,350.00 | $150.00 | 96% |
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 06-200 Finish carpentry | $4,200.00 | $1,950.00 | $2,250.00 | 46% |
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 09-200 Drywall | $2,800.00 | $2,640.00 | $160.00 | 94% |
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 09-900 Painting | $2,100.00 | $0.00 | $2,100.00 | 0% |
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 12-300 Cabinets and countertops | $21,500.00 | $24,645.00 | -$3,145.00 | 115% |
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 15-400 Plumbing | $6,800.00 | $4,436.20 | $2,363.80 | 65% |
| J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 16-100 Electrical | $5,900.00 | $4,312.45 | $1,587.55 | 73% |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 06-100 Rough carpentry | $4,800.00 | $4,784.60 | $15.40 | 100% |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 06-200 Finish carpentry | $0.00 | $1,140.00 | -$1,140.00 | n/a |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 08-100 Doors and windows | $2,900.00 | $0.00 | $2,900.00 | 0% |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 09-200 Drywall | $6,200.00 | $0.00 | $6,200.00 | 0% |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 09-900 Painting | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $2,500.00 | 0% |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 15-400 Plumbing | $3,400.00 | $1,620.00 | $1,780.00 | 48% |
| J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 16-100 Electrical | $5,600.00 | $3,018.30 | $2,581.70 | 54% |
| J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 01-500 Dumpsters and cleanup | $700.00 | $850.00 | -$150.00 | 121% |
| J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 03-300 Concrete | $2,600.00 | $1,830.00 | $770.00 | 70% |
| J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 06-100 Rough carpentry | $8,900.00 | $9,272.65 | -$372.65 | 104% |
| J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 06-150 (not in cost-code list) | $0.00 | $865.00 | -$865.00 | n/a |
| J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 06-200 Finish carpentry | $3,800.00 | $2,315.80 | $1,484.20 | 61% |
| J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 02-200 Demolition | $1,500.00 | $1,420.00 | $80.00 | 95% |
| J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 09-300 Tile | $3,200.00 | $3,080.00 | $120.00 | 96% |
| J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 09-900 Painting | $800.00 | $760.00 | $40.00 | 95% |
| J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 12-300 Cabinets and countertops | $2,800.00 | $2,640.00 | $160.00 | 94% |
| J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 15-400 Plumbing | $5,900.00 | $5,567.15 | $332.85 | 94% |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 01-100 General conditions | $2,800.00 | $145.00 | $2,655.00 | 5% |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 01-500 Dumpsters and cleanup | $1,100.00 | $850.00 | $250.00 | 77% |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 03-300 Concrete | $13,600.00 | $12,760.00 | $840.00 | 94% |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 06-100 Rough carpentry | $11,800.00 | $4,292.90 | $7,507.10 | 36% |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 08-100 Doors and windows | $4,600.00 | $0.00 | $4,600.00 | 0% |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 15-400 Plumbing | $0.00 | $680.00 | -$680.00 | n/a |
| J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 16-100 Electrical | $4,100.00 | $0.00 | $4,100.00 | 0% |
| J-106 Patel window replacement | 06-200 Finish carpentry | $1,900.00 | $720.00 | $1,180.00 | 38% |
| J-106 Patel window replacement | 08-100 Doors and windows | $17,900.00 | $18,940.00 | -$1,040.00 | 106% |
| J-106 Patel window replacement | 09-900 Painting | $1,000.00 | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | 0% |
Only cost codes with a budget or with spend. Credits reduce actuals. n/a means the code has no budget on that job.
Exceptions for review
| Type | Job | Code | What we found | Transactions | Review by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over budget | J-101 Hale kitchen remodel | 12-300 | 12-300 Cabinets and countertops: $24,645.00 spent against a $21,500.00 budget, $3,145.00 (15%) over. Review whether a change order or a budget revision covers it, and whether each cost belongs on this job. | T-1007, T-1008, T-1009, T-1010, budget line 12-300 | Owner and PM |
| Spending ahead of progress | J-105 Grant Street garage addition | All codes | 49% of the budget is spent ($18,727.90 of $38,000.00), but the PM's estimate is 25% complete: a gap of 24 points. Review whether the percent complete is current, and whether the costs on this job all belong to it. | budget total | PM and owner |
| Possible duplicate bill | J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 03-300 | Two bills from Summit Ready-Mix for $4,860.00 each on this job, 2 days apart (2026-09-14 and 2026-09-16). Review whether they are two separate bills or the same one entered twice. | T-1038, T-1039 | Bookkeeper |
| Cost on a closed job | J-104 Nguyen bathroom (closed) | 15-400 | This job is marked closed as of 2026-08-29, but 2 transactions totalling $254.40, dated after that, are coded to it under 15-400 Plumbing. Review whether they are warranty work or a late bill for this job, or belong to another job. | T-1033, T-1034 | Bookkeeper |
| No budget for this code | J-102 Ortiz basement finish | 06-200 | 06-200 Finish carpentry is not in this job's budget, but 1 transaction for $1,140.00 is coded to it. Review whether it was coded to the right job and cost code, or whether the budget is missing this line. | T-1016 | Bookkeeper |
| No budget for this code | J-105 Grant Street garage addition | 15-400 | The budget for 15-400 Plumbing on this job is $0.00, but 1 transaction for $680.00 is coded to it. Review whether it was coded to the right job and cost code, or whether the budget is missing this line. | T-1041, budget line 15-400 | Bookkeeper |
| Code not in your cost-code list | J-103 Birch Street deck and porch | 06-150 | 06-150 is not in your cost-code list, but 1 transaction for $865.00 uses it. Review whether it is a typo for another code or a code missing from your list. | T-1026 | Bookkeeper |
Each row is a question for a person to review and decide. Nothing in your books has been changed.
Could not be placed
Every transaction in the export was placed on a job and cost code.
What this report is not
A read-only review of the budget and cost exports you sent, as of 2026-10-09. Nothing in your books is changed: no entry is created, edited or deleted, and no bill or payment is touched.
Every exception is a question for the owner, bookkeeper or PM to look into. Amber flags and explains; the decisions stay with you.
It is not accounting, tax or legal advice, and it does not say how anything should be recorded.
Quality checks run on this sample
14 of 14 QA checks passed. Direct cost of producing it: $0.00 (no paid service was used).
- Passed: Placed transactions add up to the actuals by cost code and by job, to the cent
- Passed: Every cost row is in the actuals or listed under Could not be placed
- Passed: Every exception names the transactions or budget line behind it
- Passed: Each possible duplicate pair meets the rule and is reported exactly once
- Passed: Over-budget and ahead-of-progress flags match the thresholds and the numbers shown
- Passed: Every percentage, gap and remaining amount follows from the numbers shown
- Passed: No exception wording recommends posting, recoding, paying or writing off
- Passed: No claims of guarantees, certification, compliance, affiliation or unmeasured results
- Passed: Nothing says a message was sent (Amber drafts; a person sends)
- Passed: Every section of messages is labelled as drafts
- Passed: No empty section without a note saying why
- Passed: Every stage of the demo completed
- Passed: No tax advice (read-only review: it flags and explains)
- Passed: Nothing says Amber posted an entry, moved money, paid, refunded or decided
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