Replies

1. 
   user-267213 | Nov 29, 2009 07:19am | #1

   Hi Angus, don't take offence, but it's hard to read a big chunk of text without paragraph breaks, especially for a dyslexic guy like me. :-)

   I broke it up for you.

   Best of luck!

   Hi guys.

   Our business has gotten to the point where I have to let go of some of my responsibilities. I have passed the book keeping on to the book keepers at our accountants office.

   One of the things I have to do in order to make this work is come up with complete budget so that our accountant can build our new books with codes for expenses that match our budget. I have a budget in exell that I currently use. However we want to have line items for everything that we can come up with even if we haven't used them yet.

   I am wondering if any one has a copy of their budget they could share with me so It can help me with any items that we currently don't break out or haven't come up against in the homes and projects we have done.

   Our company does carpentry and project management on new homes from small (one last year was 1500 sqft total with a $160000 price tag ) to large ( just started a home 5600 sqft with close to a million cost). We also do small additions and renos as well as large whole house renos.

   I would be happy to share mine if people are interested and I would really appreciate the opportunity to see some of your budgets so I can get a really good one going forward.

   Thank you. Angus

   I have CDO.

   It's like OCD, only the letters are in alphabetical order like they're supposed to be.

   http://www.truenorthcarpentry.net

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/28/2009 11:20 pm by True North

1. 
   angusj | Nov 29, 2009 09:08am | #3

   Thank you for that.  Angus

    

2. 
   davidmeiland | Nov 29, 2009 08:52am | #2

   Seems like you should be using industry standard cost codes for your accounting. This is a wheel that has already been invented.

1. 
   angusj | Nov 29, 2009 09:19am | #4

   Is there a list of these codes somewhere?  I could work it backwards. 

   I would imagine that everyone breaks down their jobs differently and that they all have 5000 numbers (expense account) that would be similar. 

   It isn't actually the numbers that I am looking for but the items and the breakdown of those items. 

   I am taking this opportunity to add details to my existing costing and budgeting worksheet.

   Thanks Angus

1. 
   Scrapr | Nov 29, 2009 05:20pm | #5

   There is a building cost survey from the NAHB. It is pretty much the standard.

   Here are two snapshots from a blog I found. This is from 2007. See the reference at the bottom if you want to get the full survey.

    

   Lot & development costs:

   http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QOEZ0xLtg2g/SKRtGZ60t1I/AAAAAAAAAJM/v93ATve-MiU/s1600-h/nahb-const-costs1.gif

   Building costs:

   http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QOEZ0xLtg2g/SKRs5_pDGfI/AAAAAAAAAJE/gkagjiRyORA/s1600-h/nahb-const-costs2.gif

    

   Shouldn't your accountant be setting up the cost codes?

1. 
   angusj | Nov 30, 2009 02:27am | #7

   Scrapr :

   That does cover some of the main headings and yes my accountant is taking care of the codes not me.

   thanks

    

1. 
   MikeSmith | Nov 30, 2009 02:58am | #10

   angusj.... i use an old version of BuildWorks....

   http://www.synapsesoftware.com/

   it interacts with and runs on top of Quickbooks Pro and Excel

   buildworks saved my sanity and simplified my contracting business...we do about $600K /year.... mostly as GC remodlers with an occasional new houseMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   angusj | Nov 30, 2009 06:23am | #11

   Thanks Mike,

   Do you use QB and use this as well or do you use this software exclusively?  Do you use this for your budgets or do you use Exell with this program?

   So you have an idea how big we are... we started as a partnership in 04 and have grown every year.  Last year we did 1.4. and I think we will be slightly larger again this year but I think that is were we will stop. 

   I have been using QB pro up to now.  I need to be out at the job site more to keep things flowing and keep the quality up.  It would be great if I could dig out my pouch again as well (I'm not holding my breath for that).

   Thanks again

   Angus

3. 
   john7g | Nov 29, 2009 05:29pm | #6

   you might try a CSI format. http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/sec.asp?TRACKID=&CID=5&DID=5 look for the http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/docs/9400/9361.pdf

   there's probably a lot more detail there than you really need but it is a standard and reading through the list while you're looking at things that don't apply to your operations will prompt you see things that you might've overlooked.  Don't let your listing get too large to be of use but it seems like you have a clear picture already in your head of how you operate. 

1. 
   angusj | Nov 30, 2009 02:28am | #8

   That is great for headings especialy ones I might use in the future.  It will take abit to get through it. 

   Thanks

4. 
   angusj | Nov 30, 2009 02:35am | #9

   Here is what I am working on at the moment.  I am reworking it now so some of the headings and sub headings are in the process of being moved. 

   I thought if I posted it it might make more sense to people.

   The headings I am getting codes to are the first column.  I am working on all columns.

   Thanks Angus

   Any suggestions are helpful .

5. 
   MikeSmith | Nov 30, 2009 02:34pm | #12

   we use QB Pro for our bookkeeping... we use the Buildworks for estimating and contracting...

   95% of our estimates and Proposals come from the MiniEst in Buildworks

   Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore