How do I read the Job and Milestone Budget charts?
See where you're hitting and missing budget at the job and milestone level.
Purpose
The Job Budget chart shows budget vs actual at the job level. The Milestone Budget chart goes one level deeper. Both surface where labor is leaking.
When To Use This
Use this when:
- A job feels like it ran over and you want to confirm
- You're looking for patterns across job types
- You want a milestone-level view for granular jobs
Job Budget Chart
Shows budget vs actual per completed job. Each job is a data point. Sort by:
- Saved hours / saved labor (best to worst)
- Date completed
- Branch / division
The Job Budget Report (linked off the chart) is the same data in tabular form, exportable.
Milestone Budget Chart
Same idea, one level deeper. Shows budget vs actual per milestone.
Use when:
- Jobs span multiple milestones with different teams
- You want to spot which milestone in a job dragged
- You're managing complex multi-phase work
What to Look For
- Long tail of over-budget jobs — A few outliers can sink the program. Identify them.
- Patterns by service type — Some services consistently over-budget. May need to recalibrate budgets.
- Patterns by crew — Some crews consistently outperform. Surface them as examples.
Related Articles
- How do I read the Efficiency chart?
- How do I read the Hours Gained chart?
- How do I run a profit and loss view by job?