Business Central consultant for contractors in construction and the trades

Construction job costing that shows margin while the job runs

Each contract becomes a project in Business Central. Its tasks follow your cost codes, such as site work, framing, electrical or finishes. You load the estimate as the budget. Every material purchase, subcontractor invoice and hour of labor then posts against a task.

Project managers see budget, committed, actual and remaining cost on one page. So they can spot a task that runs over while there is still time to act. That is the main job of a Business Central consultant for contractors: to put those numbers in front of the right person.

Contractor purchasing in Business Central: materials and subcontractors

Purchase orders carry the project and task. So materials delivered straight to site cost to the right job the moment you receive them. Materials held in your yard move to a job through a journal. That keeps stock and job cost in step.

You can set up subcontractor agreements as blanket purchase orders. Each invoice then draws down against them. So you can see how much of a subcontract you have already been billed. Approval rules can also stop a commitment before it reaches the job. A Business Central consultant who has worked with contractors sets these approval limits with your project managers.

Crew time and service calls for contractors

Crew hours post against the job and task through time sheets or project journals. Labor cost follows each person's cost rate. For installers and maintenance teams, the Service Management module adds service orders and service items at the customer site. It also adds contracts for recurring visits.

Crews that work on a phone or tablet can use the Business Central mobile app. When scheduling and dispatch are central to your business, a field service app that connects to Business Central may suit you better. We help you choose, and we can test both with your crews.

Change orders contractors can track in Business Central

A change order joins the job as new or revised planning lines. It has its own budget and price. So the original contract and every approved change stay visible apart. Nothing gets lost between the site talk and the bill.

Reports then show the original contract value, the approved changes and the revised total. That is the figure that owners and project managers argue about most often. Having it on one page ends many of those arguments early. A Business Central consultant for contractors also sets who may approve a change and up to what value.

Progress billing and work in progress

You raise progress invoices from project planning lines, by percentage complete or by milestone. Work in progress calculations keep revenue and cost in the right period on long jobs. Your accountant chooses the WIP method. We set it up to match. Contractors on long jobs should have their Business Central consultant test the WIP setup on a closed job first.

Standard Business Central does not handle retainage or AIA-style pay applications. Contractors who need them add a construction app from Microsoft's marketplace. We help you pick one that fits your billing, and we connect it to your projects.

Construction questions for a Business Central consultant for contractors

What does a Business Central consultant for contractors do?

For a construction company, they set up projects, cost codes, purchasing, time capture, change orders and billing in Business Central. Each job then shows its true cost and margin. Next they load your data. They also train project managers and the office team. A good consultant works with your estimators and your accountant, so the setup matches how your company really bids, buys and bills.

Can Business Central do construction job costing?

Yes. Projects with tasks, budgets and committed cost are standard. Purchases, labor and subcontracts post against each task. So you can compare budget with actual cost at any time. Project managers see their own jobs on one page. We also build reports that show cost by cost code across jobs, so estimators learn from the jobs you have finished.

Does Business Central handle retainage?

Not as standard. Contractors who hold back or receive retainage often add a construction app that connects to Business Central. The same goes for those who bill with pay applications. We help you compare the apps against your contracts. Then we set up the one that fits and test a full billing cycle with you before go-live.

Does Business Central support field service?

Yes. The Service Management module covers service orders, service items and contracts. Companies with heavy dispatch needs sometimes add a scheduling app on top. We look at how many calls your crews take each day and how far they travel. Then we tell you whether the standard module is enough or whether you need more.

Can our crews use Business Central on site?

Yes. The Business Central mobile app runs on phones and tablets. Crews can complete time sheets and service orders from it. A weak signal on a job site is a real concern. So we plan how crews enter time when they have no connection, and we make sure that the office sees the hours at the end of each day.

More for construction contractors on Business Central

Construction contractors often share needs with services firms and rely heavily on reports. The pages below cover professional services, manufacturing, Power BI reporting and implementation. Pick the one closest to your biggest problem. Then talk to us. A Business Central consultant for contractors can show how your jobs, crews and billing would look in one system. For the product detail, see Microsoft's guide to project work in progress.