Job costing for pool and spa builders

A pool is built in stages, and the expensive surprises happen early: rock in the dig, extra steel, a longer plumbing run. JobMargin shows each stage against its budget, so you know where you stand before the finishes are ordered.

What pool builders track in JobMargin

• Each stage on its own line. Excavation, materials, equipment and pumps, and plaster and tile each get a budget.
• Subs and your own crew. Track sub costs alongside your own crew’s hours, which post automatically when they clock out.
• Photos of every stage. Daily log photos of the dig, steel, and plumbing back you up on change orders and warranty calls.
• Draws with retainage. Invoice by stage, track what the homeowner has paid, and see what’s left to bill.

Set up for pool from the first day

When you pick Pool & Spa as your trade, JobMargin loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.

• Materials
• Labor
• Equipment & Pumps
• Plaster & Tile
• Excavation
• Permits
• Equipment Rental
• Fuel
• Subcontractor
• Other

Bid line items use the units pool actually bid in: square feet (SF), each (EA), and lump sum (LS).

Example: what a pool job looks like mid-way

A 16-by-36 gunite pool with an attached spa, tile line, and pebble finish. The dig, steel, plumbing, and shoot are done; the tile, coping, and finish are ahead.

The dig came in at 127% of budget, about $2,400 over, after the crew hit rock. Everything else is on track, and the finish, tile, and equipment haven’t been bought yet. Rock is the kind of thing that belongs in a change order, ideally with a photo in the daily log from the day it happened.

Guides and tools for pool and spa builders