Summary
This tutorial covers how to generate a budget report in BuilderPal to monitor project financial performance, compare budgeted amounts to actual costs, track variances using CSI-style cost codes, and leverage AI for quick summaries.
Prerequisites
Relevant role such as Admin (GC), Team Finance Manager, Team Business Manager, or Team Project Manager
A project with an established budget and entered cost/invoice data
Access to BuilderPal (desktop recommended for office-side financial tasks)
Steps
Open your project in BuilderPal — Log in to the BuilderPal app or web version and select the project you want to analyze.
From the left sidebar in your project, click Site Office, then select Budget. –– On the Budget page, click Excel Export, CSV Export, or PDF Export to generate and download the budget report in your chosen format.
Confirmation
You’ll know it worked when the budget report loads, displaying budgeted amounts, actual expenditures, variances, job costing details, and an AI-generated summary for your project finances.
FAQ
Q: Who can generate budget reports in BuilderPal? A: Users with Admin (GC), Team Finance Manager, or Team Business Manager roles have access; Team Project Managers may also generate them depending on project permissions.
Q: Is budget reporting available in the Free plan? A: Yes, Budget & Estimate Tools (including basic reporting) are included in BuilderPal Free alongside job costing and time tracking.
Q: Can I export the budget report for my bookkeeper or client? A: Yes, export the generated report directly to PDF or Excel for clear payroll and cost tracking.
Q: What if the budget report shows no data or errors? A: Verify that a budget has been set up with cost codes, time sheets/invoices have been entered, and costs have been marked as paid where applicable.
Q: How does the AI help with budget reports? A: BuilderPal AI summarizes budgets quickly and pulls in cost codes to highlight variances without manual spreadsheet work.