Invoice software is good at getting paid. It is quiet about whether the hours and the supply house ticket matched the estimate. That hole is why shops repeat a losing bid.
Run it on every closed job
- Copy the estimate lines onto the actual sheet — same names.
- Enter actual materials and actual hours at a burdened rate.
- Read variance on each line, then the job total.
- Change the pricebook before you bid that job type again.
Keep the same lines
If the estimate said condenser, line set, labor, permit — the actual should say the same four lines. Mixing a lump actual against a detailed bid hides which line slipped.
Use the template, then the shop OS
The estimate vs actual template is a browser table you can print or CSV out. No account. For the hourly rate, use the labor burden calculator.
Do not wait for a platform
You do not need dispatch or a CRM to compare estimate and actual. You need the bid, the hours, the materials, and a scorecard. That is v1. More on job costing and kit vs platform.
This is a sketch. CostPerJob keeps estimate + costs on one job.