Catch cost problems while there is still time to act
Cost control is not just recording spend. It is seeing where the project is heading early enough to do something about it.
Construction spreadsheet alternative for cost control
Move cost control out of spreadsheets and into one live system
Keep budgets, committed costs, invoices, and profitability connected in one place, so the numbers stay reliable as the job moves.
Free 14-day full-featured trial. No credit card required.
Integrates with
Spot overruns as orders are raised
Not only after month-end
Review cost movement line by line
Across phases and categories
Get early warnings, not late surprises
Protect project profit before margin is lost
See the whole portfolio in one place
Every live job, not one file at a time
"What makes Planyard so effective is how it presents the critical data. It links cost codes directly to the budget and current costs, while providing a clear forecast for what's ahead. Being able to see the variances between the original budget and the actual spend-to-date at a glance is exactly what we need to stay in control."
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Who this is for
This is for contractors who have outgrown spreadsheet-based cost control but do not want a heavy, bloated system.
Main contractors and specialist subcontractors
Managing multiple live jobs
QS, commercial, and project teams
Responsible for budget control
Growing businesses that need more structure
Without enterprise complexity
Teams using accounting software
Missing a live project cost-control layer
"Many competitors are too bloated, offering thousands of features that just get in the way. While other systems try to do everything at once and end up doing nothing well, Planyard is laser-focused on job costing. It ensures that critical part of the business is completely under control, doing one thing exceptionally well instead of fifty things poorly."
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A better alternative to spreadsheet-based cost control
Planyard gives contractors one live place to manage project budgets, commitments, invoices, and cost visibility as the job moves. Instead of rebuilding the project position manually every month, teams work from one live cost view throughout the job.
Book a demoTrack committed costs before invoices arrive
See what you are on the hook for early
See budget variance against current spend in real time
Live position, not a month-end rebuild
Keep budgets, cost codes, orders, and invoices connected
One workflow for the whole cost picture
One live cost view for the whole team
PMs, QSs, and finance share the numbers
"Timewise, on a single project, I'd probably save 6 to 8 hours—essentially a full day every month. When it comes to processing monthly payments, it saves me a solid day, perhaps even a day and a half, just in sorting through the invoices. Saving a day and a half of my time means the system pays for itself time and time again."
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Why move from spreadsheets to construction cost control software
Construction teams usually start in spreadsheets because they are flexible and familiar, but as jobs grow it becomes harder to keep the numbers up to date and trust what you see. If you want the fundamentals first, read our guide on what construction cost control is. For the full product overview, see Planyard’s construction cost management software.
| Spreadsheets | Construction cost control software | |
|---|---|---|
| Updating costs | Manual updates after every invoice or change |
Live updates as orders and invoices are processed |
| Committed costs | Hard to see until invoices arrive |
Committed costs visible as soon as POs and subcontracts are raised |
| Version control | Multiple files and versions, easy to lose track |
One live project view shared across the whole team |
| Error risk | Formulas and links can break without anyone noticing |
Structured workflows reduce manual entry and mistakes |
| Time spent | Hours or days each month to rebuild the picture |
Minutes to review live dashboards and reports |
Works on top of the accounting tools you already use
Planyard is the live project cost-control layer on top of your accounting system. Approved invoices flow through to Xero, QuickBooks, and more.
Vale Southern migrated every live project into Planyard in a single week.
Replace spreadsheet-based cost control with one live view your team can trust
Move budgets, committed costs, and invoices into one connected workflow, so cost issues surface before they turn into margin surprises.
Frequently asked questions
We've got your questions covered. If you can't find the answer below, then feel free to contact us via the chat.
It is software that replaces spreadsheet-heavy cost tracking with a live workflow for budgets, committed costs, invoices, and project profitability.
As projects grow, spreadsheet cost control becomes slower, harder to trust, and heavily dependent on manual updates. That makes it easy for overruns and missed costs to show up too late.
Accounting software records transactions and supports bookkeeping. Planyard is used by project and commercial teams to manage live job budgets, commitments, and cost visibility during the project.
Yes. You can see commitments from purchase orders, subcontract orders, and variations before the invoices are approved, so you know your likely final position earlier.
Yes. Planyard is designed to be the live project cost control layer on top of your accounting system.
No. It is built for growing contractors and specialist trades that have outgrown spreadsheet cost control but do not want the complexity or price of heavy enterprise systems.