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You shouldn't change the name or order of the main categories an aspect of BuildWorks that has drawn complaints.


These are used to produce budget-vs.-actual reports in the accounting system and to log job costs in the Jobs file. BuildWorks tracks 25 predefined job-cost categories. Project files, whether created inside of BuildWorks or not, can be linked to the worksheets of the Navigator and opened with a single mouse click. The BuildWorks Navigator is the launching point for the estimating templates and accounting files, and also provides a simple document management system. It's not rocket science, but BuildWorks imposes a level of computer organization that would take a lot of effort to build from scratch.įigure 2. An estimate is then started in one of the Excel-based estimators, which in turn establishes job budgets that later can be used for job-costing comparisons.

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Tools for creating pdf (portable document format) versions of any BuildWorks file, which can be e-mailed or faxed to anyone in your Outlook address book Ī printed accounting guide, written by CPA Jim Silverman, which explains exactly how to use the Quicken accounting file to run a small construction business.īuildWorks Basic follows the same working procedures as the Pro versions: A prospect or customer is entered in the Jobs file, which automatically sets up a folder structure inside My Documents to organize all the BuildWorks documents for that project.
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The BuildWorks Components file, which is really the estimating cost database for the estimating templates Ī two-part change-order template with a printable request form that can be completed by the client for each change, plus a pricing worksheet that can be used to deliver a selling price for the change Two estimating and job management templates: the Mini Estimate, which is geared toward remodelers (Figure 4), and the Basic Estimate, a versatile line-item estimator, both of which have a proposal form and "pro forma" budget sheets (the Basic Estimate also includes a form to log payments and graphical charts to monitor budget vs. The BuildWorks Jobs file, which stores and organizes project information and provides some "at a glance" analysis of your financial health (Figure 3) The basic version of the BuildWorks Navigator (Figure 2), which is used to organize and launch various project documents The new BuildWorks Basic is really a re-release of the original GC/Works accounting system, with some interesting modern twists, including the following:Ī fully configured Quicken company file, complete with a chart of accounts, memorized transactions, and customized reports (see Figure 1) It was a simple but effective system for small contractors. Most people forget that BuildWorks started life in 1993 as GC/Works it consisted of a Quicken (not QuickBooks) accounting file and a handful of management templates built in ClarisWorks, not Microsoft Office (Word and Excel were the new kids on the block back then). The Pro editions of BuildWorks take QuickBooks and Office integration just about as far as it can go, with dozens of business management tools: estimating, purchase orders, change orders, job costing, scheduling, document templates, PDA tools, online components, and more but with a price tag and complexity to match. Instead, it is a suite of tools, built with Microsoft Office and Intuit's accounting products, that work together to create a complete construction management system, and it has evolved over the years into several editions with varying capabilities. BuildWorks Basic is built around a Quicken Premier Home & Business accounting file that is fully configured for the small contractor, with customized reports, memorized transactions, and a complete chart of accounts.īuildWorks is not a single piece of software.

Add them together and you have a solid financial management system that will grow with you.įigure 1. And for all of you who are sick and tired of wasting time "estimating" jobs for tire-kickers, Synapse also has released its unique BuildWorks Quick Quote estimator as a stand-alone product ($229).
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For such a builder, Synapse Software ( has gone back to the future and released a new member of its BuildWorks product line that might be exactly what the doctor ordered: BuildWorks Basic ($395) uses Intuit's Quicken Premier Home & Business instead of QuickBooks Pro for accounting and includes several other critical management tools in a value-priced package. For a small contractor who just needs a way to replace the checkbook in his back pocket, even QuickBooks can be overwhelming. Let BuildWorks Basic and Quicken Show You the MoneyĬompared with Timberline or Great Plains, Intuit's QuickBooks Pro is a simple entry-level accounting system.
