Reporting & WIP

What is gross profit fade?

Definition

A decline in a job's projected gross profit over its life, comparing the margin at bid or contract to the margin projected today.

Reading fade

Some fade is normal as estimates meet reality. Consistent fade across many jobs points to a systemic problem: estimating, productivity, or change order capture.

Profit gain, the opposite, is worth tracking too. Jobs that consistently gain can mean your estimates are too conservative and you're losing bids.

WIP schedule

A work-in-progress schedule lists every open job with its contract value, costs to date, estimated cost to complete, billings, and the resulting over- or underbilling.

Cost to complete

The estimated remaining cost to finish a job. Together with costs to date, it sets total estimated cost and drives percent complete.

Job costing

Tracking labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor, and overhead costs against each individual project and cost code, so you know what every job actually costs.

Guides that cover this

Reporting & WIPOct 14, 2026

What Is a WIP Report? A Contractor's Guide

The WIP report tells you which jobs are making money, which are fading, and how much of your cash is really yours. Here's how to read one and build it every month.

Job CostingSep 22, 2026

Job Costing for Contractors: How to Track Profit by Project

Company-level profit hides losing jobs. A practical setup for cost codes, labor burden, and committed costs so every project shows its real margin.

Done-for-you construction finance

Get your WIP, job costing, and close done every month.

BuildFlash runs your monthly finance on top of the software you already use, with a fractional CFO reviewing the numbers with you.

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