Obra for Framing contractors

Framing job costing, from the lumber drop to the roof sheathing

Track each framing package as one job: lumber, beams, trusses, hardware, crane and labor by floor, wall and roof. Know the margin on every house you frame.

Framing is one big lumber drop and three weeks of labor. The package is most of the cost, it's priced on the day it ships, and the margin is decided by how many days your crew spends on floors, walls and roof, and by what changes after the lumber is on site.

Obra keeps each house as its own job, with the lumber against its line and the labor split by phase, so you know what the house made you before the sheathing inspection.

The package against the bid

Log the yard's invoice against the lumber line the day it arrives. If material goes back, edit the expense down to the net amount with the credit slip attached. If the price moved between bid and delivery, the job's page shows it right away. The committed costs guide explains why the package should count from the order, not from the final bill.

Floors, walls, roof

Split labor into three codes. After a few houses you'll know which phase your crew is fast on and which one costs you days. The cost code guide has a short list you can copy.

The revision, the price, the slab

The three change orders below show up on most framing jobs. Write each one as a change order the day it comes up, with your markup, and get the signature before you cut the new beam or re-lay out the walls. The change order guide keeps the wording short.

The margin on every house

When the final draw is paid, the job's page shows the contract, the total cost and the margin. Compare your custom homes with your production work and your additions. The markup and margin guide helps you set the number to aim for per square foot.

What Obra isn't for a framer

Not takeoff software, not scheduling, not payroll. Obra is the money on each house, in English and Spanish, from receipts your crew already sends, exported clean to the accountant.

Sample budget

Framing package, 2,400 sq ft two-story, Riverside

Line item Budget
Framing lumber and engineered beams $18,400
Trusses (allowance) $6,200
Sheathing and subfloor $4,600
Hardware, hangers, straps, nails $1,500
Crane for trusses $900
Crew labor, floors, walls and roof $9,800
Direct cost budget $41,400
Contract value $52,000
Gross margin budgeted $10,600

Illustrative figures in US dollars for a fictional project; use them to see the shape of the budget, not to price a job.

The cost codes this trade actually uses

  • 01 Framing lumber
  • 02 Engineered beams and LVL
  • 03 Trusses
  • 04 Sheathing and subfloor
  • 05 Hardware and fasteners
  • 06 Crane and equipment rentals
  • 07 Crew labor, floors
  • 08 Crew labor, walls
  • 09 Crew labor, roof
  • 10 Dump fees and cleanup
  • 11 Vehicle and fuel

The change orders that eat the margin

The beam the engineer changed after the lumber was ordered
The revised plans swap a dropped beam for a flush LVL with new hangers. The material is already on site. The new beam, the hardware and the rework are a change order, written the day the revision arrives.
Lumber price jump between bid and delivery
You bid in March and the package delivers in May at a different price. If your contract has a material price clause, the difference is a change order. If it doesn't, the job's page still shows the hit so the next bid carries it.
The foundation that wasn't square
The slab is an inch and a half out over forty feet. A day of shimming, cutting and re-laying out is labor the framing bid never had. Record it that day with photos, before the walls go up on it.

Questions people ask

The lumber comes as one big package. How do I track it?
Log the yard's invoice against the lumber line when it arrives. If material goes back, edit the expense down to the net amount with the credit slip attached. The job's page shows the package against what you bid, with any price change visible.
Can I split labor by floors, walls and roof?
Yes. Three labor codes, three lines. After a few houses you'll know where the days go and which phase your crew is slow on.
Does Obra do takeoffs or lumber lists?
No. Keep your takeoff tool or your yard's estimator. When the contract is signed, enter the bid as the job's budget. Obra tracks what the house actually cost from there.
Can my lead send receipts from the yard or the hardware store?
Yes. A photo by WhatsApp, email or the app, in English or Spanish. They never see the job's numbers. You confirm it to the right house in a few seconds.
Free download

Not ready for an app? Start with our free Excel template.

A ready-made spreadsheet to track costs and income per project — with categories and the totals already set up.

The download starts right away. We'll also follow up by email with more job-costing help — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.