Obra for Handyman businesses

Job costing for handyman businesses with many small jobs

Track every punch list, repair and small project as its own job: parts, hardware store runs and labor. Know which jobs made money and which ones didn't.

A handyman business is dozens of small jobs a month, each with a hardware store run and a few hours of labor. No single job is big enough to worry about. Together they're the whole business, and it's hard to say which ones are worth taking. The receipts end up in the truck, the extras get done for free, and the month's profit is a guess.

Obra makes each job its own record, however small. The receipt goes on it from the store parking lot, the "while you're here" extras get a price, and at the end of the month you can see which jobs paid and which ones didn't.

Small jobs, still jobs

Create a job for each visit or each client, with the price and one or two budget lines. It takes a minute. When the job is done and the receipts are on it, the page shows what you charged, what it cost, and what you kept. The cost code guide has a short list built for mixed work like this.

Receipts from the parking lot

Take a photo of the receipt before you pull out of the hardware store and send it by WhatsApp. Obra reads it, drafts the expense, and you pick the job. The receipt tracking guide shows the habit that keeps the truck clean.

Price the extras

The extra items a client adds on site are where handyman margin disappears. Add each one as a change order from your phone, with a price, before you start it. Get the client's okay first, then record it, and the job's price moves. The markup and margin guide helps you set a rate that covers the trips.

Which jobs are worth it

After a month, compare jobs. Door and trim work versus plumbing fixes versus deck repairs. Which had the best margin? Which ones needed second trips? That's the information that tells you what to say yes to. If your helpers work in Spanish, the bilingual crew guide shows how they send receipts without seeing your numbers.

What Obra isn't for a handyman

Not scheduling, not quoting, not a customer app. Obra is the money on each job, in English and Spanish, from receipts you already photograph, exported clean to the accountant.

Sample budget

Ten-item punch list: doors, drywall, faucet, ceiling fan, deck boards, Maple Street

Line item Budget
Doors, hardware and trim $520
Drywall, mud and paint $140
Faucet and supply lines $210
Ceiling fan and box $160
Deck boards and screws $260
Fasteners and consumables $60
Labor, two techs, two days $1,280
Direct cost budget $2,630
Contract value $3,850
Gross margin budgeted $1,220

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 Lumber and framing
  • 02 Drywall and paint
  • 03 Plumbing fixtures and parts
  • 04 Electrical fixtures and parts
  • 05 Doors, windows and hardware
  • 06 Fasteners and consumables
  • 07 Permits (when needed)
  • 08 Labor
  • 09 Vehicle and fuel
  • 10 Subcontractors (licensed trades)

The change orders that eat the margin

The "while you're here" list
You're finishing the faucet and the client asks about the sticking door, the loose railing and the gutter. Each one is a change order with a price, added on the spot from your phone, not a free hour.
The rot behind the door frame
Replacing the exterior door reveals a rotted jamb and sill. Carpentry the punch list never included. Price it before you cut, get the okay, and move on.
The part that needed a second trip
The faucet cartridge is a special order. A second visit is a half day of labor. Recorded as it happens, it's a line on the job; forgotten, it's absorbed.

Questions people ask

I do fifteen jobs a week. Is that too many for Obra?
No. Set each one up in a minute, with a short budget or just the price. The job list shows what's open and what's done, and every hardware store receipt lands on the right one.
Do I need a full budget for a $400 job?
No. One or two lines is enough: parts and labor. The point is seeing what the job cost against what you charged, and over a month, which kinds of jobs are worth taking.
Is Obra a booking or scheduling app?
No. Keep your calendar and your quoting app. Obra is the money side: receipts on the right job, extras as change orders, and the margin on each one.
Can I send hardware store receipts from my phone?
Yes. Photograph the receipt and send it by WhatsApp, email or the app, in English or Spanish. Obra reads it and drafts the expense. You pick the job and confirm.
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.

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