Obra for Insulation contractors

Insulation job costing, by the set, the bag and the crew day

Track each insulation job as its own project: spray foam sets, batts, blown-in, rig fuel, testing and labor. Know your real cost per job before the next bid.

Insulation is a fast job with expensive material and an expensive rig. A set of foam, a pallet of batts, a day or two of crew, and the margin is decided by how many sets the house really took, how many trips it took to finish, and what the inspector asked for that the bid didn't have.

Obra keeps each job as its own project, with material by the set and the bag and labor by the day, so you know your real cost per job before you bid the next one.

Sets, bags and days

Set up the budget the way you buy: foam by the set, batts and blown-in by the bag, consumables, testing, labor. When the invoices come in, they go against the right line and the job's page shows the gap. The cost code guide has a short list you can copy.

Receipts from the supply house

Your sprayer picks up tips, fuel and a set on the way to the job. They photograph each receipt and send it by WhatsApp. Obra reads it, drafts the expense, and you confirm which job it belongs to. The receipt tracking guide shows the habit.

The inches, the sealing, the return trip

The three change orders below show up on most jobs. Price each one the day it comes up, get the builder's okay, then record it so the contract moves with the work. The change order guide keeps the wording short enough to send from the truck.

Which jobs paid

When the last check clears, the job's page shows the contract, total cost and margin. Compare your spray jobs against your batt-only jobs and your retrofits. The markup and margin guide helps you set the number to aim for.

What Obra isn't for an insulation contractor

Not scheduling, not a rig maintenance log, not payroll. Obra is the money on each job, in English and Spanish, from receipts your crew already sends, exported clean to the accountant.

Sample budget

Spray foam attic and batt walls, 2,600 sq ft new build, Maple Street

Line item Budget
Open-cell spray foam (sets) $4,300
Batts and blown-in $1,600
Vapor barrier, tape, baffles $350
Rig fuel, tips and consumables $400
Blower door test and inspection $300
Crew labor, spray and batts $3,900
Direct cost budget $10,850
Contract value $14,200
Gross margin budgeted $3,350

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 Spray foam sets
  • 02 Batts and blown-in
  • 03 Vapor barrier and air sealing
  • 04 Baffles, tape and consumables
  • 05 Rig fuel and maintenance
  • 06 Testing and inspections
  • 07 Crew labor, spray
  • 08 Crew labor, batts and blown-in
  • 09 Equipment rentals
  • 10 Vehicle and fuel

The change orders that eat the margin

The extra inches the inspector wants
The bid was for the R-value on the plans. The inspector reads the newer code and wants two more inches on the roof deck. That's another half set and another crew day, approved before the rig goes back on the truck.
The air sealing the bid assumed the framer did
Top plates, penetrations and rim joists were supposed to be sealed before you arrived. They weren't. A day of foam gun and caulk is a change order, priced and approved before the batts go in.
The return trip after the electrician
The walls were done and inspected. Then the electrician added three circuits and left the bays open. Refilling them is a second trip, recorded as its own change order the day you're called back.

Questions people ask

Foam is bought by the set and one set can span two jobs. How do I split it?
Log the set's invoice to the job that opened it. If a set clearly covers two jobs, record what each used as its own expense from the same invoice. Over a month you'll know your sets per thousand square feet.
Can I see my cost per square foot?
The job's page shows total cost against the contract. Divide by the square footage from your bid and you have your real cost per foot for the next one. Over ten jobs the pattern is obvious.
Is Obra for retrofit blow-in service calls?
No. Obra is for jobs with a contract and a budget: new construction packages, whole-house retrofits, commercial spray jobs. A route business needs a scheduling and invoicing tool.
Can my sprayer send receipts from the supply house?
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 job 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.