Obra for Window and door contractors

Window and door job costing, from the factory order to the last bead of caulk

Track each window and door job as its own project: units, doors, flashing, trim, haul-away and labor. Turn rotted openings into change orders instead of losses.

A window and door job is a factory order and a few days of careful demolition. The units are most of the cost, they're ordered weeks ahead and paid before you touch the house. The margin is decided by what's behind the old frames and by what the client changes after the quote.

Obra keeps each job as its own project, with the factory invoice on the job the day it lands, the units as an allowance, and the rotted openings recorded as change orders, so you know what the house made you before the last bead of caulk.

The factory order counts when it lands

Log the manufacturer's invoice when it arrives, not when the job closes. It shows in the job's recorded cost right away. Then review what's still left to spend, and Obra keeps the expected final cost current as the rest of the receipts come in. The committed costs guide explains why this matters when most of the cost is spent before the crew shows up.

Units as an allowance

The window allowance is the number most likely to move. Budget it on its own line, log the factory invoice against it, and turn any upgrade into a change order once the client has agreed. The allowance overage guide shows the wording that keeps the client on your side.

The opening, the frames, the door

The three change orders below show up on most replacement jobs. Price each one the day it comes up, get the client's okay, then record it so the contract value moves with the work. The change order guide keeps the wording short.

The margin on each house

When the last invoice is paid, the job's page shows the contract, total cost and margin. Compare your insert jobs against your full-frame jobs and your door-only jobs. The cost code guide shows how to set up the codes so the comparison works.

What Obra isn't for a window contractor

Not a measure app, not a quoting tool, not a CRM. Obra is the money on each job, in English and Spanish, from receipts your crew already sends, exported clean to the accountant.

Sample budget

14 replacement windows and two entry doors, full-frame, Oak Hollow

Line item Budget
Windows, 14 units (allowance) $12,600
Entry doors, two, with hardware $3,400
Flashing, foam, caulk, trim $900
Interior casing and paint touch-up $600
Haul-away $250
Permit and inspection $300
Crew labor, removal, install and finish $5,800
Direct cost budget $23,850
Contract value $31,500
Gross margin budgeted $7,650

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 Windows
  • 02 Exterior doors
  • 03 Interior doors
  • 04 Flashing, foam and sealants
  • 05 Exterior trim and siding repairs
  • 06 Interior casing and finish
  • 07 Permits and inspections
  • 08 Crew labor, removal
  • 09 Crew labor, install and finish
  • 10 Haul-away and disposal
  • 11 Vehicle and fuel

The change orders that eat the margin

The rough opening that's rotted out
The old window comes out and the sill and jack studs are soft. Rebuilding the opening is carpentry the window bid never had. Take the photos, get the okay, then record it before the new unit goes in.
Full-frame instead of insert on three windows
The quote assumed insert replacements. Three frames are too far gone and need full-frame units with new exterior trim. The difference in material and labor is a change order, agreed before the reorder.
The door the client upgraded after the quote
The quote had a fiberglass slab. The client sees the full-lite with decorative glass and a multipoint lock and wants it. The difference is a change order, confirmed before the order goes to the factory.

Questions people ask

Windows are ordered six weeks out and paid up front. Where does that show?
Log the factory invoice when it arrives. It shows in the job's recorded cost right away. Then review what's still left to spend, and the job's expected final cost follows, before install day.
Can I track the windows as an allowance?
Yes. Put the allowance on its own line, log the factory invoice against it, and record any upgrade as a change order once the client has agreed. The job's page shows where the allowance stands.
Does Obra do measure appointments or window quotes?
No. Keep your measure sheet and your quoting tool. When the contract is signed, enter it as the job's budget. Obra takes over from there: invoices, change orders and the margin per job.
Can my installer send receipts from the truck?
Yes. A photo by WhatsApp, email or the app, in English or Spanish. They never see the job's finances. 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.

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