Expense management for construction companies
Your site engineers spend cash every day on cement top-ups, hired labour transport and diesel for the generator. Give them an advance, let them snap each receipt on site, and see every amount against the right project.
Free for 3 users, for as long as you like. Works on any device.
| Binding wire and nailsHardware store - receipt | 1 | $3,460 |
| Diesel for generatorFuel | 40 L | $3,880 |
| Tempo hire - shutteringRepairs & maintenance | 1 trip | $2,200 |
| Mileage site to depotTwo-wheeler rate | 46 km | $460 |
Site spending you can actually see
On a building site, money leaves a few notes at a time, all day. By month end nobody remembers which slip was for which job.
Cash handed out with no trail
The supervisor gets cash on Monday for "site needs", and on Saturday the only record is a crumpled slip and a memory.
Pay a cash advance through Expense. It sits on the person's account in your books until their report takes it off, or they give the rest back.
Receipts lost in the dust
Bills ride around in shirt pockets and dashboards and arrive at the office faded, torn or not at all.
Snap the receipt on the phone the moment it is paid. It is kept with the expense, and you can ask for one on every claim above an amount.
No idea what a project really cost
Labour, materials and fuel for three sites land in one "site expenses" pile in the books.
Tie each expense to a project. Approved project expenses count in its costs in Ellibo Projects, and Analytics shows spend by project.
Big buys made without asking
Someone buys a new drill machine because the old one jammed, and the office finds out from the bill.
Purchase requests are approved before the money is spent. An expense that goes over the approved amount is flagged for the approver.
A week of site spending, start to finish
- Advance on Monday
Finance pays the site engineer's advance from the cash or bank account and it is booked at once.
- Receipts all week
Each purchase is snapped on site, with the category, the project and the VAT or sales tax rate on the bill.
- Project manager approves
The report goes to the project manager, who sees each receipt and any policy flags.
- Advance settled
The advance is taken off the report and only the difference is paid back - or given back.
Built around how sites spend money
Mileage between sites
Rates per vehicle, odometer readings with a photo, and return trips doubled for you.
Split one bill
Itemise a hardware store bill into materials, tools and repairs, each with its own category.
Purchase requests
Ask before you buy, then tie the expenses to the approved request and see what is left.
Your own fields
Add fields like Site, Block or Vehicle number and make them required on every claim.
Budgets by project
Set a monthly site budget with an alert at 80%, shown to the approver before they approve.
Straight into the books
The last approval writes the journal: expense accounts, claimable VAT or sales tax and what you owe the person.
Ready before Monday's site visit
- Invite your site engineers as submitters and project managers as approvers.
- Add a "Site" custom field and categories for materials, fuel and labour transport.
- Set mileage rates for two-wheelers and cars.
- Pay each site engineer's opening advance through Expense.
- Set a receipt rule for every expense above an amount you choose.
Add more Ellibo apps when you need them
One account, the same customers, items and team in every app.
ProjectsApproved site expenses show in each project's costs. AccountingEvery approval and payout is already in your books. InventoryKeep the stock of materials you buy in bulk. DocumentsScan supplier bills on site and turn them into bills in one click.Expense for construction companies: FAQ
Can site staff claim expenses from their phone?
Yes. They snap the receipt with the phone camera, choose the category and the project, and save. Every screen works on phones, and Expense can be installed from the browser.
How do we handle cash given to supervisors?
Pay it as a cash advance (Standard plan and up). When the supervisor sends their report, take the advance off it, so only the difference is paid back. Money they give back is recorded too.
Can we see expenses by project or site?
Yes. Tie expenses to a project, and Analytics shows spend by project. Add a custom field like Site or Block if you need more detail.
Can the project manager approve instead of the office?
Yes. Choose each person's approver. With approval rules on Professional, a step can be the owner of the project the report is for.
Is VAT or sales tax on material bills worked out?
Yes. Enter the rate on the bill, and the tax inside the amount is worked out and booked as input credit unless you turn that off.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Expenses, receipts, reports, approvals and reimbursements are free for 3 users. Advances and mileage come with Standard, and you can try everything for 14 days.
Expense for other businesses
More Ellibo apps for construction & property
Know where the site money went, every week
Free for 3 users, for as long as you like. Add more apps whenever you are ready.