How to Make a Construction Budget?
A construction budget, or project budget, is the statement of the amount of money to be spent for a project such as buildings or houses over a period of time. It is used as an outline plan for how the money will be spent and shows a breakdown of the items needed to be spent on. The construction budget needs to be set early to determine what items the project can purchase. This is because before a project can take off, it's important for a company to know how much they need to spend on that project. This is the purpose of the construction budget. It is usually set by the client before the project's approval. If you have a project planned and you want to learn how to create your own budget plan, then we have a few tips for you below.
1. Careful Project Management
Construction projects tend to take time and go over the projected budget due to poor project management. So to avoid this and improve the project management, you need to consider the cost of construction, property, taxes, the cost of planning, insurance, and a contingency budget.
2. Understand the Project
Before making the budget, you need to fully understand the project you're about to work on. You'll need to write down the goals for the project. It would not take long, it could just be a shortlist of goals. Next, you need to know what your construction will require which will act as a guide to the project construction plan.
3. Research for the Project
For construction to unfold, you need to conduct some research beforehand. Do some research on the conditions of the site of construction, the cost of the resources you need, your options for the exterior and interior design, and the documents at hand to develop the specifics of your project. By doing your research, you will be able to set realistic expectations if the conditions or code requirements could change. It would also help if you look for similar projects from the past to base your current project on and prepare the construction checklist quickly.
4. Make a Contingency Plan
Be prepared for unforeseen issues that can spring up as the construction project unfolds. This is where your contingency plan should come handy. Before starting construction, you will need a contingency budget plan to try to smooth your issues. The contingency plan doesn't just cover the materials needed or the insurance but the changes in design. It would also be wise to put more room into the initial budget, otherwise, the extra expenses would have to come straight from your pocket.
5. Development and Documentation
After planning for your construction, you can enter the development phase. You will need to work with a project designed to create a requirement list that would include the materials and estimated project costs. To better prepare the estimate, refer to previous projects that are similar. As the construction goes underway, you will need to document the process. This can help you prevent any possible issues and it helps you see any unexpected costs.
General FAQs
What are the Phases of Construction Budget Planning?
A budget cycle is the life of a budget from creation or preparation, to evaluation. Most small businesses don't use the term “budget cycle” but they use the process and go through each of its four phases — preparation, approval, execution, and evaluation.
How to Determine the Budget for your Construction Project?
STEP 1:Money-In- List your sources of income for the month.
STEP 2: Money Out- Next, look back over your last few months of bank statements to help you list all of your monthly expenses.
STEP 3: Assess the situation.
STEP 4: Using and Maintaining Your Budget.What should be the Format for a Budget?
While business budgeting is similar, the primary business budget formats include a cash-budget model that sets up a business' operating scenario, a proposed budget for the purpose of obtaining a grant and a line-item budget that creates a comprehensive overview of all income and expenses associated with a particular project.
What are the 4 Types of Construction Budgets?
There are four common types of budgets that companies use: (1) incremental, (2) activity-based, (3) value proposition, and (4) zero-based. These four budgeting methods each have their own advantages and challenges, which will be discussed in more detail in this guide.
Why is a Construction Budget Needed?
A budget enables you to know what you can afford, take advantage of buying and investing opportunities, and plan how to lower your debt. It also tells you what is important to you based on how you allocate your funds, how your money is working for you, and how far you are towards reaching your financial goals.
