1 · Accounting — Who uses this: Accounting team
Purpose: Import the estimate, verify cost codes against the MEC catalog, flag OHP and Tax lines, then lock the budget. All changes save to Airtable automatically — any team member who opens this project will see the current data.
- Paste from Job Master → Line Item Cost Codes tab. All data rows, no header.
- Map the columns in Step 2 — Cost Code, Description, and Budget Value are required. Subcontractor is optional.
- The Catalog Description column (amber) is reference only — compare it to your pasted description to confirm the correct cost code is assigned.
- Edit the Cost Code column to correct mismatches. The Original Code column retains what was pasted as an audit trail and the row highlights amber on change.
- The OHP checkbox marks a line as Overhead and Profit — excluded from budget, buyout, reconciliation, and Procore export. Auto-checked for codes 17-040 and 17-041.
- The JC (Job Cost) checkbox marks a line as a project cost that does not get bought out or appear in Procore. Auto-checked for 17-020 Contractors Liability Insurance. Included in Contract Value.
- The Tax checkbox marks a line as Sales Tax — auto-detected for 00-9xx codes. Included in Contract Value and Procore export but excluded from buyout and reconciliation.
- Click Lock Budget when all lines are verified. A password is required to unlock. Once locked, the Buyout tab becomes active.
- All data saves to Airtable automatically. Overhead and Buyout Status on the Projects record update on every save.
- Before importing a budget, estimators can use the Scopes tab (Tab 2) to write draft scope documents for trades or subcontractors.
- Use the 📋 Cost Codes button in the header to browse the full MEC cost code catalog with scope descriptions — searchable by code, name, or scope.
Step 1 — Paste estimate data
Job Master → Line Item Cost Codes tab. All data rows, no header. Cost codes 00-9xx are auto-flagged as Sales Tax.
Scope Documents
Working scope documents for this project — available before budget lock.
No scope documents yet. Click + Add Scope Document to get started.
3 · Buyout — Who uses this: PC / APM
Purpose: Assign subcontractors, awarded amounts, and SOV values to each budget line. All changes save to Airtable automatically.
- Budget must be locked by Accounting before this tab becomes active.
- The Subcontractor field is a search input — start typing to filter from the MEC Subcontractors table (2,600+ subs). Select from the dropdown or type a name manually. If the sub isn't in the master list, a prompt will appear to either add them to the master list or use them for this project only.
- General Conditions and all self-perform work should be assigned to MEC. Selecting MEC auto-fills the awarded amount to the full budget value.
- Enter awarded amounts and press Enter or click away to save. The Variance column shows budget minus awarded — green if under, red if over.
- The New Description field overrides the pasted description in the Procore export and Reconciliation tab if filled in.
- Assign SOV numbers and descriptions to each line for the Schedule of Values.
- OHP lines (amber section below), Job Cost lines (purple section), and Sales Tax lines (teal section) are excluded from buyout — assign SOV values only.
- 17-021 Builders Risk and 17-030 Bond default to MEC as subcontractor but can be overridden.
- The Buyout progress bar tracks lines with both a sub and an award entered — not dollar amounts.
Budget must be locked by Accounting before assignments can be made.
4 · Sub Scope & Approval — Who uses this: Project Manager
Purpose: Review each subcontractor's awarded lines and amounts, document scope, set approval status, and track subcontract execution. All data saves to Airtable.
- Each card shows the subcontractor, their cost code lines, awarded amounts, and a total.
- Set approval status to Pending, Approved, or Approved with conditions.
- Check Contract sent once the subcontract has been issued to the sub.
- Scope of work and Notes support rich text — bold, italic, bullet and numbered lists.
- If scope documents were written in the Scopes tab, use the Link scope draft dropdown on each sub card to pre-fill scope notes from a document.
- Each sub card is collapsed by default showing name, status, awarded amount, and requirements badge. Click the card header to expand for full detail. Use Collapse All / Expand All to manage all cards at once.
- The Subcontract Requirements section on each card shows MSA status for the project state, insurance expiration dates (Liability, WC, Auto), Business License, and W-9. Color coded — green (current), amber (expiring within 30 days), red (expired or missing).
- Use the filters at the top to view by approval status, contract status, or search by subcontractor name.
- Scope and approval data saves back to the Budget Lines records in Airtable.
Reconciliation — Who uses this: PM / Accounting
Purpose: Side-by-side view of original budget vs. awarded amounts, consolidated by cost code. Read-only — all data comes from Accounting and Buyout tabs.
- OHP, Job Cost, and Tax lines excluded. Multiple lines sharing the same cost code are summed into one row.
- Adjusted cost codes highlight amber with the original code shown for reference.
- Use the filter to isolate over-budget lines, lines without awards, or adjusted codes.
- Download CSV exports the current filtered view for reporting.
Budget reconciliation — consolidated by cost code
OHP and Tax lines excluded. Multiple lines sharing a cost code are summed.
| Orig. Code | Cost Code | Description | Subcontractor | Orig. Budget | Awarded | Variance | Var % |
|---|
SOV Summary — Who uses this: PM / Accounting
Purpose: Schedule of Values. SOV total must equal Contract Value before prime contract execution. Values are independently editable here without affecting the underlying budget.
- SOV lines are initially derived from SOV assignments in the Buyout tab. Once edited here, changes save to Airtable and reload on next open.
- The stat bar shows Contract Value, SOV Total, and the difference. A green check means the SOV balances.
- All SOV values are directly editable — click any Value field to change it. Changes save automatically.
- Use + Add line to add a custom SOV line not tied to a budget line. Custom lines are marked with a "custom" badge.
- Use the ✕ button on any row to remove a SOV line.
- Use ↺ Revert to budget to reset all SOV values back to budget-derived amounts and remove any custom lines.
- The Allocate OHP toggle hides OHP lines and distributes their total proportionally across the remaining lines. Each allocation is editable. The grand total row shows the combined total with a flag — ✓ Fully allocated or ⚠ still unallocated.
- Allocations reset to proportional defaults each time the toggle is turned on.
- Download CSV exports the current view including allocations if the toggle is on.
Schedule of Values
Includes all lines (budget, OHP, Tax) with SOV assignments.
| SOV # | Description | Value | % of CV |
|---|
Project Summary — Read-only consolidated view
Purpose: Single-page snapshot of all project metrics across all tabs. Useful for executive review or sharing project status.
- Four cards: Budget (CV, OHP, Job Cost, Tax, OHP+Buyout), Buyout (progress, variance, line counts), Sub Scope & Approval (approval and contract status), SOV & Reconciliation (SOV balance, overall variance).
- All values pull live from current data — no manual updates needed.
- Click Print / PDF to open a formatted print-ready version. Includes the full subcontractor summary table and Schedule of Values table. Use your browser's Print to PDF to save.
—
—
Budget
Contract Value—
Budget (excl. OHP & Tax)—
Overhead & Profit—
OHP %—
Sales Tax—
Job Cost (Insurance)—
OHP + Buyout—
OHP + Buyout % of CV—
Line Detail
Budget lines—
OHP lines—
Tax lines—
Unknown cost codes—
Adjusted cost codes—
Buyout
Budget (excl. OHP & Tax)—
Total Awarded—
Buyout—
Lines assigned—
Lines unassigned—
Lines without award—
Over-budget lines—
Subcontractors assigned—
Sub Scope & Approval
Total subcontractors—
Approved—
Pending approval—
Approved with conditions—
Contracts sent—
Contracts not sent—
SOV & Reconciliation
Contract Value—
SOV Total—
SOV Difference—
SOV Status—
Total original budget—
Total awarded—
Overall variance—
Overall variance %—
MEC Budget Tool — User Guide
How to use, what it does, and who it's for.
What is this tool?
The MEC Budget Tool manages the full project budget lifecycle — from estimate import through subcontractor buyout, scope documentation, PM approval, SOV reconciliation, and Procore export. It connects directly to Airtable so all team members see current data in real time.
Who uses this tool
Accounting
Imports estimate, verifies cost codes, locks budget.
Estimator
Writes scope documents before budget lock.
PC / APM
Assigns subs, awarded amounts, and SOV values.
Project Manager
Reviews scope, approves subs, tracks compliance and contracts.
Project workflow
1Select a project — 600+ projects from Airtable, searchable by name or number.
2Write scope documents (optional) — Estimator uses Tab 2 before budget lock.
3Import and lock budget — Accounting pastes estimate, verifies codes, locks.
4Buyout — PC/APM assigns subs from 2,600+ master list, enters awarded amounts and SOV numbers.
5PM review — Scope approval, compliance check, contract tracking.
6SOV and Procore export — Balance SOV to Contract Value, download CSV for Procore.
The eight tabs
1
Accounting · Accounting team
Paste estimate, verify cost codes, flag OHP/JC/Tax lines, lock budget. Use the Cost Codes button in the header to browse all 506 MEC codes.
2
Scopes · Estimator / PC / APM
Write draft scope documents before budget lock. Title freely — a trade, a sub name, or any grouping. Mark Finalized when complete.
3
Buyout · PC / APM
Search 2,600+ subs, enter awarded amounts and SOV numbers. If a sub isn't in the master list, a prompt offers to add them or use for this project only. MEC auto-fills awarded to full budget value.
4
Sub Scope & Approval · Project Manager
Cards collapsed by default. Click to expand. Link scope drafts, set approval status, track contract issuance. Subcontract Requirements shows MSA, insurance, W-9 status — color coded green/amber/red.
5
Reconciliation · PM / Accounting
Side-by-side budget vs. awarded by cost code. Read-only. OHP, Job Cost, and Tax excluded. Filter and download CSV.
6
SOV Summary · PM / Accounting
Editable SOV values independent of budget. Add lines, revert to budget. Allocate OHP toggle distributes OHP proportionally. Must balance to Contract Value before contract execution.
7
Project Summary · All roles
Read-only snapshot of all metrics. Print / PDF generates a formatted page with sub table and SOV table.
8
Procore Export · Accounting / PM
CSV budget upload for Procore. One row per cost code. OHP and Job Cost excluded. Tax included as TX Sales Tax. Cost Type column editable.
Special line types
OHP — amber
Auto-checked for 17-040 and 17-041. In Contract Value. Excluded from budget, buyout, reconciliation, and Procore. SOV assignment only.
Job Cost — purple
17-020 Insurance only. Auto-detected. In Contract Value. Excluded from buyout, reconciliation, and Procore. SOV assignment only.
Tax — teal
Auto-detected for 00-9xx codes. In Contract Value and Procore as TX Sales Tax. Excluded from buyout and reconciliation.
Common questions
A subcontractor is not showing up when I search
Type more of their name — all matching results show when you have a search term. If they don't appear, they may not be in the master list. Type their full name and use the "Add to master list" prompt, or select "Use for this project only."
The SOV Summary doesn't match my Buyout assignments
SOV re-derives automatically when you open the tab. If still stale, click "Revert to budget" on the SOV Summary tab.
Budget lines show "Not in catalog"
Use the Cost Codes button in the header to find the correct code. The original code is preserved in the Orig. Code column as an audit trail.
Compliance shows all red for a subcontractor
Either their records aren't in Airtable yet, or they were entered as a project-only sub. Contact your Airtable manager to add them to the master list.
How do I unlock a locked budget?
Click "Unlock Budget" in Tab 1. You'll be prompted for the unlock password. Contact your Accounting team if you don't have it.
MEC General Contractors · Internal use only
Procore Export — Who uses this: Accounting / PM
Purpose: Generates the budget upload file for Procore. One row per cost code, consolidated from all budget lines.
- OHP and Job Cost lines excluded. Tax lines included as TX Sales Tax cost type.
- Description uses New Description if one was entered in the Buyout tab — otherwise uses the original pasted description.
- The Cost Type column is editable — changes are saved and persist. Default values are auto-assigned based on cost code division.
- Click Download CSV to export in Procore's budget upload format.
Procore upload — consolidated by cost code
OHP excluded. Tax included. New Description used if provided. Cost type editable — changes persist.
| Cost Code | Cost Type | Description | Manual Calc | Unit Qty | UOM | Unit Cost | Budget Amount | Start Date | End Date | Curve |
|---|