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pkelly22
August 29, 2025
Question

Costs on Est vs Act Report without a Bill

  • August 29, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 34 views

We are a construction company and one of our charges on every estimate is a "reuse fee" for the plans they chose us to build. How do I get this cost to show on the Estimate vs Actual report without an actual bill? We need it to appear on this report as we share this report with our clients.

5 replies

L
LouiseG12QuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
August 29, 2025

To display the cost on the  Estimate vs. Actual report without an actual bill, you can enter the fee as a non-inventory item on the estimate. 

Please note that the estimate cost will not appear in the Actual Cost column because estimates are considered as non-posting transactions. Actual cost, on the other hand, are based on real transactions such as vendor bills that directly impact your financial records. 

Here’s how:
 

  1. Go to Lists, then Item List.
  2. Click the drop-down arrow beside the Item and then New.
  3. Select Non-inventory Part as the type.
  4. Enter Reuse Fee in the Item Name/Number field.
  5. Fill out the necessary details.
  6. Hit OK.


Once done, when you create an estimate. Add the Reuse fee item that you’ve created, then generate the Item Estimate vs Actual Report. Please see the attached screenshot below:

 

Don't hesitate to revisit this thread if you have additional questions.

P
pkelly22Author
September 2, 2025

Thank you! I have been able to get it to show as part of the Estimate on the report (under hte Est. Cost column), but I can't get it to show under the "Act. Cost" column. We share this report with our clients, so I need them to see that they have been charged the Plan Reuse Fee as well. Any idea how to show it under the Actual Cost without a bill?

R
RusimyhrQuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
September 3, 2025
I appreciate the follow-up, @pkelly22.
 
While it’s not possible to display costs under the Act. Cost column without creating a posting transaction, there is a way to ensure accurate reporting and alignment in your Estimate vs. Actual Report.

The Estimate transactions are non-posting and will only appear under the Est. Cost column. To reflect costs under the Act. Cost column, QuickBooks requires a posting transaction, such as an invoice, bill, check, or journal entry, as these directly impact your financial records. Also, using Inventory Items instead of Non-inventory Items allows for better tracking of both estimated and actual costs, making it ideal for job costing purposes. By converting your estimate to an invoice and utilizing Inventory Items, you can ensure that your costs are accurately reflected in the report, providing both transparency and consistency for your financial records.
 
Let us know if you have additional questions or need assistance with QuickBooks.
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