Seeing $0 in the Actual Materials column on your Cost/Analysis tab doesn't mean something is broken — it means the actual materials used on the job haven't been entered yet. Unlike estimated costs (which come from your proposal), actual costs must be entered separately to reflect what was truly used in the field.
This article explains why, and exactly how to enter them.
Why Actuals Don't Fill In Automatically
Your estimate shows what you planned to use. Actual materials show what your crew actually used — and those numbers often differ. SynkedUP keeps these separate so you can compare estimated vs. actual costs and see how profitable each job really was.
Option 1: Enter Actual Materials on Desktop (Costing & Analysis Tab)
Open the job and navigate to the Costing & Analysis tab.
Find the Materials section. You'll see a green + button to add actual material entries.
Click + and enter the material name, quantity, and unit cost.
Repeat for each material used on the job.
Your Actual Materials cost will now reflect the total entered.
💡 Tip: You can enter actuals at any point during or after the job — you don't need to wait until it's complete.
Option 2: Foreman Enters Materials on Mobile (During Clock-Out)
When a crew member clocks out of a job on the SynkedUP mobile app, they have the option to log materials used:
Foreman taps Clock Out on the job.
On the clock-out screen, there is a section to add Materials Used.
They enter the items used and quantities.
Once submitted, those entries flow into the Costing & Analysis tab automatically.
⚠️ Note: This requires foremen to be in the habit of logging materials at clock-out. If your crew isn't doing this yet, you can always enter actuals manually on desktop after the fact.
FAQ
My crew used the exact items from the estimate — do I still need to enter actuals?
Yes. The estimate represents what you planned, not what was confirmed used. Even if actuals match the estimate exactly, they need to be entered separately so SynkedUP can calculate your actual job profit accurately.
Why does my Cost/Analysis tab show $0 for materials even though we used a lot?
This almost always means actuals haven't been entered yet — either on desktop or via mobile clock-out. Follow the steps above to add them.
Can I import actuals from a supplier invoice?
Not directly at this time. Actuals need to be entered manually in the Costing & Analysis tab or via the mobile clock-out flow.