Positive variance means actuals were higher than the estimate. Review the source records before changing your pricing. Add a labor rate to compare hours and dollars on the same footing; add a job price too to see margin, not just cost.
Common questions
What counts as “other costs” in this calculator?
Other costs is any non-labor, non-materials line billed against the job — permits, equipment rental, disposal fees, a subcontractor invoice, or anything else that isn't wages or material purchases. The calculator treats it exactly like materials: it adds the estimated and actual figures into total cost and reports the difference as its own line, so a permit fee that ran over doesn't get buried inside a materials number.
Why is my cost variance shown with a minus sign?
A minus sign means materials and other costs together came in under estimate — actual spend was lower than what was quoted. No sign (shown as a plus) means actual costs ran higher than estimated. The sign is arithmetic, not a verdict: a large negative variance is still worth reviewing, since it can mean a bid was priced high rather than run efficiently.
Does this calculator store or upload my job numbers?
No. All six inputs are read from the form and the arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server, saved to an account, or logged anywhere. Closing the tab clears every figure you typed, so copy the review before you navigate away if you want to keep it.
Should I run this before or after the job is finished?
After. The tool compares an estimate against what actually happened, so it needs both sets of numbers — labor hours actually worked, materials actually bought, and other costs actually billed. Running it mid-job with partial actuals will still produce a variance, but it will be a snapshot of work in progress rather than the completed-job review the copyable report is written for.