Services Solutions Industries Resources About FAQ
Book a 30-minute consultation
IndustriesGeneral Contractors
General Contractors

Job costing and project control built for general contractors

Running multiple projects simultaneously demands real-time job cost visibility, tight progress claim management, and the ability to see your whole portfolio in one view. Xero and MYOB weren't built for this.

Real-time
job cost variance alerts
Auto
progress claim generation
All projects
in a single consolidated view
The Problem

Why general contractors outgrow Xero and MYOB

Running 5+ projects at once means entry-level accounting tools can't keep up. By the time you spot a margin problem, it's too late.

No real-time job cost visibility

Without job-level P&L in real time, cost blowouts only become visible when it's too late to act. You're flying blind across multiple active projects.

Progress claims are slow and error-prone

Manually calculating claim amounts, reconciling against contract schedules, and chasing subcontractor claims creates delays, and mistakes that cost you money.

Subcontractor management is fragmented

Tracking subcontractor claims, retentions, SWMS compliance, and payment schedules across multiple subs on multiple projects is impossible without the right system.

Cash flow is hard to forecast

Without a clear view of outstanding AR and AP in one place, understanding your cash position requires manual work across multiple systems.

No consolidated portfolio view

Xero gives you a company-level view but no project-level P&L. Getting a combined view of profitability across your portfolio requires hours of manual data extraction.

Purchase orders and committed costs aren't tracked

Without commitment tracking, you don't know what's been ordered but not yet invoiced. Cost-to-complete forecasting is guesswork until the invoices land, and by then it's too late to act.

Real-time
job cost and margin visibility across every active project
Auto
progress claim generation tied to milestones and contract schedules
One view
for your entire project portfolio, P&L, and cash flow forecast
Up to 50%
reduction in month-end close time for Sage Intacct users
Platform Capabilities

The financial tools general contractors need

Sage Intacct delivers project accounting, cash flow management, and compliance automation designed for construction, not retrofitted from a general ledger.

Real-time job costing

Track labour, materials, plant, and subcontractor costs against your project budget in real time, with clear cost variance visibility across every active job.

Progress claim management

Generate progress claims automatically from milestone completions. Track variations against the original contract sum and manage supporting documentation in one workflow.

Subcontractor & retention management

Track subcontractor claims, retentions held, and release schedules across all projects. Automate TPAR reporting and track security of payment due dates and obligations across your subcontractor base.

Portfolio P&L and reporting

See every project's profitability in a single dashboard. Drill from portfolio-level margin to individual cost lines in seconds, and generate client-ready project reports automatically.

Cash flow forecasting

See what is owed to you and what you owe, based on your outstanding AR and AP by due date. Real-time cash visibility without exporting to a spreadsheet.

app.intacct.com - Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct Project Commitments
Use Cases

Built for general contracting at every scale

Whether you're delivering residential builds, large commercial projects, or mixed-use developments, Sage Intacct adapts to how you run your business.

Residential & Multi-Res

Manage house-and-land packages, townhouse developments, or apartment builds with stage-by-stage cost tracking, progress claim management, and defect rectification cost allocation.

Stage-by-stage cost and claim management
Handover and defect period cost tracking
Retention management and release scheduling

Commercial Construction

Office towers, retail centres, industrial facilities, manage large commercial projects with complex contract structures, multiple subcontracts, and milestone-based billing.

Complex contract and variation management
Milestone billing and progress claim automation
Subcontractor payment terms and SoP compliance

Mixed-Use Development

Handle the financial complexity of residential, commercial, and retail components within a single development. Track costs, revenues, and margins at the component level.

Component-level cost and margin tracking
Separate reporting for each use type
Consolidated project view for management reporting

Fit-Out & Refurbishment

Manage high-turnover fit-out and refurbishment projects with rapid job creation, quick cost allocation, and fast invoice generation to maximise cash flow on short-duration contracts.

Fast job setup and templated cost structures
Quick variation and additional works billing
High-volume project management at scale
Also in this space

General contractors who build and maintain

Many general contractors operate beyond the build phase - running ongoing maintenance contracts, facility management, or field service programs alongside their construction work. Sage Intacct handles both sides.

Specialty Contractors & Field Services

Build it, maintain it. Know the true cost of doing both.

Service contracts, field technician billing and maintenance project WIP - all in one system, alongside your capital works.

Service contract billing and renewal tracking
Job costing per technician and site visit
WIP and project accounting across both arms of the business
See specialty & field services →
Also serving
Build-and-maintain contractors
Builders with ongoing maintenance contracts who need to track project-phase and operational-phase costs separately and in real time.
Facility management companies
FM operators managing multiple commercial sites with complex cost allocation, multi-entity structures and tenant reporting.
Commercial project services
Businesses delivering long-term project services under ongoing agreements who need accurate WIP recognition and milestone billing.
Common questions

Questions about Sage Intacct for general contractors

How does Sage Intacct handle progress claims and retentions for general contractors?

Sage Intacct manages progress claims directly against contract schedules. Claim amounts are generated from the system based on percentage complete or milestone, retentions are tracked automatically with release date alerts, and subcontractor payment schedules are reconciled against head contract claims. LimeLedger configures your specific contract billing workflows during implementation so progress claims are produced by the system, not assembled manually each month.

Can Sage Intacct consolidate multiple entities for a general contracting group?

Yes. Multi-entity consolidation is a core Sage Intacct capability. Intercompany transactions are eliminated automatically, consolidated P&L, balance sheet and cash flow run across the group in real time, and each entity maintains its own books. For general contracting groups running multiple trading entities or SPVs, this replaces the manual process of exporting, reconciling, and combining separate Xero or MYOB files each month.

Does Sage Intacct integrate with Procore for Australian general contractors?

Yes. Sage Intacct integrates with Procore through a certified connector. Committed costs, purchase orders, and subcontract claims flow from Procore into Sage Intacct automatically. Your project managers work in Procore; your finance team works in Sage Intacct; and the data moves between them without manual export or rekeying. LimeLedger implements and tests the Procore integration as part of the standard engagement.

How long does Sage Intacct implementation take for a general contracting business?

LimeLedger implements Sage Intacct for general contractors in 14 weeks on a fixed-fee basis. The implementation covers discovery and design (weeks 1-3), system build and configuration (weeks 4-8), data migration (weeks 9-10), and training and go-live (weeks 11-14). For businesses with many active projects, complex subcontractor management requirements, or multi-entity structures, the timeline may extend to 16 weeks. Every engagement is led personally by a Sage-certified CPA, not delegated to a junior team.

Can Sage Intacct track subcontractor compliance and block payments to non-compliant subcontractors?

Yes. Sage Intacct stores each subcontractor's licences, insurance certificates and other compliance documents against their vendor record, with automatic alerts before documents expire. If a subcontractor's insurance or licence lapses, Sage Intacct can block that subcontractor from a payment run until the compliance document is renewed. This removes the manual paperwork chase most Australian general contractors run before every progress payment, and keeps clean records for TPAR and audit purposes.

See It In Sage Intacct

Subcontractor compliance, tracked automatically

Chasing licences, insurance certificates and other compliance paperwork before every progress payment is one of the most common manual jobs in an Australian general contractor's finance team. Sage Intacct tracks it against the vendor record and blocks payment automatically when a subcontractor falls out of compliance.

This walkthrough shows how certifications, licences and insurance are tracked in real time, and how the same compliant payment data feeds a clean TPAR at year end.

Have more questions about Sage Intacct, implementation costs, or migrating from Xero or MYOB?

Browse the FAQ →
Get Started

Stop managing projects blind. Get real-time financial control.

We will assess your current setup and show you exactly what Sage Intacct would change for your business.

Book a 30-minute consultation Take the free finance assessment

Questions? Email info@limeledger.com

Speak with a specialist