Prep
Build and protect the budget top sheet
Enter line items, understand derived totals, seed from the script, and export exact figures.
Work from categories into detail
Open Producer Suite → Budget. Select a category on the left, then add or edit line items on the right. Each line can use Amount × Units × Rate or a manual Estimated value, plus Actual and Notes. The sheet autosaves and has no version history, so Save (.json) before a broad replacement.
Understand the grand total
Direct costs are followed by payroll fringes on labour accounts, completion bond and insurance on direct costs, then contingency on the combined basis. Percentage fields are bounded by the page. Avoid entering the same fringe or insurance both as a manual line and as a percentage because the sheet counts both.
Seed from the script estimate
Seed from script estimate routes the current script model into top-sheet categories and uses each range midpoint. It replaces every existing line, including actuals, and resets contingency to the seeded setting. Save the current budget JSON before using it on a sheet with manual work.
Read actuals and category norms
Actual values remain beside estimates. When Finance contains spend, the sheet also shows estimated final cost and variance. Heavy and light markers compare category shares with planning bands; they are questions to investigate, not errors. Quote exact figures from an export because the screen abbreviates large amounts.
Use the correct output
Export CSV creates a spreadsheet report with detail, subtotals, derived layers, and grand total. Save (.json) creates the reloadable budget archive. Print / PDF uses browser print. Load replaces the live sheet from compatible JSON; New sheet asks before clearing it. CSV cannot be loaded back as a budget.