User FAQs
Support Guidance for Current UsersGetting Started
A: Open the invitation email and follow the instructions to access the project. If you already have a budget4cast account, the project should appear in your project list. Once inside the project, start with the Project Summary tab to understand the budget structure, current budget status, forecasted costs, actual costs, and any dashboard information available to your role.
A: Your view depends on your assigned access level. Administrator and Editor users can work with detailed project data. View All users can review detailed project information but cannot edit it. View Summary users can only see the Project Summary tab. If you think your access level is incorrect, contact the project Administrator.
A: Before entering live cost data, the project team should confirm budget sections, budget groups, budget codes, original budget amounts, user permissions, and any optional features such as Cash Flow or Funding Source Tracking. A clean setup makes reporting, filtering, dashboard review, and long-term project budget tracking more reliable.
User Roles and Permissions
A: budget4cast includes four access levels: Administrator, Editor, View All, and View Summary. Each role is designed for a different level of responsibility and visibility.
A: Only Administrators can change project settings, budget code structure, budget groups, and users. If you need a setup change, ask the project Administrator to make the update or review whether your access level should be changed.
Budget Structure
A: Budget sections are the top-level categories used to organize the project budget, such as Soft Cost, Hard Cost, and Contingency. Budget groups sit within those sections and organize related cost areas such as Construction, FF&E, Architecture, or Construction Contingency. Budget codes are the detailed line items where original budget, current budget, forecasted costs, actual costs, invoices, and reallocations are tracked.
A: Yes. Administrators can create a budget structure manually, copy budget codes from an existing project, or import an example project structure. After the structure is copied or imported, it can be edited to match the specific project.
A: A budget group or budget code may not be deletable if it has related structure or project data attached to it. This protects project history and helps prevent accidental removal of records connected to cost activity. In that case, edit the structure in place or consult the project Administrator before making changes.
Forecasted Costs
A: Forecasted costs are planned or expected project costs. They can include commitments, change requests, approved changes, uncommitted costs, and other cost types configured in Project Settings. Forecasted costs help establish projected cost-at-completion and over/under budget visibility.
A: Include the forecasted cost type, related budget code, vendor, amount, cost date, description, notes if helpful, and supporting PDFs such as contracts, approvals, scopes, or backup documentation. Assign the cost to the correct budget code whenever possible so reporting remains accurate.
A: Yes. If a forecasted cost applies to more than one budget code, it can be split across multiple budget codes. Review the allocation carefully before saving so each portion is assigned correctly.
A: Use Edit to correct or update a forecasted cost. Use Duplicate when creating a similar record, then revise the duplicated information before saving. Use Delete only when a record was entered in error and deletion is allowed by your organization’s controls.
Actual Costs and Invoices
A: Actual costs record invoices and incurred project costs. They may be linked to an existing forecasted cost or entered as an unforecasted invoice when no forecasted cost exists.
A: Yes, when applicable. Linking actual costs to forecasted costs creates a clearer relationship between what was planned and what has been invoiced or incurred. If no forecasted cost applies, leave the selection set to None only when intentionally entering an unforecasted invoice.
A: Enter the invoice date, invoice number if applicable, disbursement register number if your process uses one, description, invoice amount, retainage amount, payment date if paid, and supporting PDF backup. After saving, confirm the record appears with the correct paid or unpaid status.
A: Find the unpaid actual cost, click Edit, enter the payment date, and save. Then confirm the payment date is displayed and the paid status has been updated.
A: An unforecasted invoice is an actual cost entered without a related forecasted cost. This may be appropriate in some workflows, but it should be intentional and reviewed periodically so missing forecast data does not create reporting confusion.
Reallocations, Auto Forecast, Cash Flow, and Funding Sources
A: A reallocation changes the current budget during the project while keeping the original budget visible for reference. Reallocations can be Transfers, Increases, or Reductions. A Transfer moves money between two budget codes, an Increase adds budget, and a Reduction decreases budget.
A: Editors and Administrators can enter reallocations. Because reallocations change current budget values, they should include the correct type, budget code information, amount, date, cause if used, description, notes, and approval backup.
A: Auto Forecast is used during early planning when not all planned costs have been entered. When enabled for a budget code, it creates or adjusts an uncommitted cost so projected over/under stays at zero. As real forecasted costs are added, the Auto Forecast amount adjusts downward. Turn it off when the budget code should show the true projected over/under based only on entered data.
A: Cash Flow is available when enabled in the subscription. If you do not see Cash Flow fields or tabs, confirm with your budget4cast administrator or budget4cast contact whether the feature is enabled.
A: Funding Source Tracking is available when enabled in the subscription. If funding fields are missing, confirm whether the feature is enabled for your project or subscription.
Dashboard, Reports, and Attachments
A: The Dashboard provides a graphical view of the project. Depending on enabled features, charts may include cash flow, budget allocations, percentage complete, and other project visuals. Charts can be added, arranged, removed, and exported as needed.
A: Open the tab that contains the information you need, such as Forecasted Costs or Actual Costs. Use Show Filters if the report should include only selected records. Verify the on-screen list, click Download Report, choose CSV or PDF, select the columns to include, decide whether attached PDFs should be appended, and save the report according to your document control process.
A: Yes. When downloading reports, users can choose whether attached PDFs should be appended. This is helpful when a report needs to include supporting documentation along with the cost data.
A: Attach supporting PDFs such as contracts, approvals, scopes, invoices, invoice backup, change support, reallocation approvals, and other documentation required by your organization. Keeping backup attached to the related record makes later review easier.
Common Issues
A: If the project is early in setup, not all forecasted costs may have been entered. Consider whether Auto Forecast should be enabled temporarily for relevant budget codes. Also confirm that forecasted costs and actual costs are assigned to the correct budget codes.
A: Use Arrange Charts and drag the chart into the preferred location. Charts may appear at the bottom when first added.
A: Follow your organization’s accounting, approval, and audit requirements. In general, edit records when information needs to be corrected and delete only when the record was entered in error and deletion is permitted.
