Xero for builders
Xero for builders: job costing without the double entry.
Xero keeps your accounts. It won't tell you which jobs are making money unless every bill is coded to a job and a cost code. Rivit does that coding for you.
The Problem
Xero knows what you spent. It doesn't know where.
Your profit and loss can be right to the dollar while your job costing is wrong on every job.
- Bills arrive without a job
- A supplier invoice says what was bought and how much. Which job it was for lives in someone's head.
- Tracking categories depend on discipline
- Job costing in Xero means tagging every line of every bill. Miss a few and the job report is wrong.
- Bookkeepers aren't on site
- They can't tell framing timber for one job from framing timber for another, so they ask, guess or park it.
How It Works
Every bill coded before it reaches Xero.
- CapturePhotos from site, emails and PDFs forwarded to your Rivit inbox, and draft bills already sitting in Xero.
- ReadRivit reads the supplier, ABN, invoice number, dates, GST and every line item.
- CodeIt sets the job and cost code from the site address, the supplier's history and the line items, along with the account and tax rate.
- SyncOn approval the bill is created in Xero, coded and ready to pay. If you run JobTread, it lands there too.
What Changes
Job costing you can trust, from the software you already use.
- Accounts and tax rates applied
- Each bill arrives in Xero with the right account and GST treatment.
- Suppliers matched by ABN
- The right Xero contact is chosen even when the name on the bill is only a logo.
- Draft bills cleaned up
- Bills already in Xero as drafts are pulled in, coded and sent back complete.
- Credit notes handled
- Supplier credits go to Xero as credit notes, not as negative bills.
- Duplicates stopped
- The same invoice sent twice is flagged before you pay it twice.
- Your bookkeeper stays in one list
- Review, approve and sync from Rivit. No hunting through inboxes.
"I'm actually loving it. I finally know how much each job is making me."
"Rivit has eased the chaos of running a construction company for me, finally giving me clarity on my numbers."
Pat, Pattern Construction Co"Rivit saves us one to two hours of bookkeeping every week. My bookkeeper, carpenters and apprentices all use it."
Questions
Xero for builders FAQ.
Is Xero good for builders?
Xero is solid accounting software, and many building companies run on it. What it doesn't do on its own is job costing in the way a builder thinks about it: budget against actual, per job, per cost code. Builders usually pair it with job management software or use tracking categories.
How do builders do job costing in Xero?
The usual approach is tracking categories: one for the job and one for the cost code or trade. Every bill then has to be tagged correctly on every line, which is where it tends to fall over. Rivit fills those in for you.
Does Rivit work with Xero on its own?
Yes. You can connect Xero without a job management system. Rivit pulls in draft bills, reads new ones, and codes each to your account, tax rate and tracking categories.
What if I use JobTread as well as Xero?
Then Rivit keeps both in step: bills go to JobTread against the job and to Xero for the accounts, and JobTread invoices are created in Xero. See the JobTread + Xero integration.
Does Rivit handle GST and BAS codes?
It reads GST-inclusive and exclusive amounts per line and applies your Xero tax rates, so bills arrive ready for BAS.
Will it create new suppliers in Xero?
It matches suppliers by ABN first, then by name. If it finds a close match it asks before creating anything, so you don't end up with duplicate contacts.
How much does it cost?
Plans start at $59 a month with a free trial of 30 days or 50 documents. See pricing.
See your own bills coded in 20 minutes.
Book a demo and we'll run a handful of your real receipts through Rivit on the call. If it fits, your free trial starts there.