---
title: "Forecast project costs"
slug: "forecast-project-costs"
tags: ["Area - Accounting", "Area - Jobs, Appts, Projects"]
updated: 2026-06-22T17:51:11Z
published: 2026-06-22T17:51:11Z
canonical: "help.servicetitan.com/forecast-project-costs"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.servicetitan.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Forecast project costs

## Overview

The forecasting tools in the *Budget vs Actual* table let you estimate remaining costs on a project and see how those costs affect your final margin. You enter a Forecasted Cost to Complete for each expense segment, and the table calculates your Forecasted Cost at Complete, Over/Under Cost, and Forecasted Margin in real time. This gives project managers a forward-looking view of project health before costs are finalized.

---

### 

#### Who uses this feature

- Administrators, managers, accountants, and bookkeepers
- Primarily for Residential Construction and Commercial Construction business types
- Applies to all trades

#### Feature configuration

- Account configuration is required to use this feature. Please contact [Technical Support](http://go.servicetitan.com/ask) for details.

## Things to know

- Forecasting is available in the *Segments* view of the *Budget vs Actual* table. The forecasting columns also appear in the *GL* view.
- Forecasting columns only display on Expense rows. They do not display on Revenue (Billed) rows. The Forecasted Margin $ and Forecasted Margin % values display in the *Margin* summary rows at the bottom of the table.
- If no forecast has been saved for a segment, the *Forecasted Cost to Complete*, *Forecasted Cost at Complete*, and *Over/Under Cost* columns display a dash (—).
- When you open sandbox mode, all expense segments auto-expand so that leaf segments and their edit icons are visible. You do not need to expand them manually.
- You can save a forecast as a draft or finalize it. Drafts do not update the live *Budget vs Actual* table values. Finalized forecasts update the table immediately.
- Each saved forecast is stored as a snapshot in the *Forecast Records* table. You can review past forecasts at any time.
- For more on the existing *Budget vs Actual* columns and table layout, see [Understand Budget vs Actual](https://help.servicetitan.com/docs/en/understand-budget-vs-actual).

## Best practices

- Forecast costs on a regular basis. Many project managers forecast monthly, but a weekly cadence catches cost variances earlier.
- Start with the segments where you expect the most variance from the original budget. Focus on labor and materials first.
- Use the Forecast Note field to record why you made changes. This helps your team understand the context when they review past forecast records.
- Compare the *Over/Under Cost* column to the *Variance* column. *Variance* shows where you are today. *Over/Under Cost* shows where you expect to land.

## Use cases

- A project manager reviews the *Balance to Finish* column mid-project and sees that the remaining budget for electrical materials is too low. They enter a higher Forecasted Cost to Complete to reflect the expected overrun and present the updated margin to the project owner.
- A controller runs a monthly forecast review across all active projects. They open each project's *Budget vs Actual* table, enter updated Forecasted Cost to Complete values, and save each forecast with a descriptive name like "June 2026 Monthly Forecast."
- A project manager realizes a subcontractor bid came in lower than budgeted. They enter a negative Forecasted Cost to Complete for that segment to reflect the savings, and the *Over/Under Cost* column turns green to confirm the project is under budget.

## Understand the forecasting columns

The *Budget vs Actual* table includes the following forecasting columns. You can show or hide these columns from the *Edit Columns* panel:

- **Balance to Finish:** Total Budget minus Projected (Committed Costs plus Actual). This is how much of your budget remains. Negative values display in red.
- **Forecasted Cost to Complete (FCTC):** The amount you expect to spend to finish the work for a segment. You enter this value in the forecasting popover. Displays a dash (—) if no forecast has been saved.
- **Forecasted Cost at Complete (FCAC):** Projected costs (Committed plus Actual) plus Forecasted Cost to Complete. This is your estimated total cost for the segment when the project is complete. Displays a dash (—) if no FCTC has been entered.
- **Over/Under Cost:** Total Budget minus Forecasted Cost at Complete. Positive values (under budget) display in green. Negative values (over budget) display in red. Displays a dash (—) if no FCTC has been entered.
- **Forecasted Margin $:** Total Contract Value minus Forecasted Cost at Complete. Displays in the *Margin $* summary row. Positive values display in green. Negative values display in red.
- **Forecasted Margin %:** Forecasted Margin $ divided by Total Contract Value. Displays in the *Margin %* summary row. Inherits the same color treatment as Forecasted Margin $.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** All forecasting columns respect the **$** and **QTY** toggle. Each column header includes a tooltip that explains the calculation.

## Sandbox mode

Sandbox mode is the editing layer in the *Budget vs Actual* table. Changes you make in sandbox mode are not applied to the live table until you save them. All expense segments expand automatically so you can see the leaf segments and the edit icons.

## Enter a forecast

To enter a forecast for your project:

1. [Search for](https://help.servicetitan.com/docs/en/use-search-in-servicetitan) and go to the project you want. The *Project* screen opens.
2. In the side menu, click **Financials**.
3. On the *Financials* screen that opens, scroll down to the *Budget vs Actual* section.
4. Click **Forecasting and Adjustments > Create Forecast**.

![Budget vs Actual report showing revenue, expenses, and forecasting options for adjustments.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/bva-create-forecast.png)
5. On the *Forecasting Sandbox* screen, click the **Edit** icon on the *Forecasted Cost to Complete* column in the leaf segment row you want to forecast. The forecasting popup opens.

![Forecasting data showing budget, expenses, and variances for different segments.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/forecasting-table.png)
6. In the popover, enter the forecast values:

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Both the dollar and percentage fields accept negative values. Use a negative value if you expect to spend less than the remaining budget.

![Forecasting interface displaying budget allocations and adjustments for materials and expenses.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/forecast-popup.png)
  - In the *Forecast Amount* dollar field, enter the dollar amount you expect to spend to complete this segment. If you enter a percentage in the *%* field instead, the dollar amount calculates automatically based on the Total Budget for the segment.
  - In the *Segments* view, select a GL account from the dropdown to associate the forecast with a GL account.
  - In the *GL* view, select a budget code from the dropdown to associate the forecast with a budget code item.
7. Review the live preview at the bottom of the popover. It shows the updated *Forecasted Cost at Complete* and *Over/Under Cost* values as you type.
8. Click **Apply** to save the value to the sandbox. The row shows an unsaved indicator until you finalize the forecast.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Applying a value in the popup does not save the forecast. It holds the value in the sandbox until you save or discard your changes.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each segment you want to forecast.

## Save or draft a forecast

After you enter forecast values for one or more segments, save or draft the forecast to create a forecast record:

1. In the *Forecasting Sandbox* screen, click **Save**.
2. In the *Save Changes?* popup that opens, enter a name for this forecast in the *Forecast Name* field. For example, you can enter *June 2026 Monthly Forecast*. This field is required.
3. In the *Forecast Note* field, enter a summary of what changed and why. For example, you can enter *Updated MISC charge to reflect permit fees*. This field is required and has a 100-character limit.
4. Choose one of the following:
  - Click **Save Changes** to finalize the forecast. The *Budget vs Actual* table updates to reflect the forecast values. A success message confirms the save. The forecast record is stored in the *Forecast Records* table.
  - Click **Save Draft** to save the forecast as a draft. Draft forecasts do not update the live *Budget vs Actual* table. The forecast record is created with a *Draft* status in the *Forecast Records* table.
  - Click **Cancel** to return to the forecasting sandbox without saving. Your unsaved changes remain in the sandbox.

![Prompt to save changes for September forecasting and updated MISC charge details.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/forecasting-savechanges.png)

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** The *Save Changes?* popup also appears if you try to exit the *Forecasting Sandbox* with unsaved changes.

After you save, the forecasting sandbox closes and the Budget vs Actual table displays your updated forecast values. Verify that the Forecasted Cost to Complete, Forecasted Cost at Complete, and Over/Under Cost columns reflect the values you entered.

![Project budget overview showing actual expenses and forecasts for completion.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/forecast-saved-bva.png)

## Want to learn more?

- Visit ServiceTitan Academy and enroll in [Project Tracking Basics](https://servicetitan.docebosaas.com/academy/learn/courses/253/project-tracking-basics)
- See [Understand Budget vs Actual](https://help.servicetitan.com/docs/en/understand-budget-vs-actual)
- See [Understand project financials](https://help.servicetitan.com/docs/en/understand-project-financials)
- See [Understand project records](https://help.servicetitan.com/docs/en/understand-project-records)