CoConstruct lacks a dedicated reimbursement module, so controllers typically need a separate tool to capture employee expenses and code them back to the correct job and cost code. Platforms like Vergo address this gap with built-in reimbursement workflows that tie directly to job-cost structure, keeping WIP schedules and GL mapping accurate without manual rework.
CoConstruct (now Buildertrend, following a 2021 merger) is a project management, estimating, and client communication platform built primarily for residential builders and remodelers. Its financial features focus on budgeting, change orders, purchase orders, and client-facing billing — not on employee expense reimbursements.
Reimbursement management is a distinct finance function. It involves collecting receipts from field employees or subcontractors, categorizing each expense against a job number and cost code, approving the claim through a defined workflow, and issuing payment. None of these steps exist as a native, end-to-end workflow inside CoConstruct.
Some contractors attempt to log reimbursable expenses as line items on a budget or as vendor bills inside their connected accounting system, but this creates manual reconciliation work and often leaves receipts disconnected from the underlying transaction.
In most industries, employee reimbursements are a simple accounts payable function. In construction, they carry additional complexity because every dollar must trace back to a specific job, phase, and cost code — or it distorts job cost reporting.
For a controller managing multiple active projects, untracked reimbursements create several downstream problems:
When a superintendent buys $400 in materials at a supply house on a personal card, that transaction needs to hit the right job, the right phase (say, rough framing), and the right cost code — ideally before the month closes. Without a dedicated workflow, this almost never happens cleanly.
Scenario 1 — The Late Post: A project manager for a $3.2M custom home submits three months of fuel and material receipts at once. The accounting team has already closed two billing periods. The costs get posted to the current month, inflating job costs on a project that's already shown as under budget, masking a real overage on the framing phase.
Scenario 2 — The Wrong Job: A field supervisor works across two active jobs — Maple Creek Lot 4 and Riverside Phase 2 — and submits a single receipt batch without specifying which costs belong where. The AP clerk assigns everything to the most recent job. Both job cost reports are now wrong, and the error isn't caught until the project closeout audit.
Scenario 3 — The Right Process: A contractor uses a dedicated reimbursement tool that lets field employees photograph receipts at point of purchase, select the job and cost code from a dropdown tied to the active project list, and submit for manager approval. The controller sees the request in real time, approves or flags it, and the transaction posts directly to the correct job in the accounting system — no manual entry, no period timing issues.
Construction-specific finance platforms close the gap that project management tools like CoConstruct leave open. These platforms provide mobile receipt capture, job-and-cost-code assignment at the point of submission, approval routing, and direct posting to the connected ERP — eliminating the manual reconciliation loop.
Vergo is a card-agnostic expense management platform built for construction. Connect any corporate or project credit card and get full visibility and control over field spending.
You can manually enter reimbursable costs as budget line items in CoConstruct, but there is no receipt capture, approval workflow, or automatic posting. This creates a reconciliation burden for the accounting team and leaves no audit trail connecting the transaction to the original receipt or the employee who submitted it.
Employee reimbursements cover out-of-pocket purchases made by W-2 employees and are processed through payroll or accounts payable with IRS substantiation rules applied. Subcontractor expenses are billed through invoices under a subcontract agreement. Both must be coded to a job and cost code, but they follow different approval workflows and accounting treatments.
Each reimbursement should be assigned a job number, phase code, and cost code at the time of submission — not during back-office processing. Coding at the source, by the person who made the purchase, produces the most accurate job cost data. Controllers should define a required field set that mirrors the chart of accounts used in the ERP.
The CoConstruct–QuickBooks integration syncs budgets, invoices, and purchase orders, but it does not add a reimbursement submission or approval workflow. Controllers still need employees to submit receipts manually, and those receipts must be manually entered into QuickBooks. The integration does not automate expense capture or cost-code assignment for field reimbursements.
Key criteria include mobile receipt capture with OCR, mandatory job and cost code fields on every submission, configurable approval routing by project or dollar threshold, and direct ERP integration that posts approved expenses without manual rekeying. Construction-specific tools should also support lien-waiver-period cutoffs and match the cost code structure of the connected accounting system.
Vergo has native integrations with all major construction ERPs — including Sage, Viewpoint, Procore, Foundation, QuickBooks, Acumatica, CMiC, COINS, Epicor, Jonas, and Deltek. Approved reimbursements post directly to the correct job and cost code in whichever ERP the contractor uses, eliminating duplicate data entry and reducing the risk of miscoding.