Site work, controlled by line item and by work front
Earthworks, roads and utilities: budget, progress and real cost of the horizontal works.
A subdivision's site development is horizontal work at scale: moving earth, laying roads, running water and power networks across hectares. The money is controlled by line item and by work front, not by building. Matterial ties each line item's budget — earthworks, paving, utilities — to what you actually buy and spend, so the site-work builder sees the variance per front before it eats the contract's margin.
| Line item | Budget | Spent | Progress | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete and foundation | $612,000 | $598,000 | On track | |
| Steel structure | $486,000 | $502,000 | Over budget | |
| MEP systems | $398,000 | $240,000 | In progress | |
| Masonry | $354,000 | $160,000 | In progress | |
| Finishes | $520,000 | $70,000 | In progress |
The day-to-day of land development & site work today
In site work the volume is huge and the margin thin: a material source that jumps in price, an earthwork that needs more cubic meters than budgeted, utilities paid by progress. If cost lives in loose sheets per front, the site-work overrun shows up at the cutoff — when you have already moved thousands of cubic meters at the wrong price.
How Matterial helps
Budget by site-work line item
Start from a site-work template: earthworks and grading, water and sewer, power and lighting, roads, curbs and green areas, each with its quantity and unit price.
Progress by work front
Track physical and financial progress by work front — earthworks, utilities, roads — from the site journal, with photos and dates.
Real cost against budget
Every purchase order and consumption is deducted from its line item, so you see the variance per item while you can still renegotiate the source or adjust the order.
Progress billing to the developer
Generate progress billings with advance, retainage and recovery to bill the developer for what was executed each period.
Key features for land development & site work
- Site-work template: earthworks, utilities, roads, curbs
- Cost control by line item and by work front
- Large volumes with unit price and progress per item
- Purchases and consumption deducted from the budget
- Progress billings with advance, retainage and recovery
- The project links to the developer’s subdivision (role: site work)
What changes
Features you'll use
Frequently asked questions
Does it work if I only do the site work, not the houses?
Yes. It is exactly for the builder who lays the streets, utilities and lots of the subdivision. You control your horizontal work by line item and, if the developer uses Matterial, your project links to their development with the site-work role.
How do I control large earthwork or paving volumes?
Each line item carries its quantity and unit price; purchases and consumption are deducted against it, so you see how much is spent and the variance per item at any moment, not at close.
Can I bill the developer by progress?
Yes. You generate progress billings with advance, retainage and recovery, with a cover sheet, to invoice for what was executed each period.
Does it connect to the whole subdivision?
Yes. If you are the developer, you link the site work and the housing to a development and see the consolidated cost (land + projects). If you only do site work, you run your project and optionally link it to the client’s development.
Get started with Matterial today
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