Expense Management

Expense Management for Trades & Construction

Transform your trades & construction expense management with custom automation built by Harvard-educated experts. Measurable outcomes in 4-8 weeks, backed by 98% client retention.

2 weeks

First prototype

98%

Client retention

50+

Businesses served

150+

Integrations

Book Free Assessment All Trades & Construction Solutions

Expected Outcomes

Measurable results our trades & construction clients achieve with expense management.

85% reduction

Receipt processing time

Expenses that previously waited in glove boxes and tool belts until month end are now captured and processed in real time from site.

Substantially improved

Job costing accuracy

Every expense is allocated to the correct job immediately, providing accurate project cost visibility throughout the build.

70% less

BAS preparation effort

GST categorisation is handled automatically, dramatically reducing the time your bookkeeper spends on BAS preparation.

The Challenge

Common expense management challenges facing trades & construction businesses.

Crumpled receipts accumulating in ute consoles and tool belts, many lost before they reach the bookkeeper

Job costs unknown until weeks after a project is complete because expenses are not allocated in real time

Tradies submitting expense claims on scraps of paper with missing details and no GST breakdowns

Fuel cards and supplier accounts reconciled manually against individual jobs each month

Implementation

How we implement expense management for your trades & construction business.

Capture Expenses from the Field

Tradies and site supervisors photograph receipts using a mobile app. The system uses OCR to extract supplier, amount, GST, and date, then categorises the expense against the relevant job in ServiceM8, Tradify, or Buildxact.

✓ Tools: Make, Google Vision, ServiceM8, Tradify

Route Approvals by Job and Value

Expenses are routed automatically based on job allocation and dollar thresholds. Materials under a set limit are auto-approved, while larger purchases require project manager sign-off via mobile notification.

✓ Tools: Make, Slack, Airtable

Categorise and Allocate to Jobs

Each expense is automatically categorised for tax purposes and allocated to the correct job for accurate job costing. Fuel, materials, tool hire, and subcontractor costs each flow to their proper cost codes.

✓ Tools: Make, Xero, Airtable

Generate Job Cost and Tax Reports

Weekly job cost reports, monthly expense summaries, and BAS-ready GST categorisation reports are generated automatically, giving builders clear visibility of project profitability.

✓ Tools: Make, Google Sheets, Xero

Why Choose Clever Ops

What makes our expense management solution different.

Mobile Receipt Capture

Site workers snap a photo of any receipt and the system handles the rest. OCR extracts the details, categorises the expense, and allocates it to the job automatically.

Real-Time Job Costing

Every materials purchase, fuel fill, and tool hire is allocated to the correct job as it happens, giving project managers live cost visibility rather than month-end surprises.

Automated Approval Workflows

Low-value site purchases are auto-approved while larger expenses route to the appropriate project manager, eliminating bottlenecks without losing control.

Tax-Ready Expense Reporting

GST, FBT, and deductible categories are applied automatically, making BAS lodgement and tax return preparation significantly faster and more accurate.

Trades & Construction Compliance

Compliant with Safe Work Australia requirements, state WHS legislation, and Building Code of Australia (NCC) documentation standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most expense management implementations for trades & construction businesses start with a working prototype in 2 weeks, with full rollout completed in 4-8 weeks. We deliver in phases so you see value quickly.

Pricing for expense management depends on your trades & construction workflow complexity and the number of systems involved. Most solutions fall within our standard tiers. Start with a free assessment for an accurate quote.

We connect expense management to your existing tools including Dext, Xero, Make and 150+ other platforms. No need to switch - we plug into what you already use.

We provide 3 months of hands-on support after launching your expense management solution. This includes monitoring, adjustments, and training. After that, we offer ongoing support plans tailored to your needs.

No. We build expense management around your existing trades & construction tools and processes. Our approach enhances what you already have: zero retraining, zero data migration, and immediate ROI.