Job Cost Sheet: Definition, Characteristics & Benefits

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A job cost sheet is a list of a job’s actual costs or estimated costs.
• A job cost sheet is kept for each job in a job order costing system. It displays information about the overall expense of a specific job.
• A job cost sheet displays the product’s production costs overall as well as the cost per unit.
• Making a job cost sheet can be challenging since it may require dozens of individuals with various direct labor costs and a labor allocation.

What Is a Job Cost Sheet?

A job cost sheet is a totalization of a job’s actual costs. The management team receives the report, which was put together by the accounting department, to determine whether work was properly bid. The sheet might be created concurrently with the work being done, but it is often finished afterwards.

How Are Job Cost Sheets Calculated?

Job sheets are calculated as follows: 

• Step 1: Add up the total materials cost required to finish the job.
• Step 2: Determine the cost for labor.
• Step 3: Determine the production overhead cost. Typically, manufacturing costs are calculated as a proportion of total labor hours.
• Step 4: Tally up the expenses determined in Steps 1 through 3.
• Step 5: Divide the total cost of the project by the number of units produced to determine the cost per unit.

What Is the Purpose of a Job Cost Sheet?

A job cost sheet is a document that lists every expense made to complete a project. These expenses can be recorded both during and after the project. This record is often generated by the accounting division to confirm that spending was within predetermined limits.

It can be difficult to create a job cost sheet because it may involve different labor rates for a large number of workers, labor allocation for overtime pay, payroll taxes, and benefits paid to those workers. Plus potentially hundreds of other components, all of which should include the cost of shipping and handling. 

The job cost sheet may additionally show subtotals of the expenses for allocated overhead, direct materials, and direct labor, depending on how it is formatted. The sheet also determines the job’s final profit or loss by deducting all accumulated costs from the total of all customer billings.

What Are the Characteristics of a Job Cost Sheet?

Job Cost Sheet normally consists of 4 major components:

1. Direct Materials
2. Direct Labour
3. Manufacturing Overhead
4. Summary of the above with the total job cost

What Are the Benefits of Using a Job Cost Sheet?

There are a number of benefits that come from using a job cost sheet. Here are some of the main ones:

• They display the product’s production cost overall as well as the cost per unit.
• They can help manufacturers keep production costs under control.
• They serve as a guide to help producers develop a clear and successful production policy.
• They aid in the management’s decision on product pricing.
• They assist management in comparing various cost components to past outcomes and benchmark costs.

How Is a Job Cost Sheet Used?

In order to remind the cost accountant to include certain standard items, the task cost sheet is most frequently created using a standard template spreadsheet. There are software tools that can complete this operation and automatically fill up some fields in the compilation.

Summary

A job cost sheet is a document that lists a job’s components, pricing per unit of a product or service, and final cost. The task order costing system should be used for manufacturing distinctive products. Additionally, this approach is perfect for businesses that provide specialized goods or expensive products like computers or automobiles.

Written by Jami Gong, MPAcc, CPA

Jami Gong is a Chartered Professional Account and Financial System Consultant. She holds a Masters Degree in Professional Accounting from the University of New South Wales. Her areas of expertise include accounting system and enterprise resource planning implementations, as well as accounting business process improvement and workflow design. Jami has collaborated with clients large and small in the technology, financial, and post-secondary fields.

Written by Jami Gong, MPAcc, CPA

Jami Gong is a Chartered Professional Account and Financial System Consultant. She holds a Masters Degree in Professional Accounting from the University of New South Wales. Her areas of expertise include accounting system and enterprise resource planning implementations, as well as accounting business process improvement and workflow design. Jami has collaborated with clients large and small in the technology, financial, and post-secondary fields.