Overview
What is a Variation?
A variation is a change to the original estimate/job budget or contract price. A variation can be used when a customer requests further scope of work, costs increase/decrease, or funds need to be reallocated during the project management stage.
ℹ️ For internal budget changes (e.g. materials or contractors), use the Builder Gain/Loss feature. See this article for more information.
Create a Variation
To create a new variation, navigate to Jobs > select the relevant job > Job Financials > Variations and click 
. Once the side menu appears, proceed to enter a Name, use the drop-down to select the cost category, add a description (which will appear on any variation documents provided to the client and displayed in the client portal)and click 
to finalise.
ℹ️ You have the option to link to a selection set by clicking the drop-down menu. See this article for further information.
Scroll to the Cost section and click on 
to add your line item details. Proceed to add a cost item under the cost category. You can add a new item or select an existing item in your catalogues. Select the item Type, Qty, UOM, Price Ea and Markup. Repeat this process as you need.
💡If the variation relates to an existing allowance, navigate to the allowance item in your job budget to create your variation.
Create a Credit (Negative Variation)
If you have not used your full allowance and wish to credit the difference to your client, navigate to Allowances > the relevant cost category and click 
. This will create a negative amount and can be used to offset a future invoice.
See this article for further information.
The Attachments section allows you to include supporting documents for the client to review as part of the variation. Simply drag and drop files into the upload area, or click Browse to select files from your computer.
Create a Variation from the Job Budget
Navigate to the relevant Job > Job Financials > Budget and use the tick box on the left-hand side to select the cost item. Once you have selected the item, you will see a pop-up menu at the bottom of your screen. Click 
to open a side menu and name the variation, optionally use the drop-down to select a cost category & enter a description, once completed, click 
to confirm.
A new variation will be created, automatically populating and linking the selected cost item(s). If you would like these cost items to be visible to your client, click the Owner Price tick box.
💡You can communicate with your clients by clicking 
on the top right screen. They can respond within their client portal.
Approve Your Variation
Once all variation details have been completed, you have the option to download a PDF copy for your records or proceed with finalising the variation. Click 
to send the variation to the client for approval. Once the client approves it, the variation will automatically update the Job Budget.
If the client has already approved the variation outside of JACK, you can click 
to manually record the approval and finalise the variation without sending it to the client.
💡Remember, you can revert your variation to draft status after approval until it has been added to an invoice.