The problem
Some costs you pass through. Some you eat because it's a good client or you quoted it that way. The problem is knowing which is which, and whether the absorbed costs are actually hurting you.
If you're consistently eating the same type of cost — fuel, a certain type of material run, overtime — and you can't see it, you're just quietly trimming your margin by the same amount every job.
Why we built it
We built the billable/absorbed toggle so the app tracks what you decide to pass on vs. what you decide to cover. When you look at a job's real profit, you see both — so you can make a conscious call instead of just letting money disappear.
How it works
- 1
When adding a line item or expense, toggle it as billable or absorbed.
- 2
Absorbed costs still count against your actual profit — the math doesn't pretend they didn't happen.
- 3
View absorbed totals per job or across the month to see patterns.
What changes for your business
Before
Some costs just disappear into the job. You notice the profit was lower than expected.
After
Every cost is marked. You see what you're eating — and by how much.
Common questions
What is an absorbed cost in contracting?
An absorbed cost is an expense you cover yourself rather than passing to the client. Common examples: fuel for a short supply run, truck wear on a nearby job, or a quick return trip for a forgotten part. You chose not to charge for it — but it still reduces what the job actually made you.
What is the difference between billable and absorbed costs?
Billable costs go to the client on the invoice. Absorbed costs are expenses you cover yourself. In DIRT, every line item or expense gets toggled billable or absorbed when you add it. Absorbed costs count against job profit even though they don't appear on the invoice, so your margin number stays honest.
Does an absorbed cost affect my job profit calculation?
Yes. DIRT includes absorbed costs in the job's true profit number even though they don't appear on the invoice. If you absorb $60 in fuel on a job, that $60 comes out of margin. Tracking absorbed costs is what makes the profit number accurate instead of artificially inflated.
Why should I track costs I'm not billing to the client?
Because the money still left your pocket. Absorbed costs you can't see are the ones that quietly cut your margin job after job. Once you can see patterns — for example, you consistently absorb fuel on a certain type of job — you can decide whether to start billing for it or build it into your flat rate.
How do I toggle a cost as billable or absorbed in DIRT?
When you add a line item or expense to a job, flip the toggle to billable or absorbed. You can change it any time before invoicing if your plan changes. The absorbed total shows in the job detail so you can see exactly how much you're covering on each job before you close it out.
Can I see my total absorbed costs across all jobs?
The job detail view shows absorbed costs for that job. Your stats view shows patterns across the month or year. If absorbed costs are consistently eating into margin, that trend becomes visible — and visible is the first step to doing something about it.
Start free
Try it free.
Every DIRT plan includes this feature — Solo included. No credit card, no trial that expires. Set up in minutes and use it on your next job from the truck.