🔧📋Here’s a simplified step-by-step list to set up CHS

STEP 1 – Set Up CHS Company Defaults

• Enter your company info and select settings that fit your business model (like contract types, profit markup style, etc.)

STEP 2 – Set Up Core Lists

These are master lists that drive everything else:

• Chart of Accounts (accountant sets this up)

• Cost Code Centers (builder sets this up for job cost tracking)

• Cost Types (identify labor, material, subcontractor, etc.)

• Departments (if needed for tracking divisions or teams)

• Vendors (with insurance/license expiration tracking)

• Customers and Jobs (with contract info, markup %, etc.)

STEP 3 – Set Default GL Accounts

Make data entry easy and accurate by assigning default GL accounts to:

• Each job

• Each vendor

• Bank deposits (for customer payments)

STEP 4 – Enter Job Estimates

• Builder or estimator enters job estimate using cost codes

• CHS calculates suggested price based on markup and contract type

• Estimate is the foundation for purchase orders, change orders, and cost tracking

STEP 5 – Create Purchase Orders (POs)

• Builder or estimator creates POs from estimate

• Assign cost code and job

• Ensures bookkeeper knows who’s doing what work, for how much

STEP 6 – Set Up Change Orders

• Builder/owner creates change orders with estimated costs and sales price

• Automatically adjusts job budget and contract amount

STEP 7 – Start Entering Accounting Data

• Bookkeeper enters vendor bills, customer payments, bank deposits, etc.

• CHS alerts for missing insurance, budget or PO overages, duplicate invoices, etc.

STEP 8 – Use Financial Reports

• Run real-time Job Cost Reports, Income Statements, WIP Reports, etc.

• See where you stand at any point in time