A purchase order form and the log that tracks it
A one-page purchase order with vendor, job, cost code, delivery and approval, and a log that tracks every PO's status, received and billed amounts and the committed cost still open. The log uses the same rule BuildersBridge does: drafts commit nothing, sent and received POs commit their unbilled balance, and a bill above the PO total is flagged.
Excel / Google Sheets compatible · no sign-up required
Template and page last reviewed November 3, 2026.
What is in the file
| PO | Vendor | Code | Total | Status | Billed | Committed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO-201 | Tile supplier (fictional) | 1100 | $971.00 | Received | $971.00 | $0.00 |
| PO-202 | Plumbing sub (fictional) | 600 | $2,400.00 | Sent | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| PO-203 | Fixture supplier (fictional) | 1200 | $2,800.00 | Sent | $0.00 | $2,800.00 |
| PO-204 | Glass supplier (fictional) | 1200 | $1,000.00 | Draft | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Totals | $7,171.00 | $2,171.00 | $4,000.00 |
Three steps to a working document
Raise the PO before you order
Vendor, job, cost code, the lines with quantity and unit rate, delivery date, and who approved it.
Log it and set the status
Draft until it is sent; Sent once the vendor has it; Received when the goods or work arrive; Closed when it is finished.
Record bills against it
Enter what has been billed on each PO. The committed column drops as bills arrive, and anything billed over the PO total is flagged.
Committed cost here is the amount before tax, as in BuildersBridge. Whether you can recover the tax on a supplier invoice is a question for your accountant.
When the spreadsheet stops scaling
BuildersBridge keeps this log for you: POs against each job, bills matched to them, and committed and actual cost on the job budget. You still send the PO to the supplier yourself.
See how it works in BuildersBridgeCommon questions
What should a construction purchase order include?
The vendor, the job, a cost code if you use them, each item with quantity and unit rate, the total before tax, the delivery date and place, and who approved it. The form in the download has each of these.
When does a purchase order count as committed cost?
When it has been sent to the vendor. A draft is an idea, not a promise, so it commits nothing. Once sent or received, its total less the bills already recorded against it is committed; closing or cancelling it releases the unbilled balance.
What if the bill is higher than the PO?
The log flags it. Committed never goes below zero; the extra shows up as billed cost, which is where you want to see it.