Project Overhead

Project Overhead refers to job-specific costs that support project execution but aren’t direct line items like materials or labor. These costs can include logistics, coordination, travel, and on-site setup.

Elevation Advisor offers a smarter, more transparent approach to managing Project Overhead by dividing it into two distinct sections, each with a clear purpose and pricing strategy.

Project Overhead (No Markup)

These are pass-through, job-specific costs that do not reflect added value or labor. They’re essential to completing the job but aren’t marked up.

Examples:

• Port-a potty rentals,

• Hotel stays for out-of-town crews

• Meals and travel reimbursements

These costs are included for transparency and tracked for profitability, but do not impact margin.

Project Overhead with Markup (via PMM)

These costs are tied directly to job execution and require effort, planning, and coordination, so they do represent value. They’re marked up using PMM to ensure proper compensation.

Examples:

• Equipment mobilization

• Pre-construction meetings

• Job-site cleanup

Why It Matters

Most platforms lump overhead into a generic bucket, but Elevation Advisor empowers you with granular control so you can:

✔ Price more competitively

✔ Justify estimates with confidence

✔ Improve profitability without overcharging

It’s a smarter way to present costs and a key reason Elevation Advisor helps you price with precision, sell with clarity, and run lean.

Positioning Project Overhead in Proposals

To enhance customer understanding and improve sales outcomes, Elevation Advisor recommends using built in ISPS tools to rename Project Overhead to something like Mobilization and organize it within a custom group labeled like Mainframe. This strategic repackaging improves transparency while preventing client confusion and reducing proposal clutter.

This approach maintains focus on value-driven deliverables and presents a streamlined proposal narrative.

This tactic reflects the core of Integrated Sales Psychology and Strategies (ISPS):

🎯 Presenting value, not cost

🎯 Reducing buyer friction

🎯 Structuring proposals for higher close rates

Now it's time to add labor, equipment, or subcontractors to this section.

Once you've done that, you can enter a description of the services provided and include any crew notes relevant to the work. If you need guidance, please refer to the article on Beds, which walks through this process in detail.

Creating a Custom Section in Your Proposal

If a project includes elements not covered by Elevation Advisor’s standard landscape sections, such as fire pits, garden boxes, pergolas, or other unique features, you can easily build a tailored solution using a Custom Section.

Updated on: 10/13/2025