Keep the estimate and the actual cost on the same job

An estimate is what you approved. The actual is what you paid in parts, labour, and the contractor. Both belong on the work order. A folder of invoices without the job is a pile. A job without the invoice is a story.

You do not need a finance system to start. Write the figures you know. If the contractor has not billed yet, leave actual blank rather than copying the estimate into it. Copied estimates become fake actuals.

What to compare later

Look at jobs where actual is far above estimate. The usual reasons are a second part, a second visit, or a machine that was further gone than the fault said. That is useful. It tells you the next similar fault may deserve a closer look before you promise a member a date.

Do not publish these figures on the public page. Cost is an internal fact. The member needs the status.

A single expensive job is not automatically a reason to replace the machine. It is a reason to read the whole file before the next approval.