What is original budget vs actual cost?

Original budget vs actual cost compares the first approved project budget with the final cost incurred. It answers how far the completed project moved from the plan that supported the original decision. Revised budgets are useful, but they should not erase the original assumptions when evaluating what the next project should learn.

The original budget is the decision point. The final actual cost is the outcome.

Keeping both visible helps a builder learn which assumptions were reliable.

If the original budget was $860,000 and the final actual cost was $942,000, the original-budget variance was $82,000.

A later revised budget may explain when the change became visible, but it does not replace the original plan.

Illustrative numbers only. Not Bivvit benchmark data.

• Whether the original budget was complete.
• Whether owner changes or scope additions should be separated.
• Whether contingency was used or left unused.

Bivvit separates original budget, revised budgets, and actual cost where the records support the distinction.

That separation helps builders see when the project changed and how much of the change was visible before closeout.

• Construction budget variance
• Completed-project review
• Budget vs actual guide