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How to use it

RenovaTrack

Built around forecasting where you're heading rather than recording where you've been — so the overrun shows up while you can still change the budget.

By · Updated October 24, 2026

What it's for Reach for it when Your first fifteen minutes Getting more out of it The limits
What it's for

Why do renovation budgets blow up?

Renovations don't blow the budget on one big surprise. They blow it on forty small ones that each looked fine in isolation and only added up on the invoices. By the time you notice, the money is spent.

RenovaTrack is built around forecasting where you're heading rather than recording where you've been. It tracks estimated against actual spend, compares contractor quotes on the same terms, and tells you your projected final cost while you can still change the budget.

Reach for it when

When should I reach for RenovaTrack?

You're renovating your own place and managing the project yourself. You have quotes from three contractors in three formats sitting in your inbox. You have a budget you're anxious about and no clear read on whether you're still inside it.

Your first fifteen minutes

What should I do in the first fifteen minutes?

  1. Open it and look at the sample kitchen remodel.
    It's there so you can see every feature working before entering anything real. Click through it, then delete it with one click when you're ready.
  2. Create your project and set the real budget.
    The number you'd be upset to exceed, not the aspirational one.
  3. Enter line items as estimates first.
    Cabinets, labor, permits, flooring — estimated cost, before anything is spent. This is what makes the forecast work; an empty plan can't warn you about anything.
  4. Add your contractor quotes.
    Enter each bid against the same line items. Quotes that looked comparable in PDF form usually aren't, and this is where that becomes visible.
  5. Set your milestone dates, including inspections.
    The permit step stalling the trades behind it is the classic schedule killer.
  6. Then log actuals as invoices arrive.
    Watch the forecast-at-completion number, not the spent-so-far number. That's the one that tells you something you don't already know.
Getting more out of it

Which habits get more out of RenovaTrack?

Photograph as you go
Before, during, after each phase. It costs nothing at the time and is the only record of what's behind the drywall.
Use Print / Save as PDF
Share a clean status report with a contractor, spouse or lender. There's no shared login, and this is cleaner anyway.
Check the forecast weekly, not daily
It's a steering instrument, not a scoreboard.
Common questions

What does RenovaTrack cost?

RenovaTrack is $29 once, with no renewal and nothing to cancel. You get 14 days free first, with no card to start. It covers unlimited projects, line items and quotes. If the trial ends and you don't buy, the app goes read-only and export still works.

How does it forecast my final cost?

Actual spend is compared against the estimates for work that has been invoiced, and what is left is added on top. That gives a forecast at completion, which is the number to watch.

How does it flag a low bid?

Quotes are compared within each trade on price, timeline, warranty, license, insurance and references. A bid 30% or more below its trade's median gets flagged.

Where is my data stored?

In your browser, on your device. Nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline. Progress photos are resized automatically and stored on the same device. You can export a JSON backup, or use Print / Save as PDF for a status report, even before you buy.

Is there something free to try first?

Yes: the Contractor Quote Comparison Worksheet, seven printable pages with the five checks every bid should pass, the lowball test, and three bids side by side.

What can I track besides money?

Milestones cover permits, inspections and each trade's start date, with overdue work called out before the delay cascades. Supplies are grouped by store, with running totals, so every screw, shim and tube of caulk is on one list. Progress photos give you a record to use for warranty claims, resale disclosure and finding the pipe you forgot about.

What does the sample project do?

RenovaTrack opens with a realistic sample kitchen remodel so you can see every feature working right away. One click deletes it when you are ready to enter your own project.

Honest about the limits

What does RenovaTrack not do?

Fourteen days free with no card, then $29 once. When the trial ends the app goes read-only rather than locking — you keep seeing your data and export keeps working, because holding someone's renovation records hostage is a terrible way to run a business.

Built for one person's device. It doesn't sync between your phone and your laptop, and there's no contractor login. Export a JSON copy before switching devices or clearing your browser.

Start free — 14 days, no card ↑ Back to what's inside

Sources

Independent sources on the topic. Rules, figures and guidance change, so confirm current details there.

  • Home Sweet Home... Improvement (Federal Trade Commission, FTC Facts for Consumers (2001), hosted by Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection). Advises getting written estimates from several firms, asking why prices differ, and tying payments to completed work.
  • Guidelines for Home Repair Contracting (Tennessee Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs). Advises collecting several itemized bids for identical work, writing down the agreed terms and schedule, and keeping upfront payments modest.