--- title: Tracking Contingencies and Allowances description: Learn how to create and track construction contingencies and allowances in Join, including draws, to manage project risk and stay on budget. --- [Skip to content](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/tracking-contingencies-and-allowances#main-content) [Contact Join Support](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [![Join Help Center](https://success.join.build/hubfs/Join%20Help%20Center.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge?hsLang=en) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact Join Support](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/kb-tickets/new) - [Login](https://app.join.build/) [Login](https://app.join.build/) Hi! 👋 How can we help? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Join - Help Center](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge?hsLang=en) 2. [Markups](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/markups?hsLang=en) 3. [Contingencies and Allowances](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/markups?hsLang=en#contingencies-and-allowances) # Tracking Contingencies and Allowances ## Learn how to create and track construction contingencies and allowances in Join, including draws, to manage project risk and stay on budget. Contingencies in construction are funds reserved for potential risks or changes in the project scope that are not known in advance, while allowances cover known scopes of work with an unknown cost. Both are vital for budget management and can be tracked within Join. ### Creating Contingencies and Allowances #### Project Contingencies and Allowances Project Contingencies and Allowances are included in the Cost of Construction and live in the Milestone Markups table of the Milestone Estimate/Budget. To create a Contingency or Allowance, add a row to the Markups table and change the **Type** to either **Contingency** or **Allowance**. ![](https://success.join.build/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-03-59-3193-PM.png?width=670&height=380&name=image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-03-59-3193-PM.png) #### Owner Contingencies and Allowances Owner Contingencies and Allowances are included in the Project Total cost and live in the Owner Costs table of the Milestone Estimate/Budget. To create an Owner Contingency or Allowance, add a row to the Owner Costs table and change the **Type** to either **Owner Contingency** or **Owner Allowance**. By default, Owner Contingencies and Allowances are visible and editable to project teammates with Admin and Owner role permission. ![](https://success.join.build/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-09-43-2888-PM.png?width=670&height=273&name=image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-09-43-2888-PM.png) ***Tip:** Owner costs can be displayed or hidden depending on the selected [**Project Costs Display**](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/overview-how-join-calculates-project-costs?hsLang=en#project_costs_display_settings) settings. To display Owner Costs, select **Project Total**.*  ### Adjusting Contingencies and Allowances With the Contingencies and Allowances set at the Milestone, you can now make adjustments to them through the **Contingency and Allowance Adjustments** section of an [Item estimate](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/items-estimate?hsLang=en). Adjustments can be set to the full amount of an Item or a custom amount, and they can be split across multiple Contingencies and Allowances. Positive adjustments can also be made when an item's cost is a reduction in scope or when you choose to increase the value of a Contingency or Allowance.  When the [status](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/items-status?hsLang=en) of the Item is changed to Accepted, the adjustment will be updated in the Contingency & Allowance Report.  ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeGkLzjcW9Dbh2HKo3JDoT1LKV9t0PCfk_hBhGmD6yD901ZAy0mHllX2nLHPGrDAUBKA8IHolbmwmvNhzL9y8eM5BnTgCA4hGu-BdM-jLotGuwwag0dSNfspMUbRll-fEWPcy3XPg?key=unR37aBufMPd1b5hMGlfSiHe) ### Contingency and Allowance Reporting #### Items List When an Item has a Contingency or Allowance covering the item's **Full Estimate**, the cost impact of the Item will be zero when the [cost display mode](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/overview-how-join-calculates-project-costs?hsLang=en) is set to Markups Allocated or Markups Separated. The net value will be displayed if the adjustment value is more or less than the Item Estimate. In the Items list, you can see the value of the Contingency or Allowance using the [Item Sidebar](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/item-sidebar?hsLang=en). ***Tip:*** *You can also see an Item's direct cost impact by changing the [Markup Display](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/overview-how-join-calculates-project-costs?hsLang=en#markups_display_settings)*[*Setting*](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/overview-how-join-calculates-project-costs?hsLang=en#markups_display_settings) *to **Direct Costs Only**. Contingencies and Allowances are considered a sub-type of Markups.* You can also **Filter** down the Items list to show only Items associated with a given Contingency or Allowance. ![Screenshot 2026-08-14 at 11.11.16 AM](https://success.join.build/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-08-14%20at%2011.11.16%20AM.png?width=315&height=441&name=Screenshot%202026-08-14%20at%2011.11.16%20AM.png)   ***Tip**: In order to access the **Contingency and Allowance Adjustments filter**, ensure your Items List is filtered to the current Milestone.*  #### MSR and Variance Report In the [Milestone Summary Report](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/milestone-summary-report?hsLang=en) and [Variance Report](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/variance-report?hsLang=en) (depending on the display cost settings), there are sections for Markups, Contingencies, and Allowances. Positive adjustments appear as Adds, and negative adjustments appear as Draws. ![](https://success.join.build/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-29-06-8433-PM.png?width=670&height=655&name=image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-29-06-8433-PM.png) #### Contingency & Allowance Report From the **Reports** page, you can launch the [Contingency & Allowance Report](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/contingency-and-allowance-draw-report?hsLang=en). You can view the adjustments in the active Milestone and across all Milestones to understand how much of the contingency or allowance you have remaining.  ### Running Total Estimates If you're [copying a Running Total](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/copying-an-existing-milestone-estimate-or-budget?hsLang=en) forward to a new Estimate or Budget, the accepted Items that have Contingency and/or Allowance adjustments will be carried over and listed as a Draw or Add in separate tables titled **Incorporated Item Adjustments** and **Incorporated Owner Cost Adjustments**. Here you can reconcile the values of contingencies and allowances with this new Milestone.  ![](https://success.join.build/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-35-25-6752-PM.png?width=670&height=370&name=image-png-Mar-11-2025-11-35-25-6752-PM.png) - [Getting Started with Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Join Overview](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#join-overview) - [I'm a new Join user](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#im-a-new-join-user) - [My company is new to Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#my-company-is-new-to-join) - [I want to use Join on my project](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#i-want-to-use-join-on-my-project) - [Workflow Best Practices](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#workflow-best-practices) - 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