Why Excavation & Groundwork Contractors Lose Margin on Site
Aggregates by the ton, skip hire, and excavation machinery rentals make groundwork costing complex. If you don't log your actual material and equipment usage on site, your margin slips away:
- 1.Unbilled Civils Materials & WasteBuying drainage pipes, gullies, inspection chambers, or aggregates in bulk often results in leftovers. If you don't allocate the correct materials portion to the job, or fail to charge the client for the full quantities ordered, you are absorbing the material costs into your labor rate.
- 2.Plant Hire & Fuel ExpensesExcavators, site dumpers, compaction plates, grab hire, and red diesel fuel add up to significant figures. Many groundworkers ignore these individual expenses or forget to attach them to specific jobs, letting hundreds of pounds in claimable expenses slip through the cracks.
- 3.Lost Merchant and Wholesaler ReceiptsPaper invoices from civils merchants like Keyline, Jewson Civils, or Travis Perkins get muddy or lost. At tax time, your accountant can only write off what you have clear proof of. Lost receipts equal higher tax bills.
Features Purpose-Built for Groundworkers
AI Invoice Scanning
Take a quick photo of your civils merchant, quarry, or plant hire invoice. Our AI scans the invoice, extracts every item (pipes, shingle, machine rentals), and links them directly to your job budget.
Smart Materials & Drainage Library
Log drainage bends, twinwall pipes, geotextile rolls, concrete bags, and aggregates easily. VanLog autocompletes past items and remembers pricing, making on-site tracking take less than 15 seconds.
Mileage Logging for Site & Merchant Runs
Record your runs to local civils yards, plant hire depots, or site surveys. VanLog automatically calculates your tax-deductible mileage value based on HMRC (45p/mile) or ATO (88c/km) approved rates.
Offline-Capable Interface
Works on remote sites, open fields, and deep excavation areas with zero cell reception. The app caches all materials and mileage inputs locally and syncs automatically when you're back in range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AI scanner support civils and quarry invoices?
Yes. Our AI receipt scanner recognizes layouts and invoice terminology from major civils merchants and local quarries like Keyline, Jewson Civils, Travis Perkins, and aggregate suppliers.
Can I track my plant hire and diesel costs?
Yes. You can record excavator rentals, dumpers, grab lorry hire, and fuel purchases under the Job Expenses or Overhead tracker to make sure your tax returns reflect these business costs.
How does VanLog handle aggregate calculations?
You can add bulk loads of MOT Type 1 or gravel to your job log and choose to allocate a percentage of the total cost to a specific job, or log it fully to a job and let VanLog track the rest as van stock.
Ready to stop losing profit on your groundwork jobs?
Join self-employed groundworkers who use VanLog to track material costs, capture tax-deductible mileage, and manage their business efficiently.
⚠️ Important: VanLog is a record-keeping tool. Verify all calculations with your local tax authority and consult an accountant before submitting tax returns. You are solely responsible for your tax compliance.