Construction Cost Tracker Dashboard in Excel

I want a single Excel workbook that lets me estimate, record and monitor construction costs without any macros or external add-ons. It must handle three core functions for me: automatic calculations, controlled dropdown lists and a clear, insight-rich dashboard.

Workbook structure
• Estimate sheet – I enter budget items once, tagging each with dropdown selections for Materials, Labor or Equipment (plus stage and description). Quantities, rates, GST and line totals calculate automatically.
• Actuals sheet – I can log multiple invoices against every budget line, and the sheet instantly aggregates spend.
• Summary logic – built-in formulas show budget-versus-actual values, variances and % used.

Dashboard
A single page should update on refresh, showing the three views I rely on: key cost summaries, category comparisons and monthly spending. Use slicers or filters so I can drill into any project stage or cost category, and flag over-budget items with conditional formatting that stands out at a glance.

Ease of use
The file has to be maintenance-friendly for someone with only basic Excel skills. Clear cell naming, no hidden tricks, and a short “how-to” section explaining how to add new projects, update data and refresh the visuals are essential.

Deliverable: an unlocked .xlsx file ready for immediate use, plus concise setup notes so this template can be reused on future jobs.