Project Budget Burn Calculator

{{ riskLabel }} {{ formatMoney(result.remainingBudget) }} remaining {{ formatMoney(result.variance) }} variance {{ formatMoney(result.burnRatePerDay) }}/day {{ runwayBadgeText }} {{ formatPercent(dateProgress.elapsedPercent) }} elapsed

Use committed cost for approved spend that has not hit actuals yet. Forecasts are deterministic budget-control checks for review prep, not accounting records.

Total budget:

Enter the approved BAC or client budget in the selected currency, e.g. 125000.

Actual spend to date:

Use actuals through the status date; exclude commitments not yet posted.

Committed cost:

Include signed POs, booked contractors, or vendor commitments; enter 0 if none.

Project start date:

Use the approved baseline start date, not the first invoice date.

Project end date:

Pick the current baseline finish date used in budget reviews.

Status date:

Use the date your actual and committed costs were pulled.

Percent complete:

Enter 0-100 from PM status, earned value, or milestone progress.

Primary forecast method:

Time-based uses schedule pace; percent-complete uses progress; manual uses your estimate.

Manual uncommitted remaining estimate:

Enter expected future uncommitted spend beyond actuals and commitments.

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Currency symbol:

Use a symbol or short code such as $, RM, EUR, or USD.

Planned spend at status date:

Enter baseline planned value by the status date, or 0 to hide planned-spend variance.

Reserve cushion: {{ reserve_percent }}%

Use 0-30% to show how much budget you want held back from spend commitments.

Overrun alert threshold: {{ overrun_threshold_percent }}%

Use 1-30%; lower values make the risk badge more sensitive.

Rounding:

Choose cents for detailed reviews, whole units for summaries, or thousands for exec briefs.

Metric	Value	Review note	Copy
{{ row.label }}	{{ row.value }}	{{ row.note }}

Method	Formula basis	Forecast final spend	Variance	Signal	Copy
{{ row.method }} Selected	{{ row.formula }}	{{ row.forecast }}	{{ row.variance }}	{{ row.signal }}

Schedule item	Value	Detail	Copy
{{ row.label }}	{{ row.value }}	{{ row.detail }}

Checkpoint	Signal	Review note	Copy
{{ row.checkpoint }}	{{ row.signal }}	{{ row.note }}

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Budget burn is the pace at which a project turns its approved budget into actual and committed cost. A project can look calm when invoices are still pending, then tighten quickly once purchase orders, staffing commitments, and remaining schedule time are counted together. The useful question is not just how much has been spent, but whether the current pace still fits the budget by the finish date.

A burn review is usually done at a status date. That snapshot compares the approved budget, posted spend, costs already committed, elapsed project time, and some view of remaining work. The answer helps a project manager decide whether to keep the plan, slow new commitments, re-estimate unfinished work, or prepare a budget conversation before the overrun becomes unavoidable.

Forecasts are not accounting records. They are control checks based on the assumptions entered at the review point. A time-based forecast treats elapsed schedule percent as the driver. A progress-based forecast treats percent complete as the driver. A planned-spend comparison checks whether actual spend is running above or below the planned value at the same date. Each view can be useful, but each one can mislead if the input that drives it is weak.

Budget burn diagram comparing planned spend, actual plus forecast spend, and the budget ceiling across a project timeline

A sound review keeps the warning signs separate from the decision. Negative variance, short runway, or a high to-complete pressure signal should slow the conversation, not settle it alone. Contract changes, scope movement, delayed invoices, and future staffing choices can all change the final cost, so a budget burn result is best read as an early management signal.

Technical Details:

Project budget burn starts from a budget at completion, often shortened to BAC in earned value work. Actual spend records posted cost as of the status date. Committed cost adds approved obligations that have not yet appeared in actuals. Those commitments matter because a forecast that falls below actual plus committed cost would describe money that is already spent or promised away.

Elapsed schedule percent comes from whole days between the project start, status date, and baseline finish. The elapsed value is capped inside the schedule window for the main progress calculation, while warnings still call out a status date before the start, a zero-day schedule, or a date after the baseline finish. Percent complete is handled as a separate work-progress estimate, so it can disagree with elapsed time when work is ahead, behind, or unevenly phased.

Formula Core

The calculation uses a few completion forecasts and then compares the selected forecast with the approved budget. Each completion forecast is raised to the committed-cost floor when needed.

\begin{array}{lcl} Remaining budget & = & BAC - actual spend - committed cost \\ Elapsed schedule percent & = & \frac{elapsed days}{total baseline days} \\ Time-based forecast & = & \frac{actual spend}{elapsed schedule percent} \\ Progress forecast & = & \frac{actual spend}{percent complete} \\ Planned-spend forecast & = & \frac{actual spend}{planned spend at status date} \times BAC \\ Manual forecast & = & actual spend + committed cost + manual remaining estimate \\ Forecast variance & = & BAC - selected forecast final spend \end{array}

Forecast methods and availability rules
Forecast method	Required input	How to read it
Time-based burn rate	Elapsed schedule percent > 0%	Best when cost should roughly follow calendar progress and early posted spend is meaningful.
Percent-complete estimate	Percent complete > 0%	Best when the work-progress estimate is stronger than the calendar assumption.
Planned-spend burn ratio	Planned spend at status date > 0	Best when the budget has a planned value for the review date and spend should be compared with that baseline.
Manual remaining estimate	Manual uncommitted remaining estimate	Best when a bottom-up estimate of remaining work is available and should override a pace-based projection.

Earned value measures in the review brief use the same simplified budget basis. Earned value is BAC multiplied by percent complete. Planned value is the planned spend entered for the status date, or a linear time-based planned value when no planned spend is entered. Cost performance index is earned value divided by actual spend. Schedule performance index is earned value divided by planned value. To-complete performance index for budget asks how efficient the remaining work must be to finish within BAC.

\begin{array}{lcl} Earned value & = & BAC \times percent complete \\ CPI & = & \frac{earned value}{actual spend} \\ SPI & = & \frac{earned value}{planned value} \\ TCPI to BAC & = & \frac{BAC - earned value}{BAC - actual spend} \end{array}

Risk label rules for project budget burn results
Signal	Boundary	Meaning
Commitments exceed budget	Remaining budget < 0	Actual spend plus committed cost is already above BAC.
High overrun risk	Forecast overrun percent >= overrun alert threshold	The selected forecast is beyond budget by at least the chosen threshold.
Overrun watch	Forecast variance < 0	The selected forecast is over budget, but below the high-risk threshold.
Runway shortfall	Runway versus schedule < 0 days	The remaining budget runs out before the baseline finish at the current burn rate.
Reserve watch	Forecast variance <= reserve cushion	The forecast is inside budget, but the remaining headroom is no larger than the selected reserve.
Budget on track	No earlier rule applies	The selected forecast stays inside budget and the runway is not shorter than the remaining schedule.

Money values are rounded only for display and exports. The selectable rounding modes show cents, whole units, or thousands, but the calculations keep numeric precision before formatting. The currency symbol changes labels only; it does not convert currencies or apply exchange rates.

Everyday Use & Decision Guide:

Start with the basic snapshot: Total budget, Actual spend to date, Committed cost, project dates, and Status date. Committed cost is worth entering even if it has not reached the ledger yet, because it reduces the budget still available for unplanned work.

Use Time-based burn rate for a first pass when work and spending should move at a fairly even pace. Switch to Percent-complete estimate when the progress estimate is more reliable than the calendar. Use Planned-spend burn ratio only after entering planned spend at the status date in Advanced. Choose Manual remaining estimate when the team has a fresh estimate for unfinished work.

The Reserve cushion and Overrun alert threshold sliders change how cautious the summary feels. A 10% reserve does not change the approved budget; it only marks when the remaining headroom has become thin. A 5% overrun threshold means a selected forecast 5% or more above budget becomes High overrun risk.

Burn Snapshot is the fastest place to read selected forecast final spend, remaining budget, variance, burn rate, consumption percent, and runway.
Forecast Methods compares all available methods and shows why a method is unavailable.
Budget Burn Path compares planned burn, actual plus forecast spend, and the budget ceiling across start, status date, and finish.
Schedule Check explains elapsed days, remaining days, required burn pace, runway versus schedule, and planned spend variance.
Budget Review Brief gathers the risk label, commitment coverage, reserve cushion, CPI, SPI, TCPI, and warnings for review prep.

A tidy Forecast Within Budget heading does not prove the project is safe. Check whether planned spend is missing, whether percent complete is realistic, and whether the warning rows mention a status date outside the schedule or a percent-complete forecast that cannot run. If the assumptions are rough, compare two or three forecast methods before using the result in a review.

This calculator fits quick budget-control checks, agency project reviews, internal operations planning, and pre-meeting scenario work. It is not a replacement for a cost-loaded schedule, purchase-order reconciliation, or formal earned value system when a contract requires audited cost and schedule data.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Work from the cost snapshot to the forecast method, then read the result tabs before relying on the summary badge.

Enter Total budget. If it is zero or blank, the validation area asks for a budget greater than 0 and the result panels stay hidden.
Enter Actual spend to date and Committed cost. The summary will later show remaining budget after commitments, not just unspent ledger cash.
Set Project start date, Project end date, and Status date. Fix any invalid date or end-before-start warning before reading elapsed percent.
Enter Percent complete when you want the progress forecast, CPI, SPI, and TCPI to reflect work progress. Keep it between 0 and 100.
Choose Primary forecast method. If a method is unavailable, open Forecast Methods to see whether it needs elapsed time, percent complete, or planned spend.
Open Advanced to change the currency symbol, add Planned spend at status date, adjust reserve and overrun thresholds, or choose the displayed rounding mode.
Read the summary heading, risk badge, Selected forecast final spend, Forecast variance at completion, and Budget runway at current burn.
Use Schedule Check and Budget Review Brief to verify that the selected forecast agrees with the schedule position, planned-spend variance, earned value indicators, and warnings.

Interpreting Results:

The selected forecast final spend is the main completion estimate, but the risk label tells you why the estimate needs attention. A negative Forecast variance at completion means the selected forecast is over budget. A positive variance means headroom remains, unless the reserve watch or runway shortfall says the margin is thin.

How to read project budget burn output fields
Output	Read it this way	Do not overread it as
Remaining budget after commitments	Budget left after actual spend and committed cost are both counted	Cash still available if commitments are not yet reflected in accounting reports
Forecast variance at completion	BAC minus the selected forecast final spend	A guaranteed underrun or overrun; it depends on the selected method and assumptions
Actual burn rate per elapsed day	Actual spend divided by elapsed days since project start	A stable future daily rate when upcoming work is uneven or procurement-heavy
Budget runway at current burn	How many more days the remaining budget lasts at the current daily burn rate	Schedule certainty, because future staffing and vendor spend can change the pace
CPI, SPI, and TCPI	Simple earned value indicators based on BAC, percent complete, planned value, and actual spend	A formal earned value report with work-package validation and audited progress rules

Boundary rules matter most near review thresholds. If actual plus committed cost is greater than total budget, the result becomes Commitments exceed budget before other labels are considered. If forecast overrun percent is greater than or equal to the alert threshold, the result becomes High overrun risk. If the forecast is under budget but forecast variance is less than or equal to the reserve cushion, Reserve watch means the margin is already inside the reserve policy.

A favorable CPI can still sit beside a poor SPI when the project is under cost for the work completed but behind the planned value pace. Check the brief rows together, then decide whether the next step is correcting inputs, re-estimating remaining work, reducing commitments, or preparing a budget-change discussion.

Worked Examples:

Midpoint review with budget headroom

A 100,000 budget runs from 2026-01-01 to 2026-04-11. At the 2026-02-20 status date, actual spend is 40,000, committed cost is 8,000, percent complete is 45%, and planned spend at status is 50,000. With Time-based burn rate selected, elapsed schedule percent is 50.0%, so Selected forecast final spend is 80,000 and Forecast variance at completion is 20,000. The burn rate is 800 per day, remaining budget after commitments is 52,000, and budget runway is about 65 days, which is longer than the 50 remaining baseline days.

Forecast overrun above the alert threshold

Use the same 100,000 budget and dates, but set the status date to 2026-03-12, actual spend to 75,000, committed cost to 20,000, and the overrun alert threshold to 5%. The time-based forecast is about 107,142.86 because 75,000 has been spent by the 70% schedule point. Forecast variance at completion is about -7,142.86, and the overrun is roughly 7.1% of budget, so the risk label becomes High overrun risk. The remaining budget after commitments is only 5,000, so Budget runway at current burn is much shorter than the remaining schedule.

Progress forecast that cannot run yet

A project with 25,000 actual spend and 5,000 committed cost may still have a valid time-based or manual forecast, but Percent-complete estimate cannot run when Percent complete is 0. The Forecast Methods row shows that method as unavailable, and Budget Review Brief adds a warning that percent complete is 0 while spend exists. The fix is to enter a real progress estimate above 0%, choose another primary forecast method, or use a manual remaining estimate until progress has been assessed.

FAQ:

Is this an accounting record or financial advice?

No. The result is an educational project-control estimate based on the numbers entered. Reconcile actuals, commitments, contract terms, taxes, funding rules, and approval policy in the system of record before making a financial decision.

Which forecast method should I use first?

Use Time-based burn rate for a quick calendar-paced check. Use Percent-complete estimate when progress is measured more reliably than elapsed time. Use Planned-spend burn ratio when the status date has a planned spend baseline. Use Manual remaining estimate when a team has re-estimated the remaining work.

Why did a forecast method show Unavailable?

Time-based burn needs elapsed schedule percent above 0%. Percent-complete forecast needs percent complete above 0%. Planned-spend burn ratio needs planned spend at status date above 0. The method comparison table gives the exact missing input.

Why can a forecast be raised to the committed-cost floor?

A completion forecast cannot sensibly be lower than actual spend plus committed cost. If a pace-based formula produces a smaller number, the result is raised to the committed-cost floor and the method row explains that adjustment.

Are project figures sent to a server for forecasting?

The forecast calculations run in the browser, and there is no separate server-side budget model. Treat shared links with care if they include query values, because those values can expose scenario inputs to anyone who receives the URL.

Glossary:

Budget at completion: The approved total budget used as the completion baseline.
Actual spend: Cost already posted or invoiced as of the status date.
Committed cost: Approved cost that has been promised but has not yet appeared in actual spend.
Estimate at completion: The forecast final spend for the project under a selected method.
CPI: Cost performance index, calculated as earned value divided by actual spend.
SPI: Schedule performance index, calculated as earned value divided by planned value.
TCPI: To-complete performance index, the cost efficiency needed on remaining work to finish within the selected budget target.
Runway: The estimated number of days remaining budget can last at the current daily burn rate.

References:

Project Management Institute, "Forecasting the final cost and schedule results," January 1996, https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/earned-value-management-forecasting-cost-schedule-3330
Project Management Institute, "Earned Value Management: From Data Analysis to Executive Action," 3 October 2002, https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/evm-data-analysis-executive-action-8520
Project Management Institute, "TCPI: the tower of power," 23 October 2012, https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/to-complete-performance-index-tcpi-6009
U.S. Government Accountability Office, "Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Program Costs," GAO-20-195G, March 2020, https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-195g.pdf

Project Budget Burn Calculator

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Introduction

Technical Details:

Formula Core

Everyday Use & Decision Guide:

Step-by-Step Guide:

Interpreting Results:

Worked Examples:

Midpoint review with budget headroom

Forecast overrun above the alert threshold

Progress forecast that cannot run yet

FAQ:

Glossary:

References: