Job closeout is the office work that finishes a job after the crew leaves, from the final invoice through retainage, sub payments and a last look at what the job cost.
The main check is that the numbers agree. The final invoice should equal the signed proposal plus every signed change order, less any credits. Where they drift, it's almost always a retype: the estimator figured 362 tons, a change order took it to 380, and the invoice went out from the original proposal at 362.
A closeout list for a paving job:
- Punch list closed
- Final invoice sent, matching the signed proposal plus signed change orders
- Every change order either billed or credited
- Retainage release requested, with the sign-off attached
- Sub and trucking invoices in and paid
- Estimated cost against actual, line by line, with the yield written down
The last item is the one that gets skipped, and it's the one that makes next year's estimates better.