Dental Practice Project Budget Template

As the project progresses, update two things regularly: actual costs in the Construction and Equipment sheets as invoices come in, and the Change Order Log as scope changes are approved. The Project Overview will always show your current budget-to-actual position across all categories. For equipment that arrives in phases, mark delivery dates in the Equipment Budget sheet so you can reconcile what has been delivered against what has been invoiced — a common source of discrepancy in dental buildouts where equipment is ordered months in advance.

The three biggest budget risks in a dental project are equipment costs that exceed the original estimate (common when a practice owner adds procedures mid-build — adding a CBCT scanner to a plan that was scoped for 2D panoramic imaging can add $80,000 to $120,000 to the budget), change orders in construction that are approved verbally and tracked inconsistently, and technology and software costs that are underestimated because they feel like line items rather than a category. A complete project budget keeps these three areas separate and visible, which makes it easier to have informed conversations with your lender, your contractor, and your equipment rep when something changes.