contract costs

ASC 330-910 was the inventory guidance specific to construction contractors, addressing how contractors accounted for inventoried costs (e.g., uninstalled materials and precontract costs) under Topic 330. All of its substantive paragraphs — Sections 05 (Overview and Background), 15 (Scope), 25 (Recognition), and 40 (Derecognition) — were superseded by Maintenance Update No. 2019-01, so the subtopic contains no operative guidance. Contractors now look to the general inventory guidance in Topic 330 and to the revenue and contract cost guidance in Topics 606 and 340-40.

ASC 605-910 was the construction-contractor revenue guidance nested in the legacy revenue recognition topic (ASC 605). Every substantive paragraph in Sections 05, 15, 25, and 50 was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers), leaving the subtopic as an empty shell. Construction contractors now apply ASC 606 for revenue and ASC 340-40 for contract costs.

ASC 705-912 formerly contained cost-of-sales guidance for contractors with the federal government, addressing matters such as contract costs and related recognition and disclosure. Every paragraph in the subtopic (scope, recognition, and disclosure) was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). The subtopic is therefore an empty shell; federal government contractors now apply ASC 606 and the cost guidance in ASC 340-40.

ASC 910-20 governs how construction contractors account for contract costs, focusing on charging equipment and small tool costs to specific contracts. Equipment cost is allocated to contracts on a reasonable basis (time, hours of use, or mileage) using a "use rate" that considers equipment cost less salvage/rental, probable life, average idle time, and operating costs. It also requires disclosure of unapproved change orders and claims included in contract costs and of progress payments netted against contract costs.