Cost Item Creation

VIDEO | Cost Item Creation

During estimate development, you will create new cost items to break down your work into specific activities. You can create superior and subordinate cost items as needed to organize your work.

Insert Subordinate Cost Item

You can add subordinate cost items in two different ways:

Option 1

Right-click on the row header of the superior cost item and select Insert Subordinate.

The row header is considered the far left edge of the CBS row where the small arrow appear appears above. It is used to open records and perform actions on items instead of clicking on cells within the row which will allow you to directly type into the selected cell.

Option 2

Click on the Subordinate Cost Item icon on the Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) Register toolbar.

Insert Cost Item

You can add cost items at the same level in two different ways.

Option 1

Right click on the row header of the superior cost item and select Insert.

Option 2

Click on the Cost Item icon on the Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) Register toolbar.

Because the project you are working in is a “locked” job (where cost items are locked to pay items), your CBS Register will already have level 1 cost items representing each of your pay items, and each cost item will be assigned to its corresponding pay item.

The following step by step walks you through creating a subordinate (child) cost item for one of your level-one cost items.

Step by Step — Create a subordinate cost item

  1. From the Estimate tab, select Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS).

  2. Right-click on a cost item and select Insert Subordinate.

    • This creates a new subordinate cost item below your selected cost item

  3. For the subordinate cost item, enter a description.

  4. Add a quantity and select your Unit of Measure.

    • For this example, we’ll insert a subordinate under Clearing & Grubbing for Clearing

      You can create a subordinate at the same level, by right clicking on an equal-level cost item and selecting Insert.

Move Cost Items

As you develop your estimate, you may need to move cost items around in the Cost Breakdown Structure. To move a cost item:

  1. Select the row header of the cost item you wish to move. If you select a superior cost item, it will bring the subordinates along with it.

  2. Drag and drop the cost item to the right place in your structure. Notice one of two cursor symbols appears:

    The symbol with three equal bars will drop the cost item at the same level as the cost item you drop it on.

    The symbol with a subordinate bar will make the cost item become a subordinate to the one you drop it on.