Overview
Cost codes are the backbone of financial accuracy in Structur. They're the categories that tie every dollar together, connecting line items in your estimates to costs in your budget, expenses, subcontracts, and change orders. Without a clear, consistent cost code structure, tracking where money is going across a project becomes guesswork.
Structur gives you two layers to work with: a set of industry-standard cost codes ready to use out of the box, and a fully customizable Custom Codes system where you can build, import, and manage your own structure. Both connect directly to QuickBooks Online, with Structur automatically creating the accounting structure in QuickBooks the moment you connect, so there's no manual setup required on the accounting side.
Understanding Cost Codes
What It Does
Structur's Cost Code Management feature allows you to:
Use Structur Standard cost codes - an industry-standard library organized by division and category, ready to use immediately
Create custom cost codes tailored to your company's specific structure, naming conventions, and workflows
Copy standard codes to Custom Codes and modify them rather than building from scratch
Organize cost codes by category - Labor (L), Materials (M), Subcontractors (S), Equipment (E), and Other (O)
Import cost codes in bulk via CSV to set up a large list quickly without manual entry
Export both standard and custom cost codes to CSV for reference, backup, or use in other tools
Link cost codes to QuickBooks Online products/services for clean accounting sync, with Structur automatically creating the necessary QB structure on connection
Search across your full cost code library to quickly find and manage codes
Use cost codes consistently across estimates, budgets, expenses, subcontracts, and change orders
When to Use It
Cost Code Management is most valuable when you need to:
Set up your company's cost code structure when first configuring Structur
Add new cost codes for project types or scopes your current library doesn't cover
Customize the naming or structure of standard codes to match your company's terminology
Import a large list of codes from a spreadsheet or previous system
Verify or update the QuickBooks product/service mapping on individual codes
Export your custom codes for reference, audit, or use outside Structur
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open Cost Code Management
Click your profile picture in the top-right corner
Select Settings
Click Cost Codes in the left sidebar
You can also reach this page from inside an estimate or budget by clicking Manage when adding cost codes, this redirects you here automatically.
2. Understand the Page Layout
The Cost Codes page has two main tabs:
Structur Standard - the industry-standard library provided by Structur
Custom Codes - your company's own cost codes, which you can create, import, and manage
You'll also see a search bar to quickly find any code, and an Export button to download codes as a CSV.
3. Work with Structur Standard Cost Codes
The Structur Standard tab contains a full library of industry-standard cost codes, pre-organized by division. Each standard code carries a letter indicating its category:
L - Labor
M - Materials
S - Subcontractors
E - Equipment
O - Other
Columns in the table: Code, Name, Division, and QuickBooks Product / Service (visible only if QuickBooks Online is connected).
To export standard codes: Stay in the Structur Standard tab, click Export, and the CSV downloads automatically.
4. Copy Standard Codes to Custom Codes
If a standard code is close to what you need but requires different naming or structure, copy it rather than recreating from scratch:
Select one or more Structur Standard cost codes
Click Copy to Custom Codes
The selected codes are added to your Custom Codes tab
Open the copied codes and edit them as needed
5. Create a Custom Cost Code
Go to the Custom Codes tab
Click New Cost Code
Fill in the required fields:
Name - a clear, descriptive label
Cost Code - the code identifier
Division - for reporting and grouping
If QuickBooks Online is connected: Select the QuickBooks Product / Service to link to this code. If you don't select one, it defaults to Structur - Other
Save the cost code
To edit or delete: Click the three-dot menu on any custom code and select Edit or Delete.
6. Import Cost Codes in Bulk via CSV
For large lists, use the bulk import:
In the Custom Codes tab, click Import Cost Codes
Download the CSV template from the popup
The template has three columns: Code, Name, Division
Fill in your codes, one per row
Upload the completed CSV
Important: Your CSV must match the template column structure exactly. Files with missing or renamed columns will fail to import.
7. Export Your Custom Cost Codes
Go to Settings → Cost Codes
Select the Custom Codes tab
Click Export
The CSV downloads automatically, open in Excel or Google Sheets
8. Understand QuickBooks Cost Code Mapping
If you use QuickBooks Online, Structur handles the initial setup automatically. You do not need to configure anything in QuickBooks before connecting.
What Structur automatically creates in QuickBooks on connection:
Five products/services: Structur - Labor, Structur - Materials, Structur - Subcontractors, Structur - Equipment, Structur - Other.
Two chart of accounts entries:
Income Account: "Structur Income" for revenue tracking
Expense Account: Linked to your existing QuickBooks Cost of Goods Sold account
How standard cost codes map automatically: Each code maps to the QuickBooks product that matches its letter, codes ending in -L map to Structur - Labor, -M to Structur - Materials, and so on. Custom codes without a QB product assigned default to Structur - Other.
QuickBooks plan requirement: You need at least QuickBooks Online Essentials or higher.
To customize mapping after setup:
Go to Settings → Cost Codes
Click any cost code to open its details
Select the specific QuickBooks Product / Service
Save, the updated mapping applies to future transactions
Best Practices
Start with Structur Standard, then customize - Before creating codes from scratch, check if a standard code covers your need. Copy and adjust rather than rebuilding. It's faster and keeps QB mapping intact.
Keep division names consistent - Divisions drive how costs group in reporting. Use the same division names across all codes so budget breakdowns stay clean.
Verify QB mapping on every custom code - When creating a custom code, always check the QuickBooks Product / Service field. A code that defaults to Structur - Other when it should be Structur - Labor will misclassify costs in your accounting.
Connect QuickBooks before building your cost code library - Connect the integration first so Structur creates the QB product structure automatically, giving you a clean starting point for all mapping.
Use CSV import for lists longer than 10 codes - Manual entry for large libraries is slow and error-prone. Prepare the template, fill it in, and import in one step.
Export your Custom Codes regularly - Keep a current backup outside Structur for documentation, onboarding, and reference.
Avoid duplicate codes with similar names - Use the search bar to check for existing codes before creating new ones.
Common Questions
Q: Do I need to set up cost codes in QuickBooks before connecting the integration?
A: No. When you connect QuickBooks Online, Structur automatically creates the five main products/services (Labor, Materials, Subcontractors, Equipment, Other), a Structur Income account, and links everything to your existing Cost of Goods Sold account. No manual setup in QuickBooks is required.
Q: What's the difference between Structur Standard codes and Custom Codes?
A: Structur Standard codes are an industry-standard library provided and maintained by Structur, ready to use but not directly editable. Custom Codes are codes you create or import yourself, with full control over naming, organization, and QB mapping.
Q: Can I edit a Structur Standard code directly?
A: No. Standard codes can't be modified directly. Copy them to Custom Codes first using the Copy to Custom Codes option, then edit the copy.
Q: What happens if I don't assign a QuickBooks Product / Service to a custom cost code?
A: It defaults to Structur - Other for QuickBooks mapping. Costs under that code will sync to the "Other" category in QuickBooks rather than the correct Labor, Materials, or other classification. Always assign the correct QB product when creating custom codes.
Q: Can I export my custom cost codes?
A: Yes. Go to Settings → Cost Codes, select the Custom Codes tab, and click Export. The CSV downloads and can be opened in Excel or Google Sheets.
Q: What QuickBooks plan do I need for the integration?
A: At least QuickBooks Online Essentials or higher. The integration is not available with QuickBooks Simple Start.
Q: Where do cost codes show up once they're set up?
A: Cost codes are available throughout Structur, in estimates, project budgets, expenses, subcontracts, bills, and change orders. Every financial record uses cost codes to organize and track costs by category.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Try to edit Structur Standard codes directly | Copy standard codes to Custom Codes, then edit the copies |
Create custom codes without assigning a QB product/service | Always set the QuickBooks Product / Service — or knowingly accept the Structur - Other default |
Upload a CSV that doesn't match the template columns | Download the template from the import popup and fill it in exactly as structured |
Create duplicate codes with slightly different names | Search for existing codes before creating new ones |
Connect QuickBooks after building a large custom code library | Connect QuickBooks early so the automatic QB structure is in place before you customize |
Never export your Custom Codes | Export regularly so you have a backup and reference copy outside Structur |