📋 Overview
Cost codes are the backbone of how Structur organizes project costs. Every line item in your estimates, budgets, subcontracts, bills, and expenses ties back to a cost code. Getting your cost code structure right at the start means your financial data is consistent, reportable, and meaningful across every project you run.
Settings > Cost Codes gives you three tabs for building your cost structure. Structur Standard is a read-only library of over 4,400 codes based on construction industry conventions. Custom Codes is your own editable library, built from scratch or copied over from Structur Standard. Saved Items is a catalog of pre-priced line items, built by pulling in codes from either library and organizing them into groups and subgroups, so your estimators can add fully configured cost items to an estimate in seconds instead of entering the same data repeatedly.
Most construction businesses will start with Structur Standard, copy the codes they use most into their Custom Codes library, and build out their grouped Saved Items over time as they identify the line items they reach for on every project.
🔍 Understanding Cost Codes
⚡ What It Does
Settings > Cost Codes allows you to:
Browse the Structur Standard library, access over 4,400 pre-built cost codes organized by division, ready to use immediately
Copy standard codes to your custom library, select any standard codes and copy them into Custom Codes for use in your estimates
Create and edit custom cost codes, build your own codes with a custom code number, name, and division, and click any code to edit it
Build a grouped Saved Items library, pull in codes from Structur Standard or Custom Codes, organize them into groups and subgroups, and set quantity, unit, unit cost, markup, preferred vendor, and project type so estimators can add fully priced items in one click
Move, duplicate, or delete codes and saved items in bulk, select multiple rows with the checkboxes to act on several at once
Import and export cost codes, bring in an existing code structure from a CSV file or export your library at any time
📅 When to Use It
Cost Codes is most valuable when you need to:
Set up your cost structure before building your first estimate
Add a cost code that doesn't exist in the standard library for a specialized trade or cost category
Build a grouped Saved Items library to speed up estimating on recurring cost types
Copy a subset of standard codes into your custom library and adjust them to match your company's terminology
Import a cost code structure you've already built in another system
📝 Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open Settings > Cost Codes
Click Settings in the left sidebar
Click Cost Codes in the Settings sidebar
The Cost Codes page has three tabs at the top: Structur Standard, Custom Codes, and Saved Items.
2. Browse and Use the Structur Standard Library
The Structur Standard tab contains over 4,400 pre-built cost codes organized by division. These codes are ready to use in estimates immediately without any setup. The standard library uses a structured code format (for example, 00-111L for Architectural Design - Labor) where the suffix indicates the cost type: L (Labor), M (Materials), S (Subcontractors), E (Equipment), O (Other).
You can search the library using the search bar at the top right to find codes by name or number.
Note: Standard codes cannot be edited or deleted. They are a read-only reference library. If you want to use a standard code as a starting point for a customized version, copy it to your Custom Codes library first.
3. Copy Standard Codes to Custom Codes
On the Structur Standard tab, check the box next to any code you want to copy
A floating action bar appears at the bottom showing how many codes are selected
Click Copy to Custom Codes in that floating bar
The selected codes are copied into your Custom Codes tab where you can edit them
4. Create a Custom Cost Code
Click the Custom Codes tab
Click + New Cost Code in the top right
The New Cost Code modal opens
Enter the Name (required), the descriptive name for this cost code
Enter the Cost Code (required), your internal code number (example format: 09-111L)
Enter the Division (required), the division or category this code belongs to
Click Create Cost Code
Note: Custom Codes no longer supports grouping. If you want your codes organized into groups and subgroups, build them out in Saved Items instead, which supports full group organization.
5. Edit, Duplicate, or Delete a Custom Code
Click anywhere on a custom code's row to open the Edit Cost Code modal, update the Name, Cost Code, or Division, and click Save Changes
To duplicate or delete one or more codes, check the box next to each code. A floating action bar appears with Duplicate and Delete
Important: Deleting a custom code is a soft delete, the code shows struck through in the list rather than disappearing immediately. A code that is already used on existing estimates, budgets, or financial documents may still affect those records, so review usage before deleting.
6. Build Your Saved Items Library
Saved Items are pre-priced line items you can insert directly into an estimate without manually entering cost data each time. Unlike Custom Codes, Saved Items can be organized into groups and subgroups.
Click the Saved Items tab
Click + New Saved Item in the top right
The Add Saved Items modal opens. Search or filter by division, then check the box next to any code from Structur Standard or Custom Codes you want to add
Click Save Items
Back on the Saved Items tab, fill in each line's details directly in the table: Quantity, Unit (Unit, Hour, SF, LF, etc.), Unit Cost, Markup, Preferred Vendor, Project Type, and Notes. Unit Price calculates automatically.
7. Organize Saved Items into Groups and Subgroups
Click + New Group in the top right to create a top-level group
Within a group's row, click the + icon to open a menu with two options: Add Cost Code (opens the Add Saved Items picker, adding directly into that group) or Add Subgroup (creates a nested subgroup inside it)
To reorganize existing items, check the box next to one or more saved items. A floating action bar appears with Move (choose Top level, an existing group, or a subgroup), Duplicate, and Delete
Note: Duplicating a saved item is a fast way to create variations of the same line item, for example, a labor item and a materials item with the same base description but different cost codes and unit costs.
8. Import Cost Codes
On the Custom Codes tab, click the upload icon in the top right
Download the CSV template, fill in your cost code data, and upload the completed file
9. Export Cost Codes
On the Custom Codes or Structur Standard tab, click the download icon in the top right
Your cost code list downloads to your device
📖 Understanding the Structur Standard Code Format
Structur Standard codes follow a consistent naming convention that makes them easy to identify at a glance. Each code has a numeric prefix organized by division, followed by a suffix indicating the cost type:
Suffix | Cost Type |
L | Labor |
M | Materials |
S | Subcontractors |
E | Equipment |
O | Other |
For example, code 00-111L is Architectural Design - Labor. Code 00-111M is Architectural Design - Materials. This pattern repeats across all divisions so you can quickly find the cost type you need within any category.
The library spans over 4,400 codes covering design, site work, concrete, masonry, metals, wood and plastics, thermal and moisture protection, openings, finishes, specialties, equipment, furnishings, special construction, conveying equipment, mechanical, electrical, and more.
⭐ Best Practices
Start with Structur Standard before building custom codes, the library covers the vast majority of construction cost categories. Copy the codes you use most into Custom Codes and adjust the names to match your terminology rather than building from scratch.
Build your grouped Saved Items library as you estimate, when you find yourself entering the same line item data repeatedly, add it to Saved Items and place it in a group. Over time this library becomes one of the biggest time-savers in your estimating workflow.
Use consistent code numbering in your custom library, if you copy codes from Structur Standard, keep the same numbering convention. If you create codes from scratch, define a numbering format and apply it consistently.
Use groups and subgroups in Saved Items to stay organized, since Custom Codes is a flat list, do your organizing in Saved Items, where subgroups let you nest categories (for example, a trade group with subgroups per phase).
Set a preferred vendor on Saved Items for trade-specific costs, assigning a default vendor to a saved line item speeds up bid package creation and keeps your cost data tied to the right sub.
Review your cost codes before your first estimate, a few minutes spent organizing your code structure before you start estimating saves significant cleanup time later.
❓ Common Questions
Q: What is the difference between Structur Standard, Custom Codes, and Saved Items?
A: Structur Standard is a read-only library of 4,400+ pre-built cost codes organized by construction division. Custom Codes is your editable, ungrouped cost code library where you create or copy codes with a code number, name, and division. Saved Items is a pre-priced line item library, organized into groups and subgroups, where you store complete line items with quantity, unit cost, markup, and vendor data for fast insertion into estimates.
Q: Can I edit or delete codes in the Structur Standard library?
A: No. Structur Standard codes are read-only. To customize a standard code, select it and click Copy to Custom Codes in the floating action bar, then edit it there.
Q: Can I organize my Custom Codes into groups?
A: No, Custom Codes is a flat list. Grouping and subgrouping is only available in Saved Items.
Q: How do I edit a custom code?
A: Click anywhere on the code's row to open the Edit Cost Code modal.
Q: What happens when I delete a custom code?
A: It's a soft delete, the code stays in the list but shows struck through rather than disappearing right away.
Q: How do I add a standard code to my estimates?
A: Standard codes are available for selection when building estimates and adding line items. You don't need to copy them to Custom Codes first, they're accessible directly from the estimating module.
Q: Can I import an existing cost code structure from another system?
A: Yes. Click the upload icon on the Custom Codes tab to import from a CSV file. Download the CSV template first to ensure your data is formatted correctly.
Q: What is the benefit of building a Saved Items library?
A: Saved Items store complete line items with pre-set quantity, unit, unit cost, markup, and vendor data, organized into groups and subgroups. When an estimator adds a saved item to an estimate, all that data populates automatically. For recurring cost types this eliminates repetitive data entry and keeps your cost assumptions consistent across estimates.
Q: How do I move a saved item to a different group?
A: Check the box next to the item, then use the Move option in the floating action bar to choose Top level, an existing group, or a subgroup.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Build your entire custom code structure from scratch | Copy relevant codes from Structur Standard to Custom Codes and adjust names to match your terminology |
Try to organize Custom Codes into groups | Do your grouping in Saved Items instead, Custom Codes stays a flat list |
Skip building Saved Items | Add recurring line items to Saved Items as you estimate, the library pays dividends immediately |
Leave Saved Items ungrouped as the list grows | Use New Group and Add Subgroup to keep the library navigable as it scales |
Use inconsistent code numbering in custom codes | Define a numbering format before creating custom codes and apply it consistently |
Delete a cost code that is actively used on estimates | Review where a code is used before deleting, removing it can affect existing financial documents |
Enter the same line item data repeatedly on every estimate | Add it to Saved Items once so estimators can insert it with all cost data pre-filled |