How to Create Estimate Line Items

Steps:

Creating an Estimate Line Item

• Navigate to Admin, and under Authorised Works, select Estimate Line Items.

• Choose the relevant cost centre from the list.

• In the top right corner, select New.

• Select a Type, if relevant (Default, Preliminary, Insurance, Preliminary At Cost, Prime Cost, or Provisional Sum).

• If the line item is specific to a client, select them under Clients. Otherwise, leave this blank.

• Enter a Description for the line item.

Rates: simple cost vs. rate code

Each line item can be priced in one of two ways, using the Has Rates toggle:

• Has Rates off (default): enter a straightforward Quantity, Unit, and Cost for Material and Labour. If you leave these blank, the line item will populate as $0 in the estimate, and you can add a cost at that point. A line item priced this way can still be edited from within the estimate.

• Has Rates on: if the line item has a specific rate code you'd like to capture, or want to create for reporting purposes, toggle Has Rates on. This replaces the simple fields with a Rate Code field, Material/Labour unit dropdowns, and a Rates table where you can add region-specific rates (Division, Region, Material Cost, Labour Cost) using Add Rate. Note that if a rate code is attached to the line item, you won't be able to edit the price within the estimate, though you can still edit the rate code details here.

• Once you're done, click Save.

Using a standard line item in an estimate

When you create or edit an estimate with the same cost centre, click Add Standard Line Item. This displays all the line items associated with that specific cost centre. Select the one you want, and it will populate within the estimate  pulling through its description and cost automatically.

FAQ

What's the difference between adding a line item this way versus adding one directly in an estimate? Line items created here (Admin > Authorised Works > Estimate Line Items) are reusable, once saved, they're available to any estimate that uses the same cost centre, via Add Standard Line Item. A line item added directly within an estimate is a one-off for that estimate only.

Can I still edit the cost of a standard line item once it's in an estimate? Yes, as long as it doesn't have a rate code attached. If a rate code is attached, the price is locked within the estimate, though you can still update the rate code's own details from the Estimate Line Items admin screen.

What's the Has Rates toggle for? It switches the line item between a simple Quantity/Unit/Cost entry and a Rate Code with a region-based Rates table (by Division and Region, with separate Material and Labour costs). Use rate codes when you want to capture standardised regional pricing or need the item for reporting purposes.