The cost template determines whether the automatically calculated percentage of completion can be edited, and whether the percentage of completion is calculated in amounts or in units.

Because the cost template refers to a set of cost lines, when you set up the cost template you must also set up the cost lines.

Cost lines determine what categories are included in the automatically calculated percentage of completion.

Every transaction on a project refers to a category. The categories all refer to an estimate line; therefore, the following estimate information can be outlined for fixed-price projects:

• A degree of completion.

• Estimates on individual cost lines. Expenses, hours, and items always refer to three different cost lines. The benefit of this structure is that you can follow up on multiple transactions on a project at the same time by estimating the remaining work on a cost estimate.

If nothing has been modified in the Cost lines form, all existing categories are attached to the three predefined cost lines:

• All hour categories are attached to the Hourcost line.

• All expense categories are attached to the Expensecost line.

• All item categories are attached to the Itemcost line.

TipIf you create additional cost lines, you must redefine one or more of your categories to refer to the new cost line.