Work Item Budgets
Each work item can have one or more budget lines that track the estimated or actual cost of that task. Budget lines connect a work item to a budget category and financing source.
Adding a Budget Line
On the work item detail page, switch to the Budget tab. Click Add Budget Line and provide:
- Budget Category -- Which category this cost belongs to (e.g., "Electrical")
- Financing Source -- Which funding source will pay for it
- Estimated Amount -- Your best estimate of the cost
- Confidence Level -- How reliable the estimate is (see below)
Confidence Levels
Each budget line has a confidence level that reflects how accurate the estimate is. The confidence level determines the margin used in budget projections:
| Confidence Level | Margin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Own Estimate | +/- 20% | Your personal rough estimate |
| Professional Estimate | +/- 10% | An estimate from a contractor or professional |
| Quote | +/- 5% | A formal quote from a vendor |
| Invoice | 0% | An actual invoice -- the real cost |
Higher confidence levels produce tighter budget projections. As your project progresses from early estimates to formal quotes to actual invoices, the budget overview becomes increasingly accurate.
Linking to Invoices
When a vendor invoice arrives for work covered by a budget line, you can link the invoice line item to the budget line. This automatically:
- Sets the confidence level to Invoice
- Uses the actual invoice amount instead of the estimate
- Updates the budget overview with the real cost
See Vendors & Invoices for details on managing invoices.
Multiple Budget Lines per Work Item
A single work item can have multiple budget lines. For example, "Renovate bathroom" might have separate budget lines for plumbing, electrical, and tiling -- each in a different category and potentially funded by different financing sources.
A screenshot of the work item budget tab will be added here.