Your Cost Book is your team’s reusable pricing library. Set up the materials, labor, and services you regularly estimate, then bring those items into a project instead of typing the same prices over and over.
To get started, open Resources → Cost Book Setup. You can import an existing spreadsheet, start with NAHB cost codes, or build your own list from scratch. Once you’ve created your book, you can also add items from the Eano Library.
A Cost Book is optional. You can build estimates and use scope templates without one. Think of it as your pricing playbook: useful when you want a consistent starting point across jobs, without having to build the whole thing before you can get to work.
Before You Start
Start with the work you estimate most often. A short list of well-named, correctly priced items is more useful than a large list you haven’t reviewed.
For each item, decide:
What the price covers. “Install customer-supplied bathroom faucet” is clearer than “Faucet.”
How you measure it. An hourly labor rate and a price per installation aren’t interchangeable. Materials might be priced by the piece, box, or square foot.
What it costs you. Keep your underlying cost separate from the markup you add for the client.
Where it belongs. Categories such as Demolition, Plumbing, and Flooring make the book easier to browse.
If you’re bringing in an existing spreadsheet, review its names, units, and prices first. Importing saves data entry; you’ll still want to check the results before using them in a quote.
1. Open Cost Book Setup
In the left navigation, open Resources, then Cost Book Setup.
If you haven’t created a Cost Book yet, you’ll see the setup choices. If your book already has items, you’ll see its categories and pricing list instead. Use Import Cost Codes to reopen the import options.
2. Choose Your Starting Point
Have your own spreadsheet? Use the AI import area
Use this route when you already have a pricing spreadsheet in your own layout.
Drop your spreadsheet into the upload area, or click click to import it and choose the file.
After uploading, look for the AI Generation In Progress card.
Return to review the completed Cost Book before using its items in estimates.
This import isn’t an instant preview-and-confirm workflow. If the request stays in progress or you need help with the result, reach out through Eano’s support chat.
Want to use Eano’s spreadsheet format? Choose Excel
The Excel option is a separate route that expects Eano’s cost code template.
Click Import on the Excel card.
Click Download cost code template.
Fill out the downloaded workbook, keeping its column headings and following its layout.
Upload the completed Excel file in the Import Excel dialog.
Review the cost codes shown in the preview. If you’ve selected the wrong workbook, use Change Files.
Click Import to bring the entries into your Cost Book.
The template includes columns for Name, Code, Cost Type, Unit, Unit Cost, Markup, Vendor/Retailer, and Taxable. Use the downloaded file as your starting point so the importer can recognize it.
If you see a message saying the file isn’t an Eano cost codes template, check that you’re uploading the completed template. For a spreadsheet in your own layout, use the AI import area instead.
Want a standard category structure? Choose NAHB
Click Import on the NAHB card, labeled Import NAHB cost codes (Beta).
Review the NAHB Cost Codes list.
Click Import.
Review the imported structure and add or edit the items and prices you need.
Cost codes give you a way to organize work. Don’t assume importing a standard code list supplies current prices for your business or local market.
Want to build a smaller list yourself? Start from blank
Find Start from blank and click Continue.
Enter a category in + New category and press Enter.
Add the items you need within that category, then fill in their pricing.
You can start with one trade or one common job and build out the rest as you go.
3. Review and Price Your Items
In your Cost Book, open an item’s details to review its saved information. For an item you maintain yourself, the key fields are:
Name: A clear description of the work or product.
Cost Type: What kind of cost the item represents, such as labor or materials.
Unit Price: The underlying cost for one unit. The pricing list also refers to this as unit cost.
Unit Type: What that price buys—for example, an hour of labor or one item.
Markup: The amount you add on top of your cost.
Taxable?: Whether the item should be treated as taxable when used with project sales tax.
Click Save Changes when you’re finished editing the details.
For example, suppose your cost to install one customer-supplied faucet is $100. If you use a 20% markup, the price before tax is $120 for one installation. The project quantity determines how many installations you’re quoting. These are example numbers; use your own costs and pricing.
Pay particular attention to units on materials. A $60 box of flooring isn’t the same as flooring at $60 per square foot. A price can be correct and still produce the wrong estimate if its unit is wrong.
For sales tax setup, see Adding Sales Tax to an Estimate.
4. Add Items from the Eano Library
Once your Cost Book is set up, you can supplement it with library items:
Click Import from Eano Library.
Open Material Library or Labor Library.
Browse the available items. In Material Library, you can search by product name and filter by Retailer.
Select the items you want.
Click the Add … Items button. The button shows how many items you’ve selected.
Review the imported entries, especially their units and costs.
Some library items have source-controlled fields. For example, Home Depot-linked items allow changes to Unit Type and Markup, while their product information and unit price are read-only. If a field is locked, check whether the item is linked to a source.
5. Use Your Cost Book in an Estimate
Setting up your book gives you a library to draw from. The next step is choosing the items for a particular job.
Open the opportunity or project and go to its Scope tab.
In the item-adding panel, choose Cost Book.
Click Browse Cost Book.
Browse categories, search for items, and select the entries you need.
Click Import … Items to add your selection to the scope.
Review the quantities, units, markup, and totals for this job before sending the estimate.
You can also use your Cost Book as a pricing source for AI estimates and takeoffs. That’s a separate setting: go to Settings → Project Management → Estimating and turn on Use Cost Book for the tools you want to use it with. See Using Your Cost Book and Home Depot Prices in AI Estimates for the full workflow.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Your book needs maintenance. Review your own saved prices when supplier costs or labor rates change. Setting up a Cost Book doesn’t automatically keep your manually entered prices current.
Clear names help you reuse items. Include the details that affect the price, such as size, finish, or whether installation is included. They also help when Eano looks for Cost Book matches during AI estimating.
Review imports before quoting. Check that an item landed in the right category and that its cost matches its unit.
A Cost Book and a scope template serve different purposes. Your Cost Book stores individual pricing entries; a scope template stores a reusable list of work for a type of job. See Building and Reusing Scope Templates.
Start small. You don’t need to enter everything your business might ever quote. Begin with repeat work and add items as they become useful.
FAQ
Do I need a Cost Book to create an estimate?
No. You can build a scope and enter your own prices without setting one up.
What’s the difference between AI import and Excel import?
The AI upload area accepts your existing spreadsheet for processing. The Excel import expects Eano’s downloadable template and shows a cost code preview before you confirm the import.
My upload says AI Generation In Progress. Should I upload it again?
That card means the request is still in progress. If you’re unsure about its status, contact support through Eano’s chat before submitting another copy.
Does importing NAHB codes mean my items are ready to quote?
Review them first. A standard coding structure doesn’t establish what your business pays for labor and materials or what you should charge a client.
Why can’t I change a library item’s unit price?
Some items are tied to a pricing source. Home Depot-linked items keep their unit price and product information read-only, while allowing you to change the unit type and markup.
Will AI automatically use my Cost Book once I’ve created it?
Check Settings → Project Management → Estimating. Prompt-based estimates and takeoffs have separate Use Cost Book switches. Creating entries and choosing them as an AI pricing source are separate steps.
Can I watch the setup walkthrough?
Yes. The Cost Book setup video is available if you prefer to follow along. Use the steps above for the written instructions and current labels.