---
title: "Cost Code Optional Fields: Hourly/Daily Cost & Billing Rates"
url: "https://help.ontraccr.com/en/article/cost-code-optional-fields-hourly-daily-cost-billing-rates"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-08-22T18:02:16.415Z"
---

# Cost Code Optional Fields: Hourly/Daily Cost & Billing Rates

## 🧾 **Cost Code Optional Fields: Hourly/Daily Cost & Billing Rates**

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### 📘 **Overview**

In addition to the required fields, Ontraccr cost codes support **optional fields** that enhance how you track costs and generate billing. These include:

-   Hourly or Daily **Internal Cost Rates**
-   Hourly or Daily **Billing Rates**
-   Use-case-specific overrides (e.g., wage overrides for labor)

These fields allow you to fine-tune how each cost code impacts project budgets, time tracking, and invoicing.

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### **🧾 Optional Fields at a Glance**

| Field | Purpose | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Hourly Cost** | Overrides the user’s wage | Only one of hourly/daily can be set |
| **Daily Cost** | Fixed cost per day of work | Only one of hourly/daily can be set |
| **Hourly Billing Rate** | Sets billable rate for time worked | Cannot be combined with daily billing |
| **Daily Billing Rate** | Sets daily billable rate for flat-rate billing | Cannot be combined with hourly billing |

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### **🔁 Behavior Details**

### 🕒 Hourly Cost (Internal)

-   Overrides the employee’s wage when this cost code is selected
-   Example:
    -   Worker normally earns **$50/hr**
    -   Cost code has hourly cost of **$55/hr**
    -   System uses **$55/hr** for labor cost tracking
-   **Overtime Rules Still Apply**
    -   If an employee logs 12 hours and overtime rules are configured (e.g., time-and-a-half after 8 hours), the override wage is still used as the base rate.

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### **📆 Daily Cost (Internal)**

-   Assigns a **flat daily cost**, regardless of hours worked
    -   Example: Even if the worker logs 3 or 10 hours, they are counted as costing **$500/day**
-   Mutually exclusive with Hourly Cost (cannot set both)

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### **💵 Hourly Billing Rate**

-   Used for determining **what you should charge** a client for time spent on this activity
-   Example:
    -   Cost Code has:
        -   Hourly cost = $55
        -   Billing rate = $75
    -   Forms (like Timesheets or Invoices) can display both
-   Can be used to:
    -   Auto-populate **billing totals** in timesheet tables
    -   Feed billing sections of forms and invoices

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### **💰 Daily Billing Rate**

-   Alternative to hourly billing
-   Sets a fixed charge per day regardless of hours worked
-   Mutually exclusive with hourly billing

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### **🔒 Behavior Rules**

-   **You can’t set both hourly and daily costs** — entering one disables the other
-   **Same for billing** — choose either an hourly or daily billing rate per cost code
-   Billing rates are **used only if you enable billing-related features or exports**

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### **🧠 Tips & Use Cases**

-   Use **daily costs** for fixed-price trades or roles (e.g., equipment operator, site supervisor)
-   Use **billing rates** if you invoice clients by time spent or want standardized pricing across jobs
-   The system will always use the **cost code’s override rate** instead of the employee’s default rate if both exist