Procore's import rules
How to import
In the project's Budget tool, click Unlock Budget, then under Import Budget click Download Excel Template. Fill in the Budget Line Items sheet, leaving the Importer Data Fields sheet alone: it only lists the dropdown options. Save as .xlsx, then under Import Budget click Choose File, select it and click Import. There's no Budget Code column: Procore creates budget codes from each line's cost code and cost type.
Common errors and their fixes
There's no Import Budget option
Cause: The Import Budget area only appears while the budget is unlocked, and only for people with Admin on the Budget tool, or the 'Import Budget From File' permission.
Fix: Click Unlock Budget in the project's Budget tool, or ask a Procore admin to grant the permission on your permissions template.
The file isn't accepted
Cause: The budget import only reads the Excel template downloaded from that project, with its columns exactly as they are. Procore's own CSV and PDF exports have different columns and can't be imported back.
Fix: Download a fresh template (Import Budget, Download Excel Template), don't rename, add, remove or reorder its columns, and save it as an Excel Workbook (.xlsx).
Cost codes aren't recognised
Cause: Cost codes must exactly match your company's or project's work breakdown structure, written as Division-Code, such as 02-300. Each cost code also needs at least one cost type set up.
Fix: Pick cost codes from the template's dropdown rather than typing them, and set up cost types for any code that has none.
Excel changed the cost codes
Cause: Codes that look like dates, such as 3-05, can be turned into dates when typed or pasted into Excel, and long codes can lose leading zeros.
Fix: Format the Cost Code column as Text before pasting, or choose codes from the dropdown. See why Excel changes values into dates.
Two lines for the same cost code
Cause: Procore allows one line per cost code and cost type pair. 02-300 with M and 02-300 with L are fine; two lines of 02-300 with M aren't.
Fix: Add the amounts for a repeated pair into one line, or give each line its correct cost type.
Budget amounts are missing or wrong
Cause: Manual Calculation decides where the amount comes from. True uses the Budget Amount you enter; False makes Procore calculate it from Unit Qty, UOM and Unit Cost, and ignores the Budget Amount column.
Fix: Use True for lump sums and fill in Budget Amount. Use False for unit-based lines, fill in all three unit columns and leave Budget Amount blank.
Amounts with commas or currency symbols
Cause: Budget Amount can't contain commas or currency symbols.
Fix: Write $30,000.00 as 30000. The currency symbols guide shows how to clean a column.
Unit of measure problems
Cause: UOMs come from the company's UOM Master List, and inactive ones aren't in the template. An existing line's UOM can't be changed by importing, and when UOM restrictions are on, a different UOM for a budget code fails.
Fix: Ask a Procore admin to add or reactivate the unit before downloading the template, and change existing lines' units in Procore itself.
Unit quantities don't calculate
Cause: Unit-quantity budgets need the 'Labor Productivity for Budget, Change Events, and Change Orders' setting in the project's Admin settings.
Fix: Turn the setting on, then import again.
More than 500 lines
Cause: One budget import takes up to 500 line items.
Fix: Split the budget into several files and import them in turn.
Re-importing overwrote budget amounts
Cause: Importing a budget again adds any new lines, but replaces the Budget Amount of existing lines with what's in the file.
Fix: Import a budget once where you can. For a second import, make sure the amounts for existing lines match what's already in Procore.
After importing
Check the budget in the Budget tool before anything else: cost codes, amounts and the lines Procore calculated. Rows with no Cost Type and no Budget Amount are skipped, so a missing line usually means one of those was blank. Add or remove lines by hand if needed.
When it's right, click Lock Budget. Once it's locked, the Original Budget amounts can't be changed, and changes go through budget modifications instead.
Checklist before you import
Building the budget with your team?
Collect the lines in a form instead of a shared spreadsheet. The Procore budget template keeps Procore's column order, requires a cost code, cost type and Manual Calculation on every line and takes amounts only as plain numbers, ready to paste into the Budget Line Items sheet. See also the purchase order line items template.
Try the Procore budget templateRelevant Templates
Import Builder is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Procore Technologies. Procore is a trademark of its owner. Import rules as described in Procore's support documentation, October 2026.