---
title: How To Escalate Cost Fields That Have A Unit Cost Override
description: How To Escalate Cost Fields That Have A Unit Cost Override
---
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# How To Escalate Cost Fields That Have A Unit Cost Override
When you type your own unit cost onto a cost field, that number stops following your comps — it is the price you decided, as at the day you decided it. "Field Overrides Escalation" lets those overridden fields escalate to your buyout date like the rest of the estimate, instead of sitting at the price you first entered.
To escalate cost fields that have a unit cost override follow these steps.
Navigate to the desired estimate and select the "Settings" tab.
Select "Field Overrides Escalation" from the left hand menu.
[](https://camo.githubusercontent.com/ebf31c956ee8c4c55d62f1a0c54f6e28d684815ff7f0113d3914df4fa0c62385/68747470733a2f2f34353937313731372e6673312e68756273706f7475736572636f6e74656e742d6e61312e6e65742f68756266732f34353937313731372f68656c702d63656e7472652f686f772d746f2d657363616c6174652d636f73742d6669656c64732d746861742d686176652d612d756e69742d636f73742d6f766572726964652d2d6669656c642d657363616c6174696f6e2d30312d6f66662d706e672d3439386239373863646331632e706e67)
Turn on the "Enabled" switch. The date fields appear once it is on.
[](https://camo.githubusercontent.com/b087e5db7cb1e95933424b855c360d3d8e33f083dc182de54b72da777341c770/68747470733a2f2f34353937313731372e6673312e68756273706f7475736572636f6e74656e742d6e61312e6e65742f68756266732f34353937313731372f68656c702d63656e7472652f686f772d746f2d657363616c6174652d636f73742d6669656c64732d746861742d686176652d612d756e69742d636f73742d6f766572726964652d2d6669656c642d657363616c6174696f6e2d30322d6f6e2d706e672d3535323831383439306262392e706e67)
Set the "Start Date". This is the date your overridden unit costs were priced at — escalation runs from here.
Check the "Buyout Date" beside it. This is read only and comes from the estimate itself, so if it is wrong, change it in the "General" settings.
Read the calculated rate beneath the dates. It tells you the escalation percentage being applied across that period, worked out from your "Escalation Rates".
Press the "Save" button.
Unit Costs will now be escalated in the detailed budget.
[](https://camo.githubusercontent.com/7c67763bdbba00fdb09649ae39a89acb98ae4b4f14199ad3b5b5c51703a2b853/68747470733a2f2f34353937313731372e6673312e68756273706f7475736572636f6e74656e742d6e61312e6e65742f68756266732f34353937313731372f68656c702d63656e7472652f686f772d746f2d657363616c6174652d636f73742d6669656c64732d746861742d686176652d612d756e69742d636f73742d6f766572726964652d2d6669656c642d657363616c6174696f6e2d30332d696e2d6275646765742d706e672d3436353834353662363230372e706e67)
NOTE, this setting only affects fields where you have entered your own unit cost or total cost. Fields still priced from comps are escalated by the estimate's normal escalation, and are unaffected by this switch.
NOTE, the calculated rate is 0% when the "Start Date" and "Buyout Date" are the same day, as in the example — there is no period to escalate across. Set the start date back to when you actually priced the overrides and the rate fills in.
NOTE, the escalation rates themselves are managed under "Settings" \> "Escalation Rates". This page decides whether your overrides escalate and over what period; that page decides by how much per year.
We recommend turning this on whenever you have priced fields by hand well before buyout — without it those lines quietly stay at last year's money while the rest of the estimate moves.
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