📋 Requirements
Before you begin, make sure:
You have access to Buildern.
Your Xero account is connected to Buildern.
You have permission to manage Cost Codes and Accounting Integration.
Understanding Cost Code Syncing
Buildern allows you to synchronize Cost Codes with Xero to keep your project and accounting data aligned.
Depending on your integration settings, Cost Codes can be synced with either:
1) Xero Products and Services
Products and Services can be found in Xero under Sales → Products and Services
2) Xero Chart of Accounts
Accounts can be found in Xero under Accounting → Chart of Accounts
ℹ️ Note - The available synchronization options depend on your Xero integration settings. Cost Codes can be synced either with Xero Products and Services or with Xero Accounts, but not both at the same time.
How Cost Code Mapping Works
Each Cost Code in Buildern can only be linked to a single Product, Service, or Account in Xero. Likewise, each Product, Service, or Account in Xero can only be linked to one Cost Code in Buildern.
For example:
Cost Code Labor → Xero Service Labor
Cost Code Materials → Xero Service Materials
The same Xero Product, Service, or Account cannot be connected to multiple Cost Codes.
ℹ️ Note - Once a Xero Product, Service, or Account has been linked to a Cost Code, it will no longer appear as an available option when syncing other Cost Codes.
Option 1: Sync Cost Codes During Xero Integration Setup
Cost Codes can be synced while connecting Buildern and Xero or later through the Accounting Integration settings.
To sync Cost Codes during setup:
Navigate to Settings → Accounting Integration.
Connect your Xero account.
Complete the initial integration setup.
In the Cost Code synchronization section, choose whether Cost Codes should sync with:
Products and Services
Xero Accounts
Click Save and Continue. The Sync Cost Codes window will appear.
💡 Tip - Buildern recommends syncing Cost Codes with Xero Products and Services rather than Xero Accounts whenever possible.
In Xero, Accounts are intended for General Ledger (GL) reporting and should be used to categorize income and expenses at a high level. Products and Services, on the other hand, are designed to track individual line items and provide more detailed cost tracking.
Following this approach allows multiple Cost Codes (Products and Services) to be linked to a single Xero Account. For example, several material-related Cost Codes can be connected to one Materials Expense account. This structure helps maintain detailed project costing in Buildern while keeping financial reporting in Xero organized and accurate.
The modal contains two tabs:
Xero to Buildern
Buildern to Xero
In both tabs:
Xero records are displayed on one side.
Buildern Cost Codes are displayed on the other side.
Matching is configured using dropdown menus.
For each record, you can choose one of the following options:
Not Matched - The Cost Code will remain unsynchronized.
Create New - Buildern will create a new Product or Service in Xero and link it to the selected Cost Code.
Select Existing Record - Choose an existing Product or Service from Xero.
Once selected, that Xero record becomes unavailable for additional Cost Code mappings.
After reviewing all mappings, click Save.
💡 Tip - Review your mappings carefully before saving to avoid creating duplicate Products, Services, or Accounts in Xero.
If you skipped Cost Code synchronization during the initial integration setup, you can configure it later.
To sync Cost Codes from Accounting Integration:
Navigate to Settings → Accounting Integration.
Open your Xero integration.
Click Sync Cost Codes.
The same synchronization window will open. Configure the mappings and click Save.
Option 2: Sync Cost Codes from the Cost Code Edit Page
You can also manage synchronization directly while creating or editing individual Cost Codes.
To sync a Cost Code:
Click the nine-dot menu.
Navigate to Cost Codes.
Create a new Cost Code or open an existing one.
Inside the Cost Code editor, locate the Sync with Xero section.
Using the dropdown menu, choose one of the following options:
Not Matched
Create New
Select Existing Product, Service, or Account
Save your changes. Buildern will immediately establish the synchronization based on your selection.
ℹ️ Note - The available records displayed in the dropdown depend on whether your integration is configured to sync Cost Codes with Products and Services or with Accounts.
View Synced Cost Codes
The Cost Codes list includes a Sync column. Any Cost Code that is synchronized with Xero displays the Xero icon.
Clicking the Xero icon opens the linked Product, Service, or Account directly in Xero, allowing you to quickly verify the synchronization.
💡 Tip - You can manage Cost Code synchronization either in bulk through the Sync Cost Codes window or individually from the Cost Code editor, depending on your workflow.
Make the most of Buildern’s tools to keep your projects on track.
Happy building!