Charge Number
EVM Terms
Reviewed by forProject Technology - updated Sep 2026
Quick definition: A Charge Number is a generic name for the authorization code for a specific piece of work, at the lowest level tracked, to which a performing organization charges labor, materials, and other project costs.
Every hour of labor or dollar of material that's booked to a project needs a charge number so it gets tied to the right piece of work. It's the mechanism that connects day-to-day cost recording to the project's cost structure.
Why it matters
In the EVM world, the Charge Number relates the actual costs being collected in the financial accounting system with the Work Packages or Control Accounts being planned and tracked in the EVMS system.
Also known as
N/A
Used in
Cost collection and reporting that feeds into Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) at the Work Package or task level
FAQ
Who assigns charge numbers?
They're set up as part of the project's cost accounting structure, typically tied to the lowest level of the Work Breakdown Structure being tracked, such as a Work Package.
Can more than one person use the same charge number?
Yes — everyone working on that specific piece of work charges their time and costs to the same number, which is how all of the related costs get pulled together.
Definition maintained by forProject Technology.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
