Saturation 3.0 keeps fringe definitions in a dedicated Library panel. You can maintain reusable fringes at the workspace level, add them to a project, and apply one fringe or a group of fringes to a budget line.
What are fringes?
Fringes are costs added to a crew member's base pay. Non-union fringes can include employer payroll taxes, workers' compensation, or insurance. Union fringes can include pension, health, and other benefits required by an agreement.
A fringe can be a percentage of a line's base amount, a fixed amount for each unit, or one fixed amount for the line. Saturation calculates the selected fringes and includes them in the budget total.
When to use fringes in Saturation
Use fringes whenever a cost is calculated from labor or needs to be added consistently to selected budget lines. Common examples include:
Employer payroll taxes and statutory labor charges
Workers' compensation and payroll-related insurance
Union pension, health, training, or vacation contributions
Per-unit kit fees, allowances, or similar fixed charges
Keep standard company rates in Workspace Fringes. Copy them into each project, then adjust the project copies for the production's agreements, locations, and payroll assumptions. Use groups when the same set of fringes applies to several lines.
Workspace fringes versus project fringes
Workspace fringe | Project fringe |
A reusable source available to projects in the workspace. | A project-only definition or a copy of a workspace fringe. |
Changes affect the workspace source. | Changes affect only that project copy. |
Deleting the source does not delete project copies already created. | Deleting the project fringe removes that project's definition, not the workspace source. |
How to add and manage fringes in Saturation
1. Accessing the fringe table
The Workspace Fringes table stores reusable source fringes.
To manage workspace fringes that can be reused across projects:
Go to Projects.
Select Library.
Select Fringes.
The Project Fringes table stores project-only fringes and project copies of workspace fringes. When you add a workspace fringe to a project, a project copy will be created. Changes to that copy do not change the workspace fringe or copies already used by other projects.
To add and manage fringes for the specific project:
Open the project's Budget.
Select Library in the budget toolbar.
Select Fringes.
Note: You can also open the menu on an estimate phase's Fringes column and select View all fringes.
Members with edit access can add, change, or delete fringes. Viewers can open the table but cannot edit it.
2. Setting up fringes
In Workspace Fringes, select Add. In Project Fringes, select Add > Add new fringe. Complete the new row using these columns:
Column | What to enter |
Name | A short name that is easy to find in the budget, such as FICA or P&H. |
Description | What the fringe covers. |
Rate | The percentage or fixed amount to calculate. Enter 7.65 for a 7.65% fringe. |
Calc | How Saturation applies the rate. |
Cutoff | The maximum base amount used to calculate a Percent fringe. This field is unavailable for fixed calculations. |
Groups | One or more groups that include this fringe. |
Color | A color used to identify the fringe in the table and budget. |
The Calc column has these options:
Calculation | Result |
Percent | Applies the rate as a percentage of the line's base amount, up to the cutoff if one is entered. |
Fixed Per Unit | Multiplies the fringe rate by the line's Qty and X values. |
Fixed | Adds the fringe rate once to the line. Changes save when you leave the cell. For the most predictable result, press Tab or click outside the cell. Pressing Enter on the final row may create an additional blank fringe row. |
Organize fringes into groups
A group lets you apply several related fringes in one selection. For example, a Union Crew group could contain the pension, health, and training fringes required by an agreement.
In the workspace or project Library, open Fringes and switch from Fringes to Groups.
Select Add and enter a name. Add a color if needed.
Switch back to Fringes.
In each fringe's Groups cell, select the groups that should include it.
You can create a group from a Groups cell by typing a new name and selecting the create option.
Add a workspace fringe to a project
Open the project Library and select Fringes.
Select Add.
Search for the workspace fringe and select it.
The fringe is copied into the project table, where you can change its rate or other settings for this project.
To remove a fringe, right-click its row and select Delete. Deleting a workspace source does not delete project copies that were created from it.
3. Adding fringes to your budget
Open the project budget and expand an estimate phase if its detail columns are hidden.
Select the line's Fringes cell.
Search for a fringe or group. Groups show a folder icon and the number of fringes they contain.
Select the fringe or group. Repeat to add more than one.
Review Breakdown to see each effective fringe amount and the total for the line.
Press Enter or Tab, or select outside the editor, to confirm the change.
Select the remove icon on a fringe or group to remove it from the line. Removing a group removes the group assignment, not the fringe definitions in the Library.
If the fringe does not exist, type its name and select Create “name”. Saturation creates and selects a new project fringe. Open View all fringes afterward to enter its rate, calculation type, and other details.
Selecting a workspace fringe directly from a budget cell also creates a project copy. The line refers to that copy, so future changes to the workspace source do not change the project's budget.
The Fringes column menu controls how the column appears:
Fringes shows the selected fringe and group names.
Amount shows the calculated fringe total for each line.
The total at the bottom of the Fringes column shows the phase's fringe cost.
Choose where fringe costs appear
Open the Fringes column menu and select Fringe settings. Choose where Saturation separates and collects fringe costs: Topsheet places them on the topsheet; Account places them in each account; Subaccount places them in each subaccount.
This setting applies to every phase in the project. Changing the placement changes where fringe costs collect, but it does not remove existing fringe assignments or change their calculated amounts. Review the affected phase totals after changing placement.
Calculation examples
For a budget line with Qty 2, Rate $100, and X 3, the line's base amount is $600.
Calculation | Example setup | Fringe amount |
Percent | 10% with no cutoff | $60 |
Percent with cutoff | 10% with a $500 cutoff | $50 |
Fixed Per Unit | $5 × Qty 2 × X 3 | $30 |
Fixed | $25 once for the line | $25 |
A cutoff is applied separately to each budget row. It is not accumulated across several rows for the same person. If one person's earnings are split across multiple rows, review the result and consolidate the rows or model the cutoff separately when necessary.
Note: Make sure to enter the percentage value. Example: Enter 7.65 for 7.65%, not 0.0765.
Fringe assignment versus placement
Setting | What it controls |
Assignment | Which budget rows use a fringe or fringe group. |
Placement | Where calculated fringe costs collect: the Topsheet, Account, or Subaccount level. |
Changing placement changes where fringe costs collect across the project. It does not remove fringe assignments or change the calculated fringe amounts. Review phase and project totals after changing placement.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the fringe in my budget?
Check the columns icon to see if the Fringes column is hidden. From there, unhide it and it should appear for the phase selected.
How can I display both the fringe name and fringe amount at the same time?
The budget's Fringes column currently displays either Fringes (names) or Amount (calculated totals), not both at the same time. Switch the column display as needed, or open Breakdown on a line to review each name and effective amount together.
How do fringes appear in PDF exports?
PDF exports do not include the interactive line-by-line Breakdown available in the budget. Fringe totals follow the project's placement and rollup structure. Always review the PDF preview before sending it. If a recipient needs the fringe names and exact amounts, include that detail in the line's Notes or provide a separate supporting schedule.
Does a cutoff apply separately to every row?
Yes. A Percent fringe's cutoff limits the base amount on each budget row independently; Saturation does not combine several rows for the same person into one cumulative cutoff.
Can I apply a separate markup directly to a fringe amount?
There is no separate markup field on an individual fringe definition. Configure the applicable project markup to include fringe costs, or model the additional charge as a separate budget line or formula when it needs its own rate and reporting.
Which fringe details survive phase duplication, imports, and templates?
Fringe definitions live in the project Library, while assignments live on budget rows. A duplicated phase should copy its row-level fringe assignments, but imports and templates depend on the source format and mapping. After any duplication, import, or template creation, verify the fringe name, rate, calculation type, cutoff, groups, placement, row assignments, and calculated totals before relying on the copy.
Can fringe costs use a different account ID from the labor line?
Not directly. Fringe costs collect according to the project's fringe placement and do not have a separate account ID field per labor line. If accounting requires a distinct account ID, use a separate budget line or make the adjustment in the downstream accounting workflow.