How to Add Locations on Procore

Benefits of Using Procore Locations

Locations in Procore serve as the backbone of your project organization system. They create a structured framework that connects your physical job site with your digital documentation. When properly implemented, locations transform how your team communicates about specific areas and streamlines reporting across the entire project lifecycle.

Using a well-defined location system allows for precise communication between team members. Instead of vague descriptions like "the issue is in the north section," you can specify "Building A, 3rd Floor, Conference Room 302." This level of detail eliminates confusion and ensures everyone knows exactly where to focus their attention. The clarity provided by specific locations reduces errors and prevents costly mistakes that often occur due to miscommunication.

Enhanced reporting capabilities represent another significant advantage of using locations. When items are tagged with specific locations, you can generate detailed reports filtered by area, building, or floor. This granular reporting helps project managers identify trouble spots, track progress in specific sections, and allocate resources more effectively. Teams can quickly see which areas have the most outstanding issues or which locations are progressing ahead of schedule.

The organizational benefits extend beyond just communication and reporting. By grouping related items by location, you create a logical structure that makes project management more intuitive. Team members can easily find all items related to a specific area, whether they're looking for RFIs (Request for Information), submittals, or punch list items. This systematic approach saves valuable time that would otherwise be spent searching through unorganized data.

Understanding Multi-Tiered Location Systems

Procore's location system operates on a multi-tiered hierarchy that mirrors the physical structure of your construction project. This hierarchical approach allows you to create a detailed map of your job site that can be as simple or complex as your project requires.

The multi-tiered system typically begins with broad categories and narrows down to specific areas. For example, your first tier might represent entire buildings (Building A, Building B), while the second tier breaks these down into floors (1st Floor, 2nd Floor). The third tier could identify specific rooms or areas (Conference Room, Office 1049), and additional tiers can provide even more granular detail if needed. This structure creates a logical path that follows how people naturally navigate through physical spaces.

The beauty of this system lies in its flexibility. A small renovation project might only need two tiers, while a complex hospital construction might require five or six tiers to adequately map all areas. You can customize the hierarchy to match your project's unique requirements, ensuring that locations are intuitive and useful for your specific needs. The system grows with your project, allowing you to add new locations as construction progresses or as plans change.

Navigation through this tiered system becomes second nature for team members after initial setup. When creating a new RFI or observation, users simply select the appropriate location from cascading dropdown menus, moving from general to specific. This intuitive process ensures consistent location tagging across all project documentation and tools.

Required Permissions and Prerequisites

Before diving into location setup, understanding the necessary permissions is crucial for a smooth implementation. Procore maintains tight control over location management to prevent unauthorized changes that could disrupt project organization.

To add or modify locations, you must have either 'Admin' level permissions on the project's Admin tool or a combination of 'Read Only'/'Standard' permissions with the "Manage Locations" granular permission enabled on your permission template. This security measure ensures that only authorized personnel can make changes to the location hierarchy. If you're unsure about your permission level, check with your project administrator who can verify your access rights or adjust them as needed.

Beyond permissions, certain prerequisites may apply depending on your chosen method for adding locations. If you plan to import locations using the Procore Imports app, you'll need a properly formatted XLSX or CSV file that follows Procore's template structure. For generating locations from drawings, you'll need architectural drawings already uploaded to your project's Drawings tool. Those using the Revit® integration will need the Procore Plug-In for Revit® installed and a compatible Revit® version (2017-2023).

Preparation before beginning the location setup process saves considerable time and prevents frustration. Take a moment to ensure you have all necessary permissions and prerequisites in place. This small investment of time upfront will make the entire process more efficient and help avoid potential roadblocks during implementation.

Manual Location Creation Process

For smaller projects or unique location structures, manually creating locations provides the most direct approach. This method gives you complete control over your location hierarchy and works well when you're dealing with a manageable number of locations.

The process begins in the Project Admin Tool, where you'll navigate to the 'Project Settings' menu and select "Locations." If you're starting fresh, you'll immediately see options to add your first tier. For projects where locations were previously generated from drawings, you'll need to click "Edit Location Hierarchy" and choose "Skip Drawings and Edit" to make manual adjustments.

Adding locations follows a logical progression through the tiers of your hierarchy. Start by clicking "+ Add 1st Tier" and entering a name for your top-level location, such as "Building A" or "Main Campus." After confirming this entry, you can add second-tier locations that fall under this parent by clicking "+ Add 2nd Tier" and entering names like "1st Floor" or "West Wing." Continue this process through as many tiers as your project requires, creating a comprehensive map of your job site.

The manual creation process also allows you to implement optional settings that enhance location management. You can restrict location creation to designated location managers only, preventing unauthorized additions that might disrupt your organizational system. For projects using Procore's Document Management tool, you can enable optional location codes that serve as prefixes for document naming standards, creating consistency across your documentation.

Importing Locations in Bulk

When dealing with extensive location lists, manually entering each one becomes impractical. Procore's bulk import feature offers a time-saving alternative that's particularly valuable for large or complex projects with dozens or hundreds of locations.

The import process utilizes the Procore Imports App, a powerful tool designed to handle bulk data transfers. After launching the app and selecting your company and project, navigate to the "Locations" section and click "Add New Locations." You'll have the option to download a blank Excel template that you can fill with your location data, or you can upload an existing XLSX or CSV file if you already have your locations organized in a spreadsheet.

Your import file should follow a specific structure with columns representing each tier in your location hierarchy. The first column contains your top-tier locations, the second column your second-tier locations, and so on. Each row represents a complete location path from top to bottom tier. After uploading your file, the system processes it and identifies any errors or inconsistencies that need correction. Once resolved, clicking "Finish" completes the import and adds all locations to your project.

While the Procore Imports app officially supports up to six tiers, you're not permanently limited by this constraint. After importing your six-tier structure, you can manually add additional tiers if your project requires more granular organization. This flexibility ensures that even the most complex projects can maintain a comprehensive location hierarchy that accurately reflects the physical job site.

Generating Locations from Drawings

Procore's AI-powered location extraction feature represents a significant advancement in construction technology. This innovative approach uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to automatically identify and extract location information directly from your architectural drawings.

The process begins in the Drawings Tool, where you'll click "Edit Location Hierarchy" and select "Generate Locations from Drawings." You'll then choose which drawings to analyze by checking the boxes next to relevant files. It's important to note that for each drawing, only one revision can be selected for extraction. After submitting your selections, Procore's AI engine processes the drawings to identify room numbers, floor designations, and other location indicators.

Within minutes, the system presents a suggested location hierarchy based on the information extracted from your drawings. This automated approach dramatically reduces the manual effort required to set up locations, especially for complex buildings with numerous rooms and areas. The extraction isn't just a time-saver—it also improves accuracy by pulling information directly from the source documents rather than relying on manual data entry.

After extraction, you'll have the opportunity to review and refine the suggested locations. You can remove unwanted entries, adjust naming conventions, or add missing locations that weren't captured in the drawings. This review stage ensures that the final location hierarchy accurately represents your project while still benefiting from the efficiency of automated extraction. Once satisfied with the structure, publishing the hierarchy makes it available throughout your Procore project.

Using the Procore Plug-In for Revit®

For teams already working with Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Revit®, the Procore integration offers a seamless way to transfer location data directly from your digital models to your Procore project. This integration eliminates duplicate work and ensures consistency between your BIM model and construction management platform.

The process starts with installing the Procore plug-in for Revit®, which can be downloaded through the Procore Admin or Coordination Issues tool. Before exporting locations, you'll need to ensure that the setting restricting location creation to the location manager is disabled in your Procore project's Admin tool. This temporary adjustment allows the plugin to create locations during the import process.

With the plugin installed and permissions configured, open your Revit® model and click the Procore tab in the ribbon interface. Select "Export Locations" and enter your Procore credentials when prompted. You'll then select the company and specific project where you want the locations to appear. The plugin automatically extracts levels and rooms from your Revit® model, presenting them in a hierarchical format that matches Procore's multi-tiered structure.

After reviewing the extracted locations for accuracy, clicking "Publish" transfers them directly to your Procore project. This integration is particularly valuable for projects where the BIM model serves as the single source of truth for building information. Any changes made to room layouts or level designations in Revit® can be re-exported to keep your Procore locations synchronized with the latest design iterations.

Best Practices for Location Management

Establishing an effective location hierarchy requires thoughtful planning and consistent implementation. Following proven best practices ensures your location system remains valuable throughout the project lifecycle.

Planning your location structure before implementation sets the foundation for success. Consider your project's physical layout and how team members naturally refer to different areas. Sketch out your proposed hierarchy on paper or in a spreadsheet, identifying how many tiers you'll need and what each level will represent. This planning phase helps identify potential issues before they become problems in your live system. Involve key stakeholders in this planning process to ensure the structure makes sense from multiple perspectives.

Consistency in naming conventions plays a crucial role in location usability. Develop clear guidelines for how locations should be named at each tier level. For example, decide whether you'll use "Floor 1" or "1st Floor" and stick with that convention throughout. Avoid duplicate names under the same parent location, as this creates confusion and reporting problems. When possible, use the same terminology that appears on project drawings and specifications to maintain alignment between documents and your Procore system.

Regular maintenance keeps your location system relevant as your project evolves. Schedule periodic reviews of your location hierarchy, especially after major project milestones or design changes. Update locations to reflect any modifications to the building layout or room designations. Remove or archive locations that are no longer relevant, and add new ones as construction progresses to new areas. This ongoing maintenance ensures your location system remains an accurate representation of your project throughout its lifecycle.

Practical Applications Across Tools

The true value of a well-structured location system emerges when it's consistently used across Procore's various tools. This integration creates a connected ecosystem where location data enhances every aspect of project management.

When working with RFIs (Requests for Information) and submittals, location tagging provides essential context. An RFI about a specific building detail becomes much more useful when it's linked to "Building B, 3rd Floor, East Wing." This precise location information helps reviewers understand exactly where the question applies and enables them to reference relevant drawings or visit the specific area if needed. Similarly, material submittals linked to locations help teams understand where specific products will be installed, improving coordination between procurement and field teams.

Field observations and quality control benefit tremendously from location integration. When inspectors document defects or safety issues, assigning the correct location ensures that follow-up teams can quickly find the exact spot needing attention. This precision eliminates wasted time searching for reported issues and speeds up resolution. Mobile teams can use Procore's QR code feature to scan location codes posted throughout the job site, instantly pulling up all items associated with that specific area.

Project closeout becomes more organized when punch list items include precise location data. Teams can systematically work through outstanding items by location, ensuring nothing is missed during final inspections. Location-based reporting during closeout provides valuable insights about which areas experienced the most issues, informing future project planning and quality control efforts. This systematic approach to closeout reduces the risk of overlooking critical items and helps deliver a complete, defect-free project to the client.

Troubleshooting Common Location Issues

Even with careful planning, you may encounter challenges when setting up or managing locations. Understanding common issues and their solutions helps you maintain an effective location system throughout your project.

Duplicate location names represent one of the most frequent problems in location management. Procore identifies these duplicates with warning icons, but resolving them requires manual intervention. When you spot these warnings, scroll through your location list to find the duplicates and decide which to keep and which to modify or remove. Remember that locations must have unique names under the same parent, but identical names can exist under different parents (for example, both Building A and Building B can have a "Conference Room").

Permission-related obstacles sometimes prevent team members from adding or modifying locations. If you're unable to make changes despite having what you believe are the correct permissions, verify your access level in the Admin tool. You may need to request additional permissions from your project administrator or temporarily disable the setting that restricts location creation to designated managers. These permission adjustments ensure that authorized team members can maintain the location system without compromising its integrity.

Import errors frequently occur when bringing locations into Procore from external files. These errors typically stem from formatting issues in your import file, such as missing required columns or inconsistent hierarchical relationships. When the system identifies import errors, it provides a detailed error list that pinpoints specific problems. Take time to carefully review and correct these issues in your source file before attempting another import. Following Procore's template structure exactly will minimize these errors and streamline the import process.

Real-World Success Stories

Examining how other construction teams have implemented locations provides valuable insights and inspiration for your own setup. These real-world examples demonstrate the practical benefits of a well-organized location system.

A commercial construction firm working on a multi-building campus created a four-tier location hierarchy: Campus Zone, Building, Floor, and Room Type. This structure allowed them to generate detailed reports showing which buildings and floors had the most outstanding issues. When analysis revealed that the third floor of Building C had significantly more defects than other areas, they conducted a focused investigation that identified installation problems with a specific subcontractor. This early detection saved thousands of dollars in potential rework and kept the project on schedule despite the initial issues.

A healthcare renovation project used locations to coordinate complex phased work while maintaining hospital operations. Their location structure included wings, departments, and room numbers, with an additional tier indicating construction phase. This detailed hierarchy enabled precise scheduling of work to minimize disruption to patient care. When emergency department renovations needed to be accelerated, project managers could quickly identify and reassign resources from less critical areas. The location-based organization allowed them to complete the high-priority work two weeks ahead of schedule while maintaining quality standards.

A residential developer implementing Procore across multiple housing projects created a standardized location template that could be adapted for each new development. Their system included neighborhoods, block numbers, lot numbers, and interior spaces. This consistent approach allowed them to compare performance metrics across different projects and identify best practices. When data showed that certain floor plans consistently had issues in specific locations, they modified their designs to address these problem areas. This data-driven approach, made possible by consistent location tagging, improved quality across their entire portfolio of projects.

Maximizing Location QR Code Benefits

Procore's location QR code feature transforms how field teams interact with the platform, creating a bridge between physical spaces and digital documentation. This powerful functionality deserves special attention as part of your location implementation strategy.

For each location in your hierarchy, Procore can generate a unique QR code that links directly to that specific area in the system. Printing these codes and posting them at corresponding physical locations creates an intuitive access point for field personnel. A superintendent walking through the job site can simply scan the QR code posted at the entrance to an area to instantly view all items associated with that location. This immediate access eliminates the need to navigate through multiple menus or search for relevant information, saving valuable time during site walks and inspections.

The practical applications extend beyond just viewing information. Field teams can use scanned QR codes as starting points for creating new items like observations, defects, or punch list entries. When a team member scans a code before creating a new item, the location field is automatically populated with the correct information. This automation reduces errors from manual location selection and ensures consistent tagging across all project documentation. The time savings may seem small for individual entries, but across hundreds of items, it adds up to significant efficiency improvements.

Implementation requires minimal effort but yields substantial returns. Generate QR codes through the Admin tool's location settings, print them on durable materials suitable for construction environments, and post them at logical entry points to each area. Train field personnel on the scanning process using the Procore mobile app, emphasizing the time-saving benefits. This simple system creates a seamless connection between physical spaces and digital documentation that enhances productivity and accuracy throughout your project.

Start Optimizing Your Procore Location Setup Today

A well-structured location system serves as the foundation for efficient project management in Procore. The time invested in thoughtfully planning and implementing your location hierarchy pays dividends throughout your project's lifecycle through improved communication, enhanced reporting, and streamlined workflows.

The flexibility of Procore's location system accommodates projects of all sizes and complexities. Whether you're managing a simple renovation or coordinating a multi-building campus development, the multi-tiered hierarchy adapts to your specific needs. Take advantage of the various implementation methods—manual creation, bulk imports, drawing extraction, or BIM integration—to establish your location structure in the most efficient way for your project. Remember that the goal isn't just to create locations but to build an intuitive system that enhances how your team works together.

As you move forward with implementing or refining your location system, focus on consistency and usability. Train your team on the importance of selecting the correct locations when creating items, and regularly review your hierarchy to ensure it remains relevant as your project evolves. The small effort required to maintain your location system yields significant returns in organizational efficiency and data quality. Your future self and project team will thank you for the clarity and structure that a well-designed location system provides throughout the construction process.