Code of Massachusetts Regulations
220 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES
Title 220 CMR 50.00 - Uniform System Of Accounts For Gas Companies
GAS PLANT INSTRUCTIONS
Section 4 - Overhead Construction Costs

A. All overhead construction costs, such as engineering, supervision, general office salaries and expenses, construction engineering and supervision by others than the accounting utility, law expenses, insurance, injuries and damages, relief and pensions, taxes and interest, shall be charged to particular jobs or units on the basis of the amounts of such overheads reasonably applicable thereto, to the end that each job or unit shall bear its equitable proportion of such costs and that the entire cost of the unit, both direct and overhead, shall be deducted from the plant accounts at the time the property is retired.

B. As far as practicable, the determination of payroll charges includible in construction overheads shall be based on time card distributions thereof. Where this procedure is impractical, special studies shall be made periodically of the time of supervisory employees devoted to construction activities to the end that only such overhead costs as have a definite relation to construction shall be capitalized. The addition to direct construction costs of arbitrary percentages or amounts to cover assumed overhead costs is not permitted.

C. The records supporting the entries for overhead construction costs shall be so kept as to show the total amount of each overhead for each year, the nature and amount of each overhead expenditure charged to construction, and the basis of distribution of such costs.