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How to use Materials & Quotes

Keep your material prices in one place, buy for each job from a list, and quote with your profit in view. When a client accepts, turn the quote into an invoice.

  1. Add your materials. Group them into categories like Timber or Electrical. Record where you buy each one and what it costs. When a price changes, enter the new one and the tool keeps the old price with its date, so you can see how much it has gone up.
  2. Save quick sets. A quick set is a list you buy again and again, like the sand, cement and mesh for a standard slab. Load it into a buy list at today’s prices and change what you need.
  3. Use buy lists. Buy lists are grouped by supplier. Download or print one, mark it as sent, and mark it as bought when you’ve paid. The dates go on the document.
  4. Quote the job. Add materials, buy lists or quick sets, then labour. In Simple mode you set your profit once, as a markup, a margin, a dollar amount or a total price. In Detailed mode you price each line yourself. Until you send it, a saved quote waits under Drafts, along with any buy lists you haven’t sent.
  5. Send it and invoice it. Download the quote as a PDF and mark it as sent. When the client accepts, create the invoice for the full amount, a deposit, a progress claim or the balance.

With a subscription

  • Your materials and every price change saved to your account
  • Every quote and buy list kept, not just one at a time
  • Quotes tracked as sent, accepted or declined, and buy lists as sent or bought
  • A client book shared with the Invoice Generator, with CSV import and export
  • Quick sets you load into a buy list or quote in one tap
  • Drafts you can finish later
  • Material purchases counted in Accounts & Tax (Premium)

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Common questions

What’s the difference between markup and margin?

Markup is profit as a share of your cost. Margin is profit as a share of the price. Adding a 30% markup gives a 23.1% margin. The tool shows both side by side so you can see what you’re really making.

Should material prices include GST?

Enter them the way your receipts show them. If you’re registered for GST, the tool works out your costs without GST, because you claim it back, and adds GST to your quote.

Do I need a tax invoice from my supplier?

To claim a GST credit on a purchase over $82.50 including GST, you need a tax invoice from the supplier. Keep it with your records.

What can I do without a subscription?

Anyone can add materials and prices, build a quote with the profit in view, make a buy list, download both as PDFs and turn a quote into an invoice. On the free plan you work on one quote and one buy list at a time, and nothing is kept when you close the page. Basic keeps everything and adds the client book, quick sets, drafts, and tracking quotes as sent, accepted or declined and buy lists as sent or bought.

Do quotes go into Accounts & Tax?

No. A quote isn’t income. When it’s accepted you create an invoice, and the invoice is what’s counted. Material purchases you mark as bought are counted as expenses on Premium.

Can I use it outside Australia?

Yes. In Settings, choose your country and the tool uses its tax, rate and currency, such as GST at 15% in NZ dollars for New Zealand or VAT at 20% in pounds for the UK. You can change the rate and names to match your registration. The Invoice Generator and Accounts & Tax use the same setting. Outside Australia, Accounts & Tax shows the tax on your sales and purchases in your currency and tax year, instead of the Australian BAS.

General information only, not tax advice. Check every document before you send it. Disclaimer