Using Purchase Orders on Jobs
Purchase orders (POs) in Trade2Base are formal documents sent to suppliers or subcontractors for materials or labour. Create a PO directly from a job, send it by email or PDF, and track it from order through to delivery and invoicing — all linked to the job.
What purchase orders are in Trade2Base
A purchase order is a document you send to a supplier or subcontractor to formally request goods or services for a specific job. It commits you to paying the agreed amount on receipt of the goods or completion of the work, and creates a paper trail for cost control.
Purchase orders are for ordering from suppliers — the formal request before delivery. Parts & materials (on the job Materials tab) track what was actually used on the job and feed into your job costing. POs and materials work alongside each other.
Creating a purchase order
Open any job and select the Purchase Orders tab. If you have not created any POs yet, the tab is empty. Click "New PO" to open the purchase order form.
Type the supplier or subcontractor name. If the supplier is saved in your contacts, start typing their name and select from the dropdown. Add their email address if you want to send the PO by email from Trade2Base.
Add each material or service as a line item: description, quantity, unit cost, and unit of measure (e.g. each, m, m², litres). Trade2Base calculates the line total and PO total automatically.
Enter the date you need the materials on site or the work completed. This date appears on the PO PDF and is used to flag overdue POs.
Use the Notes field for delivery instructions, site access details, or any special requirements. Notes appear on the PO PDF.
Click "Save PO". The PO is saved in Draft status and linked to the job. You can edit it before sending.
Sending the purchase order
Click "Send by email" on the PO. Trade2Base sends the PO PDF to the supplier's email address and records the sent timestamp. The PO status changes to Sent.
Click "Download PDF" to save the PO as a PDF file. You can then send it yourself via WhatsApp, email, or print it and hand it over.
PO status workflow
Each purchase order moves through four statuses as the order progresses:
The PO has been created but not yet sent. You can still edit all fields.
The PO has been emailed to the supplier or downloaded. The order is formally placed.
Mark a PO as Received when the materials arrive on site or the subcontractor completes the work. You can mark individual line items as received or mark the whole PO at once.
The supplier has sent an invoice for the PO. Link the supplier invoice to the PO (see below) and mark the PO as Invoiced to close it off.
Marking materials as received and linking supplier invoices
Open the PO and click "Mark as received". If only some items have arrived, click "Partial receipt", enter the quantities received for each line item, and save. The PO shows the outstanding quantity for each item.
When the supplier sends their invoice, open the PO and click "Link supplier invoice". Enter the supplier invoice reference, date, and amount. This links the cost to the PO and job for accurate cost tracking and profitability reporting. Once linked, change the PO status to Invoiced.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Create as many POs as needed on a job — for example, one for materials from a merchant and one for a subcontractor's labour.
Yes, but you should notify the supplier of any changes. Editing a Sent PO does not automatically resend it — click "Resend" after making changes.
Yes. Once a supplier invoice is linked to a PO, the cost is included in the job cost summary alongside time tracking and parts costs.
Currently POs must be created from within a job. If you have a general stock order not tied to a specific job, contact support to discuss your workflow.
Still need help? Contact support
Purchase orders, time tracking, and parts costs all in one place for accurate job profitability.
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