Setting Up Your Parts and Materials Catalogue
The parts catalogue is a central library of every part, material, and product your business uses. Once set up, parts auto-populate descriptions and prices on quotes and jobs — so you spend less time typing and more time working.
How to set up your catalogue
In the main navigation, open Settings and select Parts Catalogue. Click "Add item" to open the new part form.
Enter the part name as you want it to appear on quotes and invoices. Set your cost price (what you pay) and sell price (what you charge). Alternatively, enter a default mark-up percentage and Trade2Base calculates the sell price automatically.
Choose or create a category for the part — for example, "Boiler spares", "Electrical fittings", or "Plumbing". Categories make it faster to find the right part when building a quote or adding materials to a job.
Click Save. The part is now available in the parts search when you are building a quote or adding materials to a job. It will appear in search results by name or category.
When adding a line item to a quote, start typing the part name in the search field. Select the part from the results — Trade2Base auto-populates the description and price. Adjust the quantity as needed.
Every part added to a job from the catalogue is recorded with its cost and sell price. This feeds into the job costing report so you can see your exact margin on materials for every job.
Tip: Building your parts catalogue takes time upfront but saves hours on every quote. Start with your 20 most frequently used parts and build from there.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. On the Parts Catalogue page, click Import and upload a CSV file with columns for name, category, cost price, and sell price. Trade2Base maps the columns and imports all items in one go.
You can update individual part prices at any time. For bulk price updates — for example, applying a supplier price increase — use the Import function to re-upload your catalogue with the new prices. Existing quotes and invoices are not affected by price changes.
Not automatically. You manage prices manually or via CSV import. Supplier integrations are on the Trade2Base roadmap.
Yes. When building a quote, you can type a custom line item directly without searching the catalogue. This is useful for unusual or one-off parts that you do not want in your library.
Still need help? Contact support
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