When you add area-based assemblies to an estimate and amaterial is marked as ‘Single-Use’ (See advanced options)wastage is automatically calculated for you.
Setting Up Coverage-Based Materials
- Mark Materials as Coverage-Based:
- Edit a material in your catalog
- Expand the “Advanced options” section
- Toggle on “Coverage-Based Material”
- Enter the coverage rate (how much area one unit covers)
- For single-use items, check the “Single-Use” box. In the example below, this material covers 100 square feet per unit.
- Understanding Coverage Rates:
- Coverage rate is the area one unit can cover (e.g., 100 sqft per unit of adhesive)
- Higher coverage rates mean fewer units needed for the same area
- For precise estimates, be conservative with coverage rates (slightly underestimate coverage)
- Single-Use vs. Reusable Materials:
- Single-use materials cannot be partially used (e.g., tubes of sealant or adhesive)
- When the “Single-Use” option is checked, VoltPro will always round up to the next whole unit. The remaining unused amount is called ‘Wastage’
- Reusable materials can be calculated with partial units if necessary
- Using Single-Use materials in Assemblies:
- Once you have created coverage-based single-use materials, add them to’Area-based’ assemblies
- Apply this assembly in your next estimate. Specify the square footage required for the total job (550 sqft as seen below)
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Since the material covers 100 sqft per unit, VoltPro will calculate that 6 units (600 sqft) are required. Leaving 50 sqft as unused remaining material. This is because we specified this material as ‘Single-use’ in our material catalog
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The wastage amount is displayed on each line with the ’!’ icon in both the estimate editor and estimate detail pages
How wastage is calculated
- Basic Quantity Calculation:
- Total Area ÷ Coverage Rate = Base Quantity Needed
- For Reusable Materials:
- The system calculates exact quantities needed, which may include fractions
- For example, if you need 1.2 units, that’s what the estimate will show
- For Single-Use Materials:
- The system always rounds up to the next whole unit
- For example, if you need 1.2 units, the estimate will show 2 units
- The system calculates and displays the wastage amount (in this case, 0.8 units or 40%)
- Wastage Indicators:
- Materials with calculated wastage display a special icon in the estimate details for relevant line items
- Hovering over this icon shows detailed wastage information:
- Coverage capacity of the material
- Expected wastage quantity
- Wastage percentage of total material