Creating your first material

Understanding Material Types

VoltPro supports two main types of items in your catalog:

1. Materials: Physical products used in electrical installations (wires, panels, outlets, etc.)
2. Services: Labor or service items charged at hourly or fixed rates

Adding a New Material

1. Access the Materials Section

• Click on “Materials” in the left navigation menu
• This will take you to your materials catalog

2. Create a New Material

• Click the ”+ Add Item” button in the top-right corner
• A drawer will slide in from the right side of the screen

3. Fill in Basic Material Information

• Name: Enter the material name (required)

• Example: “Square D QO 100 Amp Main Breaker Panel”

• Description: Enter additional details about the material

• Example: “24-space, 24-circuit indoor main breaker panel”

• Item Number/SKU: Enter the manufacturer’s SKU or your internal tracking number

• Example: “QO124M100PC”

4. Enter Price Information

• Invoice Date: Select the date of the invoice or receipt
• Unit Cost: Enter the cost you pay for this material
• Unit Type: Select the appropriate unit of measurement (ea, ft, M, C, E)
• “ea” (each) is most common for individual items
• “ft” (feet) for wire or conduit sold by length
• “M” (thousand), “C” (hundred), or “E” (each) for specialized counting

5. Assign Categories

• Click in the “Categories” field to assign categories
• Select from existing categories or create new ones by typing and clicking ”+ Create [category name]”
• Multiple categories can be assigned to a single material

6. Add Vendor Information

• Select the vendor/distributor you purchased this material from
• If the vendor doesn’t exist, click “New vendor” to create one

7. Add Additional Notes

• Enter any notes about this material that may be helpful for future reference
• Notes are for internal use and don’t appear on estimates

8. Save Your Material

• Click the “Create” button at the bottom of the drawer
• Your new material will be added to your catalog

Adding a Service Item

1. Start Creating a New Item

• Click the ”+ Add Item” button in the Materials section

2. Specify as a Service Item

• Check the “Service” checkbox in the top-right corner of the drawer
• The form will adapt to show service-specific fields

3. Enter Service Information

• Name: Enter the service name (required)

• Example: “Journeyman Electrician”

• Description: Enter a description of the service

• Example: “Licensed journeyman electrical work”

4. Set Service Rates

• Labor Cost: Enter your cost for providing this service (per hour)
• Labor Rate: Enter the rate you charge customers (per hour)
• The difference between cost and rate determines your profit margin

5. Save Your Service Item

• Click the “Create” button
• Your new service item will be added to your catalog

Advanced Material Options

VoltPro offers advanced options for special material types:

1. Coverage-Based Materials

• Click “Advanced options” at the bottom of the material form
• Toggle on “Coverage-Based Material” for items like paint that cover an area
• Enter the coverage rate (e.g., 400 sqft)
• Toggle “Single-Use” for items that can’t be partially used and stored

2. Service Area Settings

• For service items, you can optionally set a “Service area” in square feet
• This helps calculate how much area can be serviced per hour