Costing Library

Library6 min read

Costing Library is the rate book. Define a resource once, attach supplier rates, then pick those lines on a quote price build-up. Work items, activities, and assemblies stay behind estimating (coming soon).

Library → Costing Library Resources grid

desktop

When to use this

Use this when you are adding or correcting workspace rates.

Do not use it to send a price to the client. That is Quotes. Do not use Templates for unit rates.

Before you start

• You can write the library (libraries write).
• At least one resource group exists (create one with Add group, or import structure under Settings → Library).
• A supplier in Customers & trades is useful if you store partner prices.

1

Add a resource

Library → Costing Library → Add resource. The dialog is Create resource.

Required: name, Type, Unit, Group. Form types: Material, Labour, Plant, Subcontract / service. The type filter also has Service.

Optional: Internal cost split (Base cost, Materials split, Labour split, Extras), Waste %, supplier price, Active.

Create resource. The list subtitle is Double-click any cell to edit. Changes save automatically. Columns include Code, Resource name, Type, Group, Unit, Rate.

2

Build a work item

Work Items → Add work item. Dialog Create work item. Give it a group and Unit of measure. Pricing strategy is General assembly (from attached resources) or Fixed unit price.

Add resource in Composition to attach library resources with qty. Create work item.

3

Use it on a job

On an estimate or quote, use Import from Library. Pick Assemblies, Activities, Work Items, or Resources, then Add to Estimate (or Add to Work Item / Add to Activity). Override the job line only when this site is genuinely different.

What the other tabs are for

When estimating is on, Costing Library also has Work Items, Activities, Assemblies, and Health. Launch workspaces open Costing Library straight on the resources grid. Use Tools → Needs Attention to filter resources that need a price, unit, or review.

Search placeholders: Search resources…, Search work items…, Search activities…, Search assemblies…. Filter by type (All types) and group (All groups).

Supplier prices

A resource can have a price from more than one supplier. The Supplier column sets the default used on estimates. Suppliers that already have a rate for that resource appear first in the list.

Group by supplier on Resources lists the same items under each supplier that has a current price, with that supplier’s rate. Resources with no supplier price sit in No supplier. This is a view of the library, not a second catalogue.

You can attach many resources to one supplier from:

• Directory → Trades & suppliers → a supplier’s Resources tab → Add resources
• Resources row selection → Assign supplier
• A supplier group header → Add resources

Each selected resource needs its own rate. SiteHut prefills from the resource’s default or general rate when one exists. Resources that already have a current price from that supplier are skipped.

Do not use this to build a customer quote. Quotes still add work items (or resources on a line’s price build-up). The quote import dialog already has a Suppliers tab for picking priced resources onto a line.

What done looks like

• The resource shows a rate on the Resources list.
• A work item expands to its resources.
• Adding a library line on a quote carries that rate onto the job.

Common mistakes

• Creating a work item before any resource group exists.
• Editing a job line for a price that should have changed in the library.
• Expecting Compounds. That is not a Costing Library tab. Use a work item or activity instead.
• Importing on Assemblies. Import is on Resources, Work Items, and Activities. Selected rows can Export.

Tip

A Needs attention count on a tab filters that list. Open Health to work the queues: missing current price, price needs reviewing, missing unit of measure, and similar.

Import a price list

Import opens Bulk import for that entity. 1. Download blank template (also labelled Start with our CSV template), then 2. Click to upload CSV. Process N items (resources may say Review resource import first). Row 1 is field headers. Re-import can update existing items.

On Resources, SiteHut may ask you to match names to existing resources, groups, or suppliers before it finishes. Open Column guide in the import dialog for the full field list. Blank optional columns are fine.

Column	Meaning
Name / Group	Required. Resource name and resource group.
Type	Resource type (Material, Labour, Plant, Subcontract). Blank defaults to Material. Not a cost-code type.
Code	Workspace-unique resource code — not the merchant SKU. Leave blank and SiteHut will suggest one during review.
Supplier code	Merchant part number or SKU for that supplier listing. A rate is optional.
Supplier description	Merchant’s name for the listed item if different from Name.
Description	Longer notes on the resource, not supplier text.
Cost code	Workspace estimating cost code (e.g. DRN, MAT). Do not put types like Material / Labour here — leave blank until you have a real cost-code list. Each code must be linked to a cost type under Settings → Library → Cost codes.

Mac, Windows, and Excel: Sending a CSV between Mac and Windows is fine. Blank lines in a text editor usually mean the file was opened and re-saved in Excel — download the latest template from Import instead. Re-saving can also change values (e.g. MAT becoming Material).

Setting up cost codes: Under Settings → Library, define Cost types (Materials, Labour, …), then create Cost codes and link each code to the cost types it applies to. Resource Type in the CSV is separate — it defaults to Material and is not the same as a cost type. | Rate / Rate valid from | Optional price (supplier price when Supplier is set). Valid-from blank defaults to today. A supplier and SKU can be imported without a rate. | | Active | TRUE/FALSE; blank defaults to active. |