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Production Rates

Turn field measurements into line quantities automatically with reusable formulas.

A production rate is a saved formula that converts measurements into a quantity — square footage into bags of fertilizer, trunk diameter into hours of climbing. Attach one to an item, and estimators just enter the measurements: the quantity (and therefore the price) computes itself, consistently, on every proposal.

Create a production rate

  1. Open the Items page and switch to the Production Rates tab.
  2. Click + New rate.
  3. In Identity, enter a Name and optional Description, then choose:
    • Output kind — Quantity (produces a number of items) or Hours (produces hours of labor).
    • Output unit of measure — the unit the result is expressed in. The rate can only be attached to items that include this unit.
  4. In Named inputs, click + Add input for each measurement the estimator will enter. Each input has a Name used inside the formula (lowercase letters, digits, and underscores, e.g. area_sqft), a friendly Label shown to estimators (e.g. Square footage), and a Unit of measure.
  5. In Formula, write the Expression — for example area_sqft / 5000. The editor validates as you type, lists any formula errors, and confirms with "Formula valid" when it checks out. An Available variables panel shows your named inputs plus built-in context values, including Job and Client Custom Inputs you can reference for conditional logic.
  6. Use Test the formula to plug in sample numbers and preview the Result, and Context preview to tweak mock context values and exercise IF branches — neither affects the saved rate.
  7. Click Save.

Note: Input names starting with job__, client__, or visit__ are reserved for built-in context variables.

Attach a rate to an item

On the item form's Production Rate section, choose:

  • None — quantities are entered manually.
  • Pick from library — select a saved rate. The list only shows rates whose output unit matches one of the item's selected Units of Measure.
  • Create new rate inline — available while creating a new item: define the rate right there and it's saved to the library along with the item.

How rates work on estimates

When an estimator adds a rate-backed item to a job:

  • The item picker shows the rate's inputs under Production Rate inputs: and previews the computed quantity live as measurements are typed.
  • On an existing line, the Calculate quantity from production rate button opens a small dialog: enter the measurements, review the computed Quantity, and click Apply.
  • If the line's unit of measure doesn't match the rate's output unit, the quantity won't auto-compute — the picker warns you before that happens.

Measurements are saved with the line, so you can always see what the quantity was based on.

Recalculate after job changes

If job context that a formula depends on changes later (for example, a Custom Input value), affected lines can go stale. The Recalculate Quantities button on the job shows how many stale rows exist, previews exactly what would change, and re-fires the formulas using current job context — original input values are preserved, and manually entered lines are never touched.

Manage the rate library

The Production Rates tab lists each rate with its Output kind, how many items it's Used by, and its Active status; filter by output kind or Show inactive. Archiving hides a rate from pickers without affecting items that use it. Permanent deletion only happens when no item references the rate — a rate in use is archived instead.