How to Add an Item to an Estimate
Step-by-step guide on adding a new line item to an estimate in Bolster, including both ways to add it and how to fill in its pricing details.
More in Estimating
Estimating
Estimate basics
- How to Create a New Estimate
- How to Add an Item to an Estimate
- Sending an Estimate in Bolster
- How to Duplicate an Estimate
- Client Notifications & Activity Tracking
- Manually Accepting Proposals
- How to Change the Salesperson on an Individual Job
Working in the estimate
- How to Enable Estimate Sidebar Settings
- How to Toggle Column Visibility
- How to Resize Columns in the Estimate View
Pricing & markup
- How To Price An Item (Labor, Material, or Subcontractor)
- How to Adjust Profit Markup
- Change Profit Margin Per Line Item
- How to Add a Fee-Based Item
- How Discounts Work in Bolster
- Adding tax to estimate pricing
- Custom Labor Rates & Time Tracking
- Adding Detail to Labor Costing of Items
- Creating a Custom Calculation for Items in an Estimate
Minimums & base costs
- Add Labour Minimum or Base Costs
- How to Add a Labour Minimum or Base Cost
- How to Add a Base or Minimum Materials Cost
- How to Add Base and Minimum Materials Cost
Materials & production
- How to Configure Material Options and Pricing
- Material Tab Overview and Process
- Production Tab For Items
- How to Split Labor and Material Items
- How to Add Production Notes and SKU to Line Items
Takeoff tool
- Takeoff Tool Introduction
- Takeoff Tool Introduction
- Adding a Floorplan and Setting Scale
- How to Measure Inside Lengths
- How to Draw Deck Area and Total Joist Length
- Using the Takeoff Tab for Dimension Input
AI estimating
Overview
This article covers two ways to add a new, from-scratch line item to your Estimate, plus how to build out that item's full pricing details once it's added.
Before You Begin
- Have your Estimate open and know where in the item list you want the new line item to appear.
Adding a Line Item
There are two ways to add a line item to your Estimate:
- Click the blue Plus Item button, then choose Item to add a line item to your Estimate.
- Alternatively, click the Plus button on the left-hand side of any existing line item to add a new item directly below it.
You can repeat either method to add as many rows to your Estimate as you need.
Filling Out Item Details
- Enter the name of your item, then click the cube icon to the right.
- Click Unit Pricing.
- Update the unit pricing and enter cost type details (Material, Labor, Subcontracted, or Combination).
- Optional: add any additional details available under Material Costs.
- Click on the price ($0.00) or the unit measurement beside Material Costs to update the cost according to your chosen unit of measure.
- Optional: save the item to your catalog for future use.
- Once all of the details you'd like to include are complete, exit to finish.
Tips & Best Practices
- Use the Left-Hand Plus Button for Placement: If you want a new item to appear in a specific spot in your Estimate, add it using the plus button beside the existing line item above where you want it, rather than the main Plus Item button.
- Save Reusable Items to Your Catalog: If you expect to use an item again, save it to your catalog while setting it up so you don't have to rebuild it from scratch next time.
Why This Matters
- Lets you build out an Estimate with items that aren't already in your catalog, with full control over pricing, cost type, and placement.
Summary
You can add a line item to an Estimate either by clicking the blue Plus Item button or by clicking the plus button beside an existing item, then fill in the item's name, unit pricing, and cost type details before saving or exiting
Next best guides
- How to Configure Material Options and PricingVideoEstimating · Materials & production
- How to Save Line Items to Your CatalogueVideoItems, Assemblies & Catalog · Catalog & categories
- How to Add Base and Minimum Materials CostVideoEstimating · Minimums & base costs
- How To Price An Item (Labor, Material, or Subcontractor)VideoEstimating · Pricing & markup
- How to Add AI Upgrades to Line ItemsVideoEstimating · AI estimating




