Price Lists
Build a supplier pricing library and pull current rates into any estimate without re-entering figures every time.
Who this is for: Builders, subcontractors, and estimators who want to maintain up-to-date supplier rates in one place and apply them consistently across all their estimates.
What Price Lists is for
When you're pricing a job, you're constantly reaching for rates — what Bowens is charging for framing timber this month, what your concrete supplier quoted for 25 MPa last week, what the electrical wholesaler is running for cable. Price Lists gives you one place to store those rates, keyed to the supplier or subcontractor they came from.
Once a price list is published, you can link individual estimate line items directly to it. If rates change, you update the price list and Core Estimator flags which items in your estimates have drifted from the current price — so you can review and accept the updates rather than hunting line by line.
Things worth knowing upfront
A price list has two stages: building it out (In Progress) and making it available for use in estimates (Published). Items in an unpublished price list cannot be linked to estimate rows.
Price lists are linked to a Contact in Core Estimator. You'll need the supplier or subcontractor set up as a Contact before you can create a price list for them.
A price list can expire. Once a list moves to Expired status, its items are no longer available for new links — but existing linked items in estimates are not affected.
Price List Type (Supplier or Subcontractor) determines how the list is categorised but doesn't change how it works in an estimate.
When you update a published price list, Core Estimator doesn't automatically change rates in existing estimates. Instead, it flags the difference and lets you review each item and decide whether to accept the new rate.
How to get there
Projects (top header) → Price Lists (left menu list)
From the black header at the top of the screen, click Projects.
In the left menu list, click Price Lists.
What you'll see
You land on the Price Lists table. Five tabs across the top filter the list by status:
Tab | What it shows |
All Price Lists | Every price list regardless of status (default view) |
In Progress | Lists currently being built out — not yet available for use in estimates |
Published | Live lists whose items can be linked to estimate rows |
Expired | Lists that have passed their end date — no longer available for new links |
Archived | Lists you've retired — hidden from the main view |
The table shows these columns:
Column | What it shows |
Name | The price list name and its ID (e.g. PL-1) |
Contact | The supplier or subcontractor the list is linked to |
Type | Supplier or Subcontractor |
Status | In Progress, Published, Expired, or Archived |
Date Created | When the list was first created |
A New Price List button sits at the top right. A search input lets you filter by name.
Step-by-step: creating a new price list
On the Price Lists page, click New Price List in the top right. A panel opens on the right side of the screen.
Fill in the details:
Field | What to enter | Notes |
Price List Name | A clear, descriptive name — e.g. Bowens Thomastown — Framing Timber | Required. Include the supplier name and what the list covers so it's easy to identify later. |
Price List Type | Supplier or Subcontractor | Choose based on who the contact is. This determines how the list is categorised. |
Contact | The supplier or subcontractor — e.g. Bowens Thomastown | The contact must already exist in Core Estimator. If it's not in the list, add it in Contacts first. |
Status | In Progress | Start here while you're adding items. Switch to Published when the list is ready to use. |
Price List Notes | Optional — e.g. Rates current as at April 2026. Based on trade account pricing. | Internal reference only. Useful for tracking when rates were last confirmed. |
Click Save. The price list is created and opens to its detail view.
Click the Items tab to start adding line items to the list.
Note: The Items tab is where your actual rates live. A price list with no items can be published but won't be useful in an estimate — add your rates before publishing.
Adding items to a price list
On the Items tab inside the price list, click the button to add a new item.
Enter the item details — name, unit of measure, and rate (ex GST).
Save each item as you go.
Repeat for each rate you want to include in this list.
Tip: Name items the way you'd search for them later — include the product specification in the name (e.g. "90x45 MGP10 Pine" rather than just "Pine"). This makes it much faster to link the right item when you're costing an estimate.
Step-by-step: publishing a price list
Once you've added all your items, publish the list to make it available for use in estimates.
Open the price list.
On the Overview tab, change the Status field to Published.
Click Save.
The list now appears on the Published tab and its items can be linked to estimate line items.
Warning: Once a price list is published and linked to estimate items, changing item rates will flag differences in those estimates. Review those estimates after updating rates to confirm the new figures are right for each job.
Worked example: Bowens Thomastown framing timber rates
A builder is regularly pricing timber-framed residential jobs and wants to keep Bowens Thomastown's current framing timber rates in Core Estimator so they're not manually entering prices every time.
They click New Price List and fill in the panel:
Price List Name: Bowens Thomastown — Framing Timber
Price List Type: Supplier
Contact: Bowens Thomastown
Status: In Progress
Price List Notes: Rates current April 2026. Trade account pricing confirmed with rep.
They click Save, then go to the Items tab and add three items:
Item Name | Unit | Rate (ex GST) |
90×45 MGP10 Pine | LM | $4.85 |
140×45 MGP10 Pine | LM | $6.20 |
LVL 200×45 | LM | $18.40 |
With the items saved, they go back to the Overview tab, change the status to Published, and click Save. The list appears on the Published tab and is ready to use.
Step-by-step: using it in the estimating workflow
Once a price list is published, you can link its items to costing rows in any estimate. This is how the rates get from the price list into the actual job cost.
Open the relevant project and go to the estimate.
In the Costing Items grid, find the line item you want to link — for example, the wall framing row.
Use the price list link option on that row to search for and select the relevant price list item (e.g. "90×45 MGP10 Pine" from Bowens Thomastown).
The rate from the price list populates the item's cost.
Note: When you later update the Bowens Thomastown price list — say the 90×45 rate increases to $5.10 — Core Estimator will flag the difference on any estimate row linked to that item. You can then review the change and decide whether to accept the updated rate for each estimate.
Understanding Status
Status | What it means | Can be used in estimates? |
In Progress | The list is being built out — items are being added and rates are being set | No |
Published | The list is live and its items can be linked to estimate rows | Yes |
Expired | The list has passed its end date and is no longer available for new links | No (existing links remain) |
Archived | Retired — hidden from the main view | No (existing links remain) |
Step-by-step: editing a price list
You can update a price list's details or rates at any time.
From the Price Lists table, click the row to open the price list.
To update list details (name, notes, contact), make your changes on the Overview tab and click Save.
To update item rates, go to the Items tab, edit the relevant rows, and save.
Warning: Updating rates on a Published price list will flag differences in any estimates that have items linked to this list. Check those estimates after saving to confirm the changes are appropriate for each job.
Step-by-step: archiving a price list
Open the price list from the Price Lists table.
On the Overview tab, change the Status to Archived.
Click Save.
The list moves to the Archived tab. It no longer appears in the main view and its items can't be linked to new estimate rows, but any existing linked items in estimates are not affected.
Tips
Name lists with the supplier and scope. "Bowens Thomastown — Framing Timber" is more useful than "Bowens" when you have several lists from the same supplier. The scope tells you which list to reach for without opening each one.
Include the date rates were confirmed in the Notes field. Supplier prices shift regularly. A note like "Rates confirmed April 2026" makes it easy to know when a list is due for a refresh.
One list per category, not one list for everything. Separate framing timber, hardware, and fixings into their own lists. It keeps each list manageable and makes updates easier when one supplier changes their pricing.
Review linked estimates after any rate update. Core Estimator flags the differences — use that review to confirm the new rate is right for each job before accepting it.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Cause | Fix |
The Contact field is empty — I can't find my supplier | The supplier hasn't been added as a Contact in Core Estimator yet | Go to Contacts and create the supplier first, then come back to the price list |
I can't link a price list item to an estimate row | The price list is still In Progress, not Published | Open the price list, change status to Published on the Overview tab, and save |
A price list I use regularly has disappeared from view | It may have been archived or has expired | Switch to the Archived or Expired tab on the Price Lists page to find it |
I updated a rate but my estimate still shows the old figure | Core Estimator flags the change for review rather than updating automatically | Open the estimate, find the flagged item, and accept the updated rate from the price list |
My price list shows as Expired | The list has passed its end date | Open the list, update the status back to Published (and the end date if applicable), and save |
Related articles
Contacts — add suppliers and subcontractors before creating price lists for them
Costing Items — link price list items to estimate rows in the costing grid
Grouped Prices — bundle multiple price list items into a reusable package that drops into an estimate as a single line
Still stuck?
Reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right of Core Estimator and we'll give you a hand.