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Setup — Lists

Build and manage the dropdown lists used across your estimates, projects, and schedules.

Setup — Lists

Build and manage the dropdown lists used across your estimates, projects, and schedules.

Who this is for

Builders, estimators, and subbies. You'll use this module whenever you need to customise the lists that appear in your estimates and projects, or when you're setting up Core Estimator for your first time.

What this module is for

Core Estimator comes with built-in dropdown lists for things like room types, construction categories, cost types, and units of measure. These lists are used throughout the platform whenever you're selecting options in an estimate or proposal. Setup — Lists lets you customise these dropdowns to match your workflow. For example, you might add your own project stages, define the room types that matter to your jobs, or add specialist trade types for the work you do. Once you add items to a list, they show up as options across the platform.

Things worth knowing upfront

  • Most lists come pre-populated with common building industry options. You can edit, delete, or add to these at any time.

  • Once a list item is used in a project or estimate, it can still be edited but cannot be deleted. The system prevents you from breaking existing records.

  • Changes to a list are available immediately across the platform. If you add a new room type, it appears in the room dropdown in your next estimate.

  • Some lists (like Units of Measure and Cost Types) are core to how the platform calculates costs. Be careful when editing these if you have active estimates.

  • List items can be marked as archived to hide them from dropdowns without deleting them. This is useful when you retire a category but want to keep historical records intact.

How to get there

From anywhere in Core Estimator:

  1. Click the Setup tab at the top of the page.

  2. In the left panel, click Lists.

Setup > Lists

What you'll see

The Lists page shows a set of tabs, one for each list you can customise. Common tabs include:

  • Tags — keywords you can apply to projects for filtering and organisation

  • Trade Types — types of trades or work categories (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc.)

  • Supplier Types — categories for your suppliers (timber merchant, hardware supplier, etc.)

  • Rooms — room types for residential projects (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, laundry, etc.)

  • Units of Measure — measurement units used in takeoffs (m, m2, m3, lineal metres, etc.)

  • Construction Types — building construction methods (timber frame, brick veneer, concrete, etc.)

  • Construction Categories — major construction sections (footings, frame, roof, etc.)

  • Cost Types — categories for cost allocation (labour, materials, plant, subcontract, etc.)

  • Plan Disciplines — types of building plans (architectural, structural, services, etc.)

  • Markup Types — markup categories for pricing (labour loading, contingency, profit, etc.)

  • Project Types — types of work you do (residential, commercial, renovation, new build, etc.)

  • Project Stages — stages of a project lifecycle (concept, design, tender, construction, etc.)

  • Roles — user roles and permissions (admin, estimator, viewer, etc.)

Click any tab to see the current items in that list. Each list shows an Add button to create new items, and each row in the list shows options to edit or archive.

Step-by-step: Adding a new item to a list

  1. Click the tab for the list you want to edit (for example, Project Types).

  2. Click the Add button.

  3. Type the name for the new item (for example, "Renovation").

  4. Click Save at the bottom of the window.

The item is now added to the list and will appear in dropdowns across the platform immediately.

Note: Different lists have different fields. Some lists (like Units of Measure) ask for additional information like a short code or abbreviation. Fill in all required fields (marked with an asterisk) before saving.

Step-by-step: Editing an existing item

  1. Click the tab for the list you're editing.

  2. Find the item you want to change and click the pencil icon (edit button) on that row.

  3. Update the information as needed.

  4. Click Save.

Important: If an item has been used in any estimate or project, you can still edit its name or properties, but you cannot delete it. The system protects your data by preventing you from removing items that are linked to active records.

Step-by-step: Archiving a list item

Archiving hides a list item from dropdowns without deleting it. This is the safe way to retire something you no longer use.

  1. Click the tab for the list you're editing.

  2. Find the item and click the pencil icon to open it.

  3. Look for the Archived checkbox or status field. Check the box to mark it as archived.

  4. Click Save.

Archived items no longer appear in dropdowns, but they remain in the system for historical records.

Worked example: Adding room types for a residential builder

You're a residential builder in Melbourne. You've just set up Core Estimator and you're customising the Rooms list to match the house types you build. Your typical projects include a master suite, walk-in robe, ensuite, and a separate laundry. The default room list has generic options, but you want to add "Walk-in Robe" and "Ensuite" as separate options so your takeoff process is faster and more accurate.

  1. Click Setup at the top.

  2. Click Lists in the left panel.

  3. Click the Rooms tab.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Type "Ensuite" in the name field.

  6. Click Save.

  7. The ensuite is added to the list. Click Add again.

  8. Type "Walk-in Robe".

  9. Click Save.

Now when you're in Plans & Takeoffs and selecting room types, both "Ensuite" and "Walk-in Robe" appear as options. This makes it clearer to your team what areas you're measuring and pricing, and it makes it easier to check that all rooms in a project have been costed.

Tips

  • Naming convention: Keep list item names short and clear. Avoid abbreviations unless they're widely known on your team. "Brick Veneer" is clearer than "BV".

  • Archive instead of delete: When a list item becomes obsolete, archive it rather than deleting it. This keeps your historical data intact and prevents errors if you accidentally reference an old category later.

  • Plural vs singular: Be consistent. If you decide items should be singular (Bathroom) rather than plural (Bathrooms), stick with that across your lists. This makes filtering and searching more predictable.

  • Set up once, maintain as you go: Add common items when you first set up, but don't try to predict every possibility. As you use Core Estimator, you'll discover what lists need. Add items as you need them, and archive them when they're no longer relevant.

Troubleshooting

Symptom

Cause

Fix

I can't delete an item from a list

The item has been used in a project or estimate. Core Estimator prevents deletion to protect your data.

Archive the item instead. Click the pencil icon to edit it, check the Archived box, and save. It will no longer appear in dropdowns but will remain available for historical records.

I added a new list item but it's not appearing in dropdowns

The item may be marked as archived, or the page you're on hasn't refreshed yet.

Refresh the page or navigate away and back to the estimate you're working on. If you still don't see it, check that the item isn't marked as archived in the list. If it is, uncheck the Archived box and save.

I have duplicate items in my list and want to clean them up

List items may have been created at different times or by different users without checking if they already existed.

Edit one of the duplicates to change its name to something clearly temporary (like "DELETE — Old Bedroom"). Archive it. Then consolidate any projects or estimates using the old name to use the correct item going forward. Once nothing references the duplicate, you can delete it (or leave it archived for a safety record).

I need to change a list item but I'm worried about breaking estimates that use it

Editing a list item name updates all references to it automatically — existing estimates are not broken.

It's safe to edit list items even if they're used in existing estimates. The updated name flows through automatically. If you need to completely retire a category (not just rename it), archive it instead and create a new one for future use.

Related articles

  • Setup — Cost Codes — Set up your own cost code structure for organising and allocating costs across your estimates.

  • Plans & Takeoffs — Use room types and construction categories from your lists when measuring and pricing building work.

  • Estimates — Learn how list items are used when building an estimate (cost types, trade types, units of measure).

Still stuck?

Reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right of Core Estimator and we'll give you a hand.

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