---
title: "Adding Items to the Item Catalog"
slug: "adding-items-to-the-item-catalog"
updated: 2025-11-06T19:21:34Z
published: 2025-11-06T19:21:34Z
canonical: "guide.youraspire.com/adding-items-to-the-item-catalog"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://guide.youraspire.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Adding Items to the Item Catalog

Before you can add labor costs and items like mulch to Estimates, you have to add them to the *Item Catalog!* The Item Catalog is located in the **Estimating** tab of **Administration** and is a record of current or past items that have been created.

**For example**, let’s say your company commonly renovates people's yards, including installing new lawn, planting trees and shrubs, and setting up irrigation. Part of winning business is delivering estimates containing estimated labor and material prices, which customers review and sign. However, before you can build an estimate with services and materials, you have to add them to the Aspire system for accurate and consistent bidding. In Aspire, these pieces that make up a service are called *Items.*

***The Item Catalog in Aspire streamlines the estimation process, ensuring that all items are accounted for accurately and consistently!***

## **Requirements**

✅ Only *System Admins* or *Branch Admins* with *Enhanced Branch Security* can add items to the Item Catalog.

## **The Six Item Types**

**There are 6 item types in Aspire:**

- *Labor*

- *Materials*

- *Equipment*

- *Sub*

- *Other*

- *Kit*

**There are key differences in what fields are available or will be used when creating each item type.** So we have an article about adding each type.

## Using Items

After you've added Items to your Catalog, your team can select items when building Estimates to automatically calculate the total estimated price based on the quantities and volumes entered for each item. After the necessary items, quantities, and volumes have been added, Aspire generates a detailed estimate with line items, quantities, unit prices, and a grand total for the entire project. You can then present the estimate to your client for approval.

You can easily adjust quantities or remove items as needed during the estimation process.

## Next steps

Now that you know what the Item Catalog and Items are, read each article about adding items to the catalog, starting with **Adding a Labor Item to the Item Catalog**.

For video guides to adding items to the Item Catalog, watch the videos below.

[205 Estimating - Administration - Labor and Material Items Video](https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/e02aul3lsm?web_component=true&seo=true&videoFoam=false)

[206 Estimating - Adding Equipment, Sub, and Other Video](https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/lig2pdaron?web_component=true&seo=true&videoFoam=false)