What Is an Assembly Type?
An Assembly type in Buildern is used when a single scope of work includes multiple related cost items that should always be used together.
Instead of adding materials, labor, equipment, or other costs separately every time, you can group them into one reusable assembly.
For example, instead of separately adding flooring material, labor, and glue each time, you can create one Flooring Assembly that includes all required components.
How Assemblies Work
Each assembly is built from individual items. Every component has its own:
Quantity
Unit cost
Cost code
Markup
The total cost of the assembly is calculated automatically based on these components.
ℹ️ Note - When you change the assembly quantity in an estimate, Buildern automatically recalculates all included items.
How to Create an Assembly in Buildern
There are two ways to create an assembly, depending on your workflow.
Method 1: Create an Assembly from Scratch
Use this method when you want full control over the structure from the beginning.
Steps:
Open the Cost Catalog
Click Add Item
Select Assembly
After selecting Assembly, you can define its main details:
Enter a Name
Select or change the Category
Choose a Unit Type
Set Visibility
Add a Description
Add Cost Lines to the Assembly
Once the assembly is created, you can start adding items inside it:
Click Add Item within the assembly
Choose a cost type:
Material
Labor
Equipment
Subcontractor
Fee
Allowance
3. Fill in all the necessary information
4. Click Add Item
5. Repeat to include all required components
6. Click Save
ℹ️ Note - Once created, the assembly will appear under the Assemblies section in your Cost Catalog.
Method 2: Create an Assembly from an Existing Item
This method is faster when you start with a base item and then expand it.
Go to Cost Catalog
Click Add Item
Select a standard item (e.g., Material)
4. Fill in the necessary information
After creating the item, use the system suggestion (e.g., Add Labor)
Add another item (e.g., Labor):
Set quantity (e.g., hours per unit)
Assign cost code
Enter unit cost and markup
Click Add, then Save
ℹ️ Note - Buildern will automatically convert these linked items into an Assembly and place it in your Cost Catalog.
Example: How Assembly Calculations Work
Let’s say you create an assembly called Flooring (1 sq m):
Material (Tiles): {Assembly Qty} × 3
Labor: {Assembly Qty} × 2 hours
Glue: {Assembly Qty} × 0.7
If you use:
100 units → all items calculate accordingly
200 units → Buildern automatically recalculates everything
No manual updates are needed. Buildern automatically updates the entire assembly based on the assembly quantity.
Assemblies become even more powerful when combined with Takeoff measurements.
For example, you can create an assembly called Brick Wall (1 m²) and define all materials and labor required to build 1 square meter of wall:
Bricks: {Assembly Qty} × custom brick quantity
Mortar: {Assembly Qty} × mortar amount
Labor: {Assembly Qty} × labor hours
Later, inside Takeoff, you measure a wall area and the result is 45.8 m².
When this measurement is linked to the assembly:
The assembly quantity automatically becomes 45.8
Buildern recalculates all included materials and labor automatically
Bricks, mortar, labor hours, and costs are generated based on the measured area
This helps create faster and more accurate estimates directly from your plans while reducing manual calculations and material estimation errors.
👉Learn more about How to Work with Takeoff Measurements in Buildern
Using Assemblies in Estimates
Once created, you can use assemblies directly in your estimates:
Open an Estimate
Click Add New Line or select from Cost Catalog
Choose your Assembly
Add it to the estimate
Buildern will automatically:
Add all included components
Calculate totals
Apply markups and taxes
👉 Learn more about How to Create and Add Estimate Items in Buildern
Your next Buildern shortcut, workflow, and feature is just one guide away.
Happy Building!