![Chalkstring Logo.png]](https://support.chalkstring.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Chalkstring%20Logo.png?height=40&name=Chalkstring%20Logo.png){kind=small}
Release notes - April 2026
Rate build up enhancements
In this article
- Release summary
- New features
- Enchancements
- FAQs about these features
Release summary
This release introduces new tools for structuring assessments and producing tender documentation that aligns with how clients typically present Bills of Quantities.
The main goal of this release is to give you more flexibility and clarity when preparing pricing submissions and generating documents, especially for larger projects.
Why these changes matter
- Improved assessment structure: Better mirror how you clients typically organises their BoQ documents.
- More control over pricing visibility: Decide which products are included, excluded, or optional.
- Professional output: Use document templates that mirror industry formats.
New features
Group your Rate Build Up to match your Bill of Quantities
You can now create up to five levels of grouping within the Rate Build Up to mirror the layout of your client's BoQ.
- Create, rename, move, and delete groups at any level
- Easily reorganise products by dragging them into different groups
- Groups are preserved when copying or duplicating assessments
- Group context is visible throughout the system including the BoQ, Applications, Progress, Takeoff, and the View Product page
Benefit: Structure your assessments to better match client expectations and navigate large product lists more easily.
For further details, see article How to use product groups.
Mark Products as Included, Excluded, or Optional
Each product in the Rate Build Up can now be given a pricing status:
- Included ("Incl") – For items priced within another rate. Shows as £0 to the client but retains internal cost tracking. Carries through to onsite.
- Excluded ("Excl") – For items clearly outside scope. No costs required. Shows as £0 and does not carry through to onsite.
- Optional – For separately priced items not included in the main tender total. Displayed in a separate section of tender documents and not carried through to onsite.
Set status using the pricing padlock on each product. You can change the status any time while the assessment is still editable.
Benefit: Present a clear pricing breakdown to clients and control what gets included in totals.
For further details, see article How to set product pricing statuses.
New Grouped Tender Bill and Payment Application Templates
Two new Excel templates are available:
- Grouped Bill – Shows full hierarchy with groups, adjustments, prelims/fixed costs, and grand total. Optional items appear separately.
- Grouped Tender Bill with Zone Breakdown – As above, but with zone-level quantities.
Benefit: Generate professional documentation that reflects your assessment layout and simplifies client review.
For further details, see articles How to use a 'Grouped Products | Bill format' when exporting tender & application document & How to use a 'Grouped Products with zones | Bill format' when exporting tender & application documents
Enhancements
Rate Build Up Redesign
The Rate Build Up view now displays key fields in columns for easier scanning:
- Quantity, Units, Rate, Total Value, Cost, Total Cost
- Pagination removed — use a single scrollable view
- Negative values now highlighted in red
- Column visibility is customisable using the cog icon
- "Single item" units now display as "Item"
Bulk Sync Products to the Product Library
You can now select and sync multiple products to the product library at once:
- Choose to create new templates or update existing ones
- Optionally auto-archive new templates to keep your library tidy
Benefit: Quicker library management, especially when syncing purely for quote generation.
For further details, see article Empty product - must be replaced.
Lock Product Templates to Protect Standardised Pricing
Product templates can now be locked:
- Locked templates show a padlock icon and cannot be edited
- They can still be used in Rate Build Ups
- To make changes, save as a new template
- Unlocking requires the appropriate permissions
Benefit: Safeguard key templates from accidental changes.
For further details, see article Adding and editing product templates.
Other Improvements
- Quicker product editing: Edit names, descriptions, and notes directly from the View Product page
- Easier reordering: Reorder materials and labour activities by dragging. Swapped items now stay in place instead of moving to the bottom.
FAQs about these features
Rate Build Up Redesign
Q: Where has the eye icon gone on my products? How do I open it to view and change it? A: We have introduced the ability to click on a product’s name to open it rather than a separate icon. This allows us to show the new columns and indent the products so it is easier to see and scan the hierarchy in your rate build up.
Q: Where has the page option gone? I used to be able to jump between pages in the Rate Build Up.
A: Pagination has been removed. All products now appear in a single scrollable list. You can use your keyboard (Home/End/Page Up/Page Down) to navigate quickly, and the total product count is displayed at the top of the list.
Q: Some of my columns have disappeared. How do I get them back?
A: Column visibility is now configurable. Click the cog icon at the top of the Rate Build Up to show or hide columns. Note that preferences are saved for your current browser session only — they will reset if you clear your browser cache or use a different browser.
Q: Why is one of my rates showing in red and underlined?
A: Red underlined values indicate a negative rate. You can click on the value to open the rate build up detail window, just as you would with a standard rate.
Product Grouping
Q: Do I have to use groups?
A: No — groups are entirely optional. Assessments without groups continue to work exactly as before.
Q: What happens to my groups if I copy an assessment?
A: The full group structure, including all nesting levels and product assignments, is copied across to the new assessment. The two assessments are then independent — changes to one do not affect the other.
Q: How deeply can I nest groups?
A: The system supports up to 5 levels of nesting.
Q: I can see a breadcrumb above some product names — what does it mean?
A: The breadcrumb shows the group path for that product, so you can see where it sits within the hierarchy at a glance. Hover over the breadcrumb to see the full path if it has been truncated.
Q: Can I import groups using the client bill import template?
A: You can’t import into groups at the moment but that functionality is currently in development and we plan to release that within the next few months.
Product Pricing Status
Q: Where do I set a product's status?
A: Click the pricing padlock icon on the product in the Rate Build Up to open the Update Product Pricing form. You'll find the Pricing Mode dropdown there — options are Included, Excluded, and Optional, alongside the existing fixed/unfixed options.
Q: If I mark a product as Included, can I still add costs to it?
A: Yes — you can still add components, materials, and labour activities to an Included product. The internal cost will be tracked, but the value to the client will show as £0 (displayed as "Incl" in the Rate column).
Q: Will Excluded and Optional products appear on the onsite assessment?
A: No — products with Excluded or Optional status are not copied across when you create an onsite assessment from an offsite one. Included products are copied across.
Q: Can I change a product's status after I've set it?
A: Yes, at any point while the assessment is still editable. Once the assessment becomes non-editable (for example, after tender submission), the status cannot be changed without creating a new version.
Q: Where do Optional products appear on tender documents?
A: Optional products appear in a separate "Options" section at the bottom of the Grouped Tender Bill templates — below the TOTAL (PACKAGE) line. They are not included in any totals.
Bulk Sync Products to Library
Q: What is the difference between "Create new templates" and "Update existing templates"?
A: "Create new templates" creates a brand new template in the product library based on the selected product. "Update existing templates" overwrites the name and configuration of the template the product is currently linked to — use this if the product has already been synced previously and you want to bring the template up to date.
Q: What does the "Archive new templates on creation" option do?
A: If ticked, newly created templates are immediately set to archived status. This is useful for clients who sync products purely to generate quote requests and don't want those templates cluttering the active product library.
Q: Can I still sync products individually?
A: Yes — the existing individual sync workflow is unchanged. Bulk sync is an additional option for when you need to sync multiple products at once.
Lock Product Templates
Q: Who can lock and unlock templates?
A: Any user with permission to view product templates in the Resources section can lock and unlock templates. The lock applies to all users — even those with edit permissions cannot edit a locked template without unlocking it first.
Q: Can I still use a locked template in a Rate Build Up?
A: Yes — locked templates can be added to Rate Build Ups as normal. The lock only prevents the template itself from being edited.
Q: What happens if I try to sync a product that's based on a locked template?
A: The sync modal will only offer the option to create a new template — the "Update existing template" option will not be available. This protects the locked original.
New Document Templates
Q: Where do I find the new Grouped Tender Bill templates?
A: Go to Assessment Overview > Assessment Configuration > Document Format dropdown. The new templates will be listed there alongside the existing options.
Q: Where do I find the new Application for Payment templates?
A: In your onsite Assessment, go to Assessment Overview > Assessment Configuration > Document Format dropdown. The new templates will be listed there alongside the existing options. If you used the new grouped templates in your tender, they will be copied across to your onsite assessment to use the corresponding grouped application for payment template.
Q: What is the difference between the Grouped and Grouped with Zones templates?
A: The standard Grouped templates show a single summed quantity per product. The Zone Breakdown variants show quantities broken down by zone, with a separate row for each zone that has a non-zero quantity. Use the Zone Breakdown version if your client requires visibility of quantities or progress at zone level.
Q: Do I need to do anything differently to use the new templates?
A: No additional setup is required. Simply select the relevant template from the document generation screen. These templates can be used on any assessments (with or without groups). If you want the group structure to show in the output, your products should be organised into groups in the Rate Build Up first.
Thank you, as always, for your feedback — it helps us continue improving Chalkstring for your business needs.
