# Pricing Custom Work When Material Costs Change

Canonical: https://millbase.ca/blog/pricing-custom-work-when-material-costs-change
Author: [Coby Birenbaum](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cobybirenbaum/)
Published: 2026-10-19
Updated: 2026-10-19
Archive edition: 2026-07-09

Changing material prices can make historical job costs a weak basis for a new quote.

Changing material prices can make historical job costs a weak basis for a new quote. Preserve the physical requirements from comparable work, then update the relevant cost inputs and purchasing assumptions. Do not confuse a price change with a change in material efficiency.

## Refresh the estimate

- Confirm current supplier pricing and the period it applies to.
- Include relevant freight, minimum orders, and packaging constraints.
- Separate approved alternatives from unapproved substitutions.
- Record the date and assumptions behind the quote.

## Worked example

An illustrative job requires 40 sheets. A change from $80 to $92 per sheet adds $480 to that material line before other effects. The sheet quantity has not changed; the price assumption has. Keeping those factors separate makes the review clearer.

## Review commitments

Check when purchasing can secure the required material and how the commercial agreement handles changes. Use the appropriate business or professional advice for contractual terms.

## Related reading

- [Quoting Cabinet Installation Labor From Past Jobs](https://millbase.ca/blog/quoting-cabinet-installation-labor-from-past-jobs)
- [Estimating Repeated Cabinet Units in Multi-Residential Projects](https://millbase.ca/blog/estimating-repeated-cabinet-units-in-multi-residential-projects)

## Definitions and further reference

- [Intuit: job costing and cost records](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/job-costing/track-job-costs-quickbooks-desktop/L2X01vi47_US_en_US)

## How Millbase can help your shop

### Bring job-cost reviews back to the recorded work

Use [Millbase project tracking](https://millbase.ca/#projects) to keep a cabinet job and its sub-projects together, then compare estimates with recorded labour and material costs. [Insights and reports](https://millbase.ca/#insights) help the team inspect the people and workstations behind a total and export supported results for the next review.

Ask the [Millbase AI agent](https://millbase.ca/#how-it-works) a question grounded in your workspace records. For example: *“Compare this project’s estimated and actual labour, then break the logged hours down by workstation.”* You can select a project or worker, ask follow-up questions, and request [supported reports and CSV exports](https://millbase.ca/#insights).

Check the date range, job scope, and recorded inputs before changing a quote. Keep the accounting treatment of overhead, tax, and revenue in the appropriate financial process; a shop-floor cost breakdown is only as complete as the inputs recorded.

## Explore the wider topic

For the broader workflow and decisions behind this guide, read [Cabinet Shop Job Costing: Separate Margin From Markup](https://millbase.ca/blog/cabinet-shop-job-costing-separate-margin-from-markup).

## Frequently asked questions

### Should every quote use the last purchase price?

Not automatically. It may reflect an old order, unusual discount, or different specification. Confirm the current applicable price.

### Can cheaper material be substituted to preserve margin?

Only when it satisfies the approved requirements and necessary approvals. Cost pressure does not establish equivalence.