What are stored specials?
Every time you add a manual item through the Free Type function — whether it is a subcontract quote, a special material, or a labour-only allowance — Ensign stores it in the database. These items are called stored specials, and you can reuse them on any future job without having to re-enter the description, cost, or labour time.
This is particularly useful for items you price repeatedly but that do not exist in the standard database, such as:
- Subcontractor quotations
- Specialist equipment or bespoke items
- Labour-only allowances for specific tasks
- Fire alarm panels, security systems, or other specialist kit
Finding stored specials
Stored specials are accessed through the same database screens you use for standard items, but they are tucked away behind a specific route.
Electrical platform
- 1
On the takeoff screen, click Free Type and select a category (e.g. Fire and Security).
- 2
Click on any manufacturer in the list — it does not matter which one.
- 3
Click the Stored Specials button. All manual items you have previously entered in that category are listed here.
- 4
Select the item you want to reuse, enter the quantity, and click Confirm.
Mechanical platform
- 1
Navigate to the relevant section of the database (e.g. Pumps, Sanitary Ware, or Subcontract).
- 2
Click the Stored Specials button.
- 3
Browse or search for the item you previously entered and select it.
You might be surprised at how many stored specials have built up over time. It is worth browsing through them — you may find items from previous projects that save you from re-entering details.
How stored specials are organised
Stored specials are grouped by the category you originally entered them under. If you entered a fire alarm panel under Fire and Security, that is where you will find it again. If you entered a subcontract quote under Subcontract, look there.
The system stores every manual item you have ever entered, across all projects. This means the list grows over time and becomes increasingly useful as you build up a library of your commonly quoted items.
Free type tips
When entering free type items, keep these tips in mind to make your stored specials more useful in the future:
- Use clear descriptions — "Grundfos UPS 25-80 circulating pump" is far more useful than "pump" when you come back to it months later.
- Include all relevant costs — fill in the material cost, labour time, and any other details at the point of entry so the stored special is complete and ready to reuse.
- Be consistent with categories — always enter the same type of item under the same category so you know where to find it.
Stored specials are shared across your database. If one estimator enters a detailed subcontract quote as a free type item, every other user can find and reuse it from stored specials on their next job.