What does the takeoff calculator actually compute?
Area and the chosen material drive a full bill of materials. For pavers, the surface units (e.g. 240 sqft × the material's coverage rate), the base aggregate (depth × compaction factor, default 1.25), bedding sand, and polymeric sand. Each layer is one row on the BOM with quantity, unit, and computed subtotal. Wastage is capped at 50% with a warning above 25%. Wall blocks and cap stones skip the paver prep stack because their installation profile is different: you don't pour a polymeric sand layer under a wall.
Can the AI invent SKUs that aren't in my catalog?
No. When you ask for AI hardscape lines, the model is handed your real catalog as a closed set of choices. It can only pick SKUs that exist in your org. It physically can't make one up. If your catalog doesn't have a paver that fits the request, the model returns nothing rather than guessing. You stay in control of what shows up on a customer's proposal.
Do I have to type the catalog in by hand?
No. The empty-state on the Hardscape Catalog page surfaces a Load Starter Library button: 15 starter SKUs across Belgard, Techo-Bloc, Unilock plus generic prep materials. Pricing is intentionally blank because every region prices differently; you set the prices once and the seed verifies against the manufacturer's spec sheet. CSV export and import are first-class for keeping your catalog aligned with a master spreadsheet.
What does the scrubber catch on a hardscape estimate?
When a paver line is present, the scrubber checks for three patterns: missing base aggregate, missing bedding sand, and excessive wastage. The first two are common omissions when the estimator types a paver line from memory and forgets the substrate. Excessive wastage flags numbers over 25% (warning) and 50% (hard fail), usually a unit-conversion bug or a miskey. All three flags are advisory; you still control what goes out.
Can I get a PDF I can hand a customer or a foreman?
Yes, two of them. The full catalog PDF groups every SKU by category (pavers / walls / caps / prep materials) for handing a customer a menu. The per-material takeoff PDF lays out the bill of materials for a specific square footage: surface, base, bedding, poly sand, with quantities and the materials subtotal. Foremen take the takeoff PDF to the job; estimators send the catalog PDF as a leave-behind.
What plan is Hardscape on?
The core catalog and takeoff tools are on every plan: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. Permits, warranties, and water feature maintenance scheduling require Professional.
Does RootControl track job permits?
Yes, on Professional. The permit tracker lives inside the Job Detail and covers the full lifecycle: not required, pending, applied, approved, denied, and expired. Each permit can have multiple inspection records (scheduled date, inspector name, result). The office gets expiration alerts before a permit lapses, and there's an optional org-level rule that blocks a job from moving to in-progress until all required permits are approved. Permit drawings and approvals attach directly to the permit record using the same attachment system as the rest of the job.
How does warranty tracking work?
When a hardscape job completes, RootControl automatically creates a workmanship warranty and one manufacturer warranty for each distinct brand on the estimate. Default terms are 24 months for workmanship and 60 months for manufacturer warranties, but both are configurable per org from the Warranty settings, and each manufacturer can carry its own default term on the Hardscape Catalog page. The office can edit individual warranties, attach a warranty PDF, and add notes. Customers see their active warranties in the Client Hub and can file a claim with a description. Claims appear instantly in the office Job Detail for triage, moving through open, triaged, scheduled, and resolved or denied statuses. Available on Professional.
Does RootControl handle landscape lighting design?
Yes. The Landscape Lighting Suite lets you build per-property wiring plans: add fixtures from your catalog (with watts, lumens, voltage, and AWG gauge), define cable runs with conductor gauge and length, and let the calculators do the electrical math. The transformer load calculator sums connected wattage against transformer capacity, warns at 80%, and flags overloaded at 100%. The voltage drop calculator uses Ohm's law across AWG 6–18 gauges and flags any run that exceeds a 10% drop. A scrubber rule also surfaces transformer overload warnings on the estimate review panel. Available on all tiers.
Can RootControl track ponds, fountains, and waterfalls?
Yes. The Water Features Suite tracks ponds, fountains, and waterfalls as serviceable property assets. Each feature gets its own equipment list (pumps, filters, liners, and plumbing runs), each optionally linked to a catalog SKU so specs and pricing stay in sync. Equipment carries a status (active, needs service, replaced) so you know at a glance what's due. On Professional, you can set up a maintenance schedule that automatically creates recurring crew jobs: quarterly filter cleaning, pump impeller checks, and annual winterization. The jobs land on the crew's existing mobile schedule. No separate workflow to learn.