Frequently Asked Questions

BuildItTV Product Pricing Studio pulls your real shop numbers into one workflow — fixed costs, machine costs, material usage, labor, packaging, and fees — and helps you calculate profitable selling prices for your woodworking and CNC products. It’s built so you can stop guessing and start pricing with confidence.

No. PPS is a one-time license. You pay once and can use the current v1.x series as long as you like on the activated machine. There are no recurring subscription fees for the desktop app. For current pricing, see the Pricing page.

Spreadsheets can work for a while, but they rely on memory, manual updates, and fragile formulas. PPS is a dedicated pricing tool:

• All your numbers are connected — fixed costs, machines, materials, and products — so updating one place flows through correctly.
• It reduces “silent errors” from broken formulas or copied cells that quietly underprice your products.
• It guides you from real costs to a clear suggested price and profit per product, instead of starting from a blank grid every time.

If you want to see exactly how the workflow is structured, visit the Features page.

Yes. In v1.3.0, PPS adds Sales Outlets so you can define your selling channels (Website, Etsy, Amazon, Wholesale, etc.) and store default assumptions per channel (fees, packaging, target margin, discounts). On the Product Pricing page, you can switch outlets and PPS will recalculate the outlet impact so you can compare channel pricing quickly and consistently. For a walkthrough, see the Sales Outlets guide.

Yes. Sales Outlets can store both percent fees and flat per‑transaction fees. If you enable Outlet Fees (Advanced) on the pricing page, PPS can estimate Store / Platform Fees based on your outlet settings (including a shipping strategy option for listings where fees apply to price + shipping).

PPS does not do inventory tracking or waste tracking — it won’t count how many ounces of glue you used this week. What it does do is let you account for commonly overlooked per‑unit consumables (hardware, glue, sandpaper, finish, tape, labels, specialty packaging, etc.) so they don’t quietly erode profit. In the Products page, you can save these items as Other Materials / Consumables, and PPS will total them and auto‑fill Pricing → Other ($) when you load or reload the product. See the Consumables guide.

One license is intended for one Windows computer. If you replace your computer, you can contact support to request a license transfer. The goal is to keep licensing simple and fair for real shops.

Yes. After activation, PPS runs entirely offline. You only need internet for:

• Downloading the installer
• Sending your activation email (Activation Code and device name)
• Optionally checking for updates

Day-to-day pricing work happens on your local machine, without a constant internet connection.

All user data is stored locally on your Windows machine in your AppData folder:
C:\Users\\AppData\Local\BuildItTV\ProductPricingStudio\

This includes your main data file (BusinessData.json) and related folders. The installer updates the program files, not your data files.

No. Updates are designed to leave your data untouched. The installer only updates the application itself and does not overwrite your data in AppData. That said, it’s always good practice to back up important business data regularly.

As of v1.1.0, product images are stored in:
C:\Users\\AppData\Local\BuildItTV\ProductPricingStudio\ProductImages\

Keeping images in this folder ensures you have permission to add and manage your own images without running into “Access Denied” errors in Program Files.

Not yet. The current version supports CSV export so you can back up or analyze your data elsewhere. CSV import for materials and products is planned as a future major feature in the roadmap. You can keep an eye on progress on the Changelog page.

Yes. The Pricing screen works well for one‑off custom jobs. Enter the real material usage, machine time, and labor time for that job, set your target margin, and PPS will give you a cost and suggested selling price. You can choose to save that as a product in your catalog or treat it as a one‑time quote.

No. PPS is focused on pricing and job‑level profitability, not full accounting. You should still use your accountant or bookkeeping software for taxes, invoicing, and financial reporting. Longer‑term, invoicing and business dashboards are planned as optional add‑ons, but they will build on PPS — not replace your accountant.

You can update your Fixed Costs at any time. New pricing calculations will use your updated overhead automatically, which is exactly what you want as rent, utilities, or other expenses change. This is one of the key advantages over static spreadsheets.

Because PPS is delivered as a digital download with a license key, purchases are generally non‑refundable. If you run into technical issues that prevent you from using the app as intended, please contact support and we’ll work with you to resolve it and make things right where reasonable. For pricing and license details, see the Pricing page.

Minor fixes and quality‑of‑life improvements within the current v1.x series are included as free updates. Larger new capabilities (such as inventory, job costing, tooling, or invoicing modules) are planned as optional paid add‑ons or future major versions. PPS will remain a one‑time purchase desktop app for offline use; future cloud features, if offered, will be optional.

Email: support@buildittv.com
Please include your Device Name, Activation Code (if applicable), Windows version, and a brief description or screenshot of the issue. This helps resolve things quickly and accurately.