Studio software for small custom-build shops · now in private beta
The quiet software for the way you already work.
Plumb turns your Canva quotes into projects, tracks materials and tasks through to install, and keeps your Xero invoices linked — without turning your shop into an ERP. Built for iPad, phone, and laptop.
For shops where the work is custom and the margins are thin.
Your quotes live in Canva.
You've spent years making them look right. You don't want a new quoting tool — you want somewhere to file each Canva quote, keep it in a limbo until the client responds, and turn accepted ones into projects without typing it all over again.
The schedule lives in five places.
A sticky note on the table saw. A group text about the install van. A spreadsheet. A whiteboard with last month's job still on it. Things slip — the wrong hardware shows up, or doesn't. Plumb collects schedule, tasks, and material readiness in one scannable view.
Xero works — it just doesn't talk to the job.
You invoice in Xero. Plumb links those invoices back to the project, read-only, so you can see what's been billed on Hollings without leaving the job.
Most software is too much.
ERPs want a purchasing department and an operations manager. You don't have either. Plumb is deliberately small — one owner, a few makers, and the clarity to finish the bench on Monday.
A small set of things, done carefully.
Four workflows cover most of a custom shop's day. Plumb doesn't try to be your CRM, your shop-floor controller, or your accounting system — just the thread that connects them.
Paste a Canva link. Or drop a PDF. That's the quote.
No line-item form to rebuild your Canva work. A quote in Plumb is a record with a title, a client, an amount, and the original document attached. It sits in a pending stage until accepted or declined.
- Canva link or PDF — whichever you already use
- Pending / Accepted / Declined — nothing more
- One tap to convert an accepted quote into a full project
A board that matches the way the shop actually moves.
Every project sits in exactly one column — from quote draft through install. Scannable on an iPad propped on the bench. Touch-and-hold to move a job forward. No clicks through five screens to see what's happening.
- Stages tuned to custom-build: Drafting, Materials, Build, Install
- Each card shows next milestone and open tasks at a glance
- Drag between columns; status updates everywhere
A task list per job, and a single inbox for today.
Each project carries its own checklist — from “mill uprights” to “confirm install crew.” They all roll up to one “My Tasks” view grouped by Today / Tomorrow / This week. Tick things off from your phone in the van, or the iPad at the bench.
- Assign to a maker, set a due date, keep a priority
- Global task inbox roll-up, no configuration
- Works offline on iPad — syncs when you're back on wifi
Know what's in the shop before install day.
Track every line item through ordered → received → checked. Tie each to a vendor so you know who's slowing you down. When you receive something, the pipeline card flips to “Materials · Ready” automatically.
- Line items with vendor, cost, and status
- Project status advances when the last item is received
Honest answers to the boring questions.
The most common things shops ask before signing up.
- Who is Plumb actually for?
- Small custom-build shops — furniture studios, millwork and casework shops, custom cabinet makers, and small metal fabricators. Typically one to ten people, owner-operator, every project one of one.
- Do I have to stop using Canva for quotes?
- No — that's the point. Plumb takes the Canva link (or a PDF) and files it as the quote. You keep the design tool you already know.
- How does the Xero integration work?
- Read-only. Plumb pulls in your Xero invoices and links them back to the relevant project so you can see what's billed without leaving the job. We don't push anything back into Xero or replace any of your bookkeeping.
- Do I need a tablet or special hardware?
- No. Plumb works on a laptop, an iPad propped on the bench, or the phone in your apron. There's nothing to install — it's a web app.
- Is there a free trial? How much does it cost?
- Plumb is in private beta — onboarding a small group of shops each month at no cost while we shape the product with early users. Pricing will be set once we leave beta.
- What if my shop is just me?
- That's the default assumption. Plumb is built for owner-operators first; multi-person features are additive, not required.
- Does it work outside the US?
- Yes — Plumb is a web app and works anywhere. Today the integrations (Canva, Xero, Google Calendar) and currency handling assume US/UK/AU/NZ-style English and Xero markets. If you're somewhere else and the integrations don't fit, tell us.
- Can I move data out if I leave?
- Yes. You can export every project, quote, client, and task as CSV at any time. We don't lock you in.
- Where do I go for support?
- Email hello@plumbplanning.com — it goes to the small team building Plumb, not a ticket queue.
Run the next job through Plumb.
We're onboarding a small group of shops each month. Tell us a bit about your work and we'll send you an invite when there's a spot — usually within a week or two.