Column Quoting Guide

How to quote standard sizes, custom sizes, and when to save (or not) to the catalog.

1. How columns are stored in the catalog

Columns are parametric in this calculator: one catalog row per model, with Height and Diameter as dropdowns rather than separate rows per size.

Model row	Dropdown options	Total variants
Round Standard Column	Height: 4', 8' / Diameter: 8", 10", 12", 14"	8
Round Fluted Column	Height: 4', 8' / Diameter: 8", 10", 12", 14"	8
Square Bullnosed Column	Height: 4', 8' / Diameter: 8", 10", 12", 14"	8
Square Fluted Column	Height: 4', 8' / Diameter: 8", 10", 12", 14"	8
Square Grooved Column	Height: 4', 8' / Diameter: 8", 10", 12", 14"	8

Why this matters for quoting: The dropdown values aren't the limit — they're the preset list. The calculator uses H, W, L from the input fields to compute price. The dropdown just fills those fields. You can override them directly for any custom size.

2. What H, W, L mean for a column

Field	Round column	Square column
H	Full height in inches (96 = 8')	Full height in inches
W	Diameter (in)	Side width (in)
L	Same as W (diameter / side)	Same as W (side width)
aSize	Same as W	Same as W

Heights-up reminder: The dropdown labels show Height in feet (4', 8'), but the H field is in inches. Selecting "8'" sets H to 96. Selecting "4'" sets H to 48.

3. Pick the right path

PATH A

Standard size

Size is one of the 8 preset combos per model (4'/8' × 8"/10"/12"/14").

Use dropdowns, compute, add to quote. Done.

PATH B

One-off custom size

Unusual height or diameter that you don't expect to repeat.

Override H / W / L inline. Compute and quote. Do not click Save to Catalog.

PATH C

Recurring custom size

A custom height or diameter the shop quotes regularly.

Add the value to the model's dropdown options in the Catalog editor.

4. Path A — Standard size

1Select the column model. Type "Round Standard Column" (or other) in the product search. Pick it.

2Set the dropdowns. A green "Column Size" panel appears with Height and Diameter dropdowns. Pick the size. H, W, L populate automatically (H in inches).

3Quote. Set quantity, review the computed price, add to the quote as usual.

5. Path B — One-off custom size

Example: customer wants 9' tall, 15" diameter Round Standard Columns.

1Select the closest model. Round Standard Column. The dropdowns show 4'/8' × 8"/10"/12"/14" — none match, and that's fine.

2Override the dimension fields directly. Set H = 108 (9 ft × 12), W = 15, L = 15. The dropdowns now show whichever preset was loaded, but that's only cosmetic — the formula uses the input values.

3Compute and add to the quote. The quote stores H, W, L per line item, independent of the catalog. The custom dimensions live with the quote.

Do NOT click "Save to Catalog" with a custom size selected. Saving overwrites the parametric row's internal fields but the model will still show its standard dropdown values on next load (4'/8', 8"/10"/12"/14") — so the custom size won't appear anywhere, but you may have silently corrupted the row's hidden H/W/L. If you want to preserve the size for reuse, use Path C instead.

What if I already hit Save?

No panic. Re-select the model, pick any dropdown preset — that restores H/W/L to the canonical values from baseHeight/baseDiameter. Then click Save again to write them back. The parametric row is resilient because its primary state lives in height_options, diameter_options, base_height, base_diameter — not in H/W/L.

6. Path C — Recurring custom size (first-class)

If the shop keeps quoting a particular non-standard size — say, 6' tall columns or 16" diameter — add it to the model's dropdown list so it becomes a real preset.

1Open Catalog tab. Find the parametric row for the model (code matches the model name, no "(4')" or "(8')" suffix).

2Edit the dropdown options. Expand the row and add to heightOptions or diameterOptions. Format:

[
  {"value": 4,  "label": "4'"},
  {"value": 6,  "label": "6'"},
  {"value": 8,  "label": "8'"}
]

value is the numeric height in feet (or diameter in inches). label is what shows in the dropdown.

3Save. The new size now appears in the dropdown for every user, and will be included in the QBO push as its own SKU.

Heads up for OpenCart: OpenCart push still feeds from the old legacy rows, not the parametric row. Adding a new option here does not create a new OC product variant. For the website, the new size has to be manually added in OpenCart as well (or wait until the OC-side parametric migration is done).

7. The "Custom" category — when not to use it

The calculator has a "Custom" category (purple-tagged rows) for one-off products. It's not the right tool for custom column quotes:

Custom-category products don't run the Columns formula — they'd price as generic foam blocks.
They don't inherit pyramidHeight, baseProfilePerim, or other column-specific fields.
They're excluded from QBO and OC push by design.

Stick with Path B (override inline, don't save) or Path C (add a dropdown option on the parametric row) for columns.

8. Quick reference

Scenario	What to do	Save to catalog?
Standard 8'×10" Round	Dropdowns	N/A (already in catalog)
Customer wants 9'×15" one-time	Override H/W/L inline	No — quote stores it
Shop quotes 6' columns weekly	Add 6' to `heightOptions` on the parametric row	Yes, via Catalog editor
Customer wants a unique profile we don't make	Tell sales — production question, not a calculator question	N/A

9. Notes

Legacy rows

Before the parametric refactor, each column size was its own catalog row (e.g. Round Standard Column (8') at aSize 10). Those 186 legacy rows still exist in the database, marked hide_in_pricing_tab=1. They are hidden from the catalog editor and Pricing tab, but are still the source of truth for the OpenCart push. Don't manually un-hide them.

Why H/W/L can be overridden freely

The formula engine for Columns uses H, W, L, aSize, pieces, corners, and the model's wasteMultiplier / laborCoatingMult. None of those care whether the dimensions match a dropdown option. The dropdown is purely a convenience for filling the fields quickly.

Post caps and bases

Column caps and bases are their own category (Column Cap & Base) and follow a different surface-area model (pyramid + profiled base). See the Post Cap Formulas page for those.

Last updated: April 2026. See Formula Reference for complete formula documentation. See Cornice Guide and Corbel Guide for related guides.