Guide

Inventory tracking for a small woodshop

Every woodworker has done it. You get to the store, stand in the hardware aisle, and can't remember if you have hinges at home. So you buy more. Then you get home and find two packs behind the router table.

That's an inventory problem. It's a small one, but it adds up, both in money and in trips. Here's how small shops keep it under control without turning it into a second job.

What's worth tracking

You don't need to count every screw. Focus on the stuff that costs real money or stops a job when you run out:

Lumber and sheet goods. Species, rough size, how many board feet or sheets, where it's stacked.
Hardware. Hinges, drawer slides, pulls, pocket screws, inserts. The things you always think you have.
Finish and glue. Oil, poly, stain, glue. Half-empty cans count.
Consumables. Sandpaper, blades, bits. Not every one, just enough to know when to reorder.
Finished pieces. If you sell at craft fairs or online, the items you've built and haven't sold yet.

If something is cheap and you can grab it any day, skip it. Track what hurts when it's missing.

Simple habits that actually stick

The best system is the one you'll keep doing after a long day. A few that work:

Write it down when you pull the last one. A sheet taped inside the cabinet door works. So does a note on your phone. The rule is the same: last one out, write it down.
Check the list before every store run. Thirty seconds at the shelf saves a second trip.
Do a quick count once a month. Walk the shop, update the numbers. Fifteen minutes, tops.
Note leftovers when a job wraps. That half sheet of maple ply is money. If you write it down, you'll actually use it on the next job.
Keep it in one place. Not a sticky note in the truck and a spreadsheet on the laptop. One list.

Tracking material cost per job

Inventory also helps you price better. If you know what you pulled for a job, you know what that job really cost in materials. A lot of small shops underprice because they guess at materials instead of looking.

Even a rough habit helps. When a job starts, note what you pulled from stock and what you bought for it. Compare that to what you charged. After a few jobs you'll see patterns.

Spreadsheet or app?

A spreadsheet is fine for a lot of shops, especially at the start. It gets harder when you have a lot of items, more than one person pulling stock, or you're also trying to keep track of receipts and invoices in other places.

That's usually when people look for a simple tool. Not a giant system. Just something that holds the list and is easy to update.

Where Linchpin fits

Linchpin is a simple website that hosts the tools a small business needs. You turn on only the modules you use. I built it because friends and family kept asking me for websites for their businesses, and they all needed the same few tools. So I packaged them together and made it public.

If inventory is the thing, turn on Inventory for $7 a month. That's it.

A lot of shops pair it with:

Receipt & Invoice Capture, $5/mo, for the lumber yard and hardware store receipts
Invoicing, $9/mo, for billing the job when it's done

Those three together run $21 before discount, and 3 or more modules get 10% off. 5 or more get 15% off. No card to start.

Turn on what you need. Pay for that.

Start with Inventory

FAQ

What's the easiest way to track lumber inventory in a small shop?

Keep one list with species, size, and quantity, and update it when you pull stock or bring new wood in. A monthly walk-through count keeps it honest.

Do I need to track every screw and nail?

No. Track the items that cost real money or stop a job when you run out. Skip the cheap stuff you can grab any day.

Should I track leftover offcuts?

The bigger ones, yes. A half sheet of ply or a few board feet of hardwood is real money. If it's on the list, you'll use it.

How much does Linchpin Inventory cost?

$7 a month. You only pay for the modules you turn on. 3+ modules get 10% off, 5+ get 15% off.

Is Linchpin a full accounting system?

No. It's a set of simple tools you turn on one at a time. Use what you need and leave the rest off.