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Plumbing inventory management for vans and job sites

StockZip is plumbing inventory management for the fittings, fixtures, and parts that live in your trucks — scan stock onto each van, check press tools and drain machines out to the tech who took them, and update from a crawl space with no signal. The shop sees what every van is carrying without a paper log.

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Free forever for 100 items · no credit card · scans in a basement with no signal

From the ride-along

A day in the life with StockZip

6:45 AM

Load out. The tech scans fittings, a fixture, and a repair kit off the warehouse shelf onto Van 4 — the counts move from the warehouse folder onto the van, so dispatch sees the real loadout before the first call.

8:30 AM

Tools out. A press tool and a drain machine are checked out to the tech for the day, so a borrowed machine that never comes back has a record of who took it.

11:20 AM

Under the house. A handful of copper fittings come out of the van in a crawl space with no bars. The tech logs the usage offline and StockZip syncs it back at the curb.

1:45 PM

Supply-house run. Extra valves picked up mid-day get scanned onto the van, so the record stays honest even when parts do not come from the shop.

4:30 PM

End of day. Van 4 drops below its minimum on a common cartridge, so it surfaces in low-stock and the office builds the restock before tomorrow’s route starts.

Warehouse → van → job site → return

How the work flows

01 · Restock vans from the shop

Keep one folder for the warehouse and one for each van. When staff restock a van, they scan fittings, valves, pipe, cartridges, and consumables into that van folder, so dispatch can see what is actually available before assigning the next job.

02 · Record parts used on a job

When a tech uses parts, they scan the item and reduce the quantity from the van — offline in a basement or crawl space if the signal is gone. A note can tag the job or customer so the office has a clean material trail for costing and warranty.

03 · Check reusable tools in and out

Press tools, drain machines, cameras, pipe threaders, and test pumps get checked out to a tech or van rather than treated like consumables, so the assignment history stays separate from quantity counts and a missing tool has a trail.

04 · Run quick van counts

A van count does not need to become a weekend project. Scan the common bins, review the variances, and fix the stock record before the next week of calls, so trucks start stocked instead of short.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best plumbing inventory management app for a small shop?

StockZip tracks plumbing parts and tools across vans, a warehouse, and job sites. Each van is a folder, techs scan fittings and valves as they use them, and everything works offline in basements and crawl spaces — so the shop knows what every van is carrying without a paper log.

How do plumbers track parts in service vans?

Create a folder for each van and one for the warehouse. When a tech uses parts on a job, they scan to deduct stock; when the van gets restocked, they scan to add. You always know what each van is carrying without manual counts.

Can I track which tech has a press tool or drain machine?

Yes. Check reusable tools — press tools, drain machines, cameras, test pumps — out to a tech or a van, and check them back in when they return. StockZip logs who had each tool and when. Tool check-in / check-out is on the Starter plan and up — see pricing for the tier.

Does plumbing inventory management work offline?

Yes. StockZip is offline-first, so techs scan parts, use fittings, and update stock in basements, crawl spaces, and dead zones with no signal. Everything syncs automatically once the phone reconnects.

Can I get alerts when plumbing parts run low?

Set a minimum on any part — copper fittings, PVC, valves, cartridges — and a different minimum per van and for the warehouse. Items at or below their minimum surface in low-stock views. Setting a minimum is on every plan; the Low Stock report and reorder-suggestion tasks are part of the paid plans — see pricing for the tier.

How do I see which parts were used on which job?

When a tech uses parts, they scan the item and can add a note that tags the job, customer, or work order, so the office has a material trail for job costing, warranty questions, and reorder planning.

Free template

Free plumbing inventory spreadsheet

Not ready to set up an app yet? Start with the free inventory spreadsheet — a van-and-warehouse count sheet you can fill in today and import into StockZip later.

Get the template