Per-project vs per-unit
The single most important concept in Specbook. Read this once and the rest clicks.
Every spec category in Specbook is either per-project or per-unit. This is called the category's scope.
- Per-project means one shared sheet for the whole property. Landscaping is per-project, the front yard plan applies to the entire lot, not to each dwelling.
- Per-unit means one separate sheet for each unit in the project. Plumbing is per-unit, the master bathroom in unit A may have totally different fixtures than the master bathroom in unit B.
That's the whole concept. The rest is detail.
Why it matters
Without this distinction you'd either:
- Triple-enter the same Landscaping decisions for every unit (busywork), or
- Cram unit-specific Plumbing into a single shared sheet and try to remember which row belongs to which unit (chaos).
Scope removes both problems by modelling the sheet structure to match the shape of the decision being captured.
How a category gets its scope
Each category ships with a sensible default scope baked into the schema. For example:
| Category | Default scope | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Landscaping | default: per-project | One yard plan for the whole property. |
| Framing | default: per-project | The bones of the building are shared. |
| Plumbing | default: per-unit | Each unit's bathrooms and kitchens are independently configurable. |
| Cabinets | default: per-unit | Each kitchen and bathroom is per unit. |
You can override the default per project. If your build needs Landscaping done per-unit (say, two adjoining houses with separate yards), convert the project's Landscaping category to per-unit. See convert scope for the how-to and scope conversion for what the conversion does to your data.
What it looks like in the editor
A per-project sheet (Landscaping) shows the same data no matter which unit tab you have selected. The header reads per project. Items belong to the whole property.
A per-unit sheet (Plumbing) shows the active unit's data. Switching the unit tab at the top of the project switches what you're editing. The header reads per unit – Unit A (or whichever unit you have open).
If you switch to Unit B, you see Unit B's plumbing items, separate from Unit A's. Both sets travel together when you copy or duplicate the unit/project.
Where you see scope
| Surface | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Sheet header | A small pill: per project or per unit – <unit name>. |
| Project dashboard | Per-project sheets show one tile; per-unit sheets show one tile per unit. |
| Convert scope dialog | The current scope, the target scope, and a preview of what will happen. |
| Audit log | Every conversion is logged with the user and timestamp. |
Cheatsheet: which categories are which by default
| Per-project | Per-unit |
|---|---|
| Appliances default: per-project | Blinds default: per-unit |
| Closet Organizers default: per-project | Cabinets default: per-unit |
| Electrical default: per-project | Countertops default: per-unit |
| Exterior Doors & Windows default: per-project | Flooring & Tile default: per-unit |
| Exterior Finishes default: per-project | Interior Doors & Mouldings default: per-unit |
| Framing default: per-project | Lighting Fixtures default: per-unit |
| HVAC default: per-project | Mirrors & Shower Glass default: per-unit |
| Insulation default: per-project | Paint default: per-unit |
| Landscaping default: per-project | Plumbing default: per-unit |
| Low Voltage default: per-project | Railings default: per-unit |
The defaults are baked from years of Noura Homes practice. You only need to override on projects with unusual layouts.
Next: read scope conversion to understand what happens to data when you flip a category from one scope to the other. The per-project → per-unit direction is safe; the per-unit → per-project direction is destructive.