Pipes and fittings: sizes, classes and project supplies

Materials, sizes and how they are sold

The range covers PVC and uPVC pipes for plumbing and drainage, CPVC for hot and cold water, HDPE for water supply and agriculture, SWR pipes for soil and waste, GI and MS pipes, and the fittings for each: elbows, tees, couplers, reducers, valves, unions and solvent cement. Each pipe has a diameter, a pressure rating or class, and a standard length; fittings come in boxes of many pieces.

Retail customers buy a few lengths and a bag of fittings. Plumbers buy for several sites. Retailers in smaller towns buy by the truckload. Projects, such as housing societies, irrigation schemes or factories, buy against a bill of quantities with specified brands and classes.

Getting the item master right

Item naming is everything in this trade. A consistent pattern, for example Material, Type, Size, Class (CPVC Elbow 25 mm SDR 11), lets counter staff find items quickly and keeps stock accurate. Use Tally stock groups for material and type, and categories for brand. Fittings are best set with box as one unit and pieces as the alternate unit, so you can buy by the box and sell loose. See alternate units in Tally and stock groups and categories.

Price revisions and schemes

Pipe prices follow raw material costs such as PVC resin, and brands issue revised price lists several times a year. When a revision arrives, every rate on your system and every pending quotation needs checking. Distributors also receive target and cash-discount schemes, and some pass slab discounts to retailers. Keep a dated copy of each price list, and on project quotations state clearly whether rates hold until delivery or follow the list on dispatch date.

Projects and agriculture

Project supplies are delivered in phases over months. Every delivery should go with a delivery challan referencing the contractor's purchase order, and challans should be converted into invoices promptly. Retention, short-supply complaints and rate disputes are common, so keep the paperwork for each project together.

In agricultural areas, HDPE and PVC pipes for irrigation sell with the crop calendar and may be linked to government subsidy schemes, where documentation requirements are strict and payment can take time. Read each scheme's rules carefully before committing stock.

Credit and collections

A typical distributor carries three kinds of receivables: plumbers on running accounts, retailers on fixed credit days, and project contractors on milestone payments. Look at each group separately. For retailers, weekly visits by a salesperson who both takes the order and collects the payment for old bills work best. For projects, link each payment to the bills it covers so that disputes do not mix across projects. Our guide on reducing outstanding receivables covers practical steps.

Returns and slow sizes

Plumbers and retailers often return unused fittings after a job, and project sites return leftover pipes at completion. Accept returns only in saleable condition, in full boxes where possible, against a credit note that references the original bill. Loose returns piling up behind the counter without entries are one of the commonest reasons stock in Tally stops matching the shelf.

Some sizes and classes sell rarely but must be kept because customers expect a full range. Keep the quantity of these low, reorder only when needed, and check every quarter which slow items can be dropped from the range altogether. A small list of truly fast movers, with reorder levels set for each, does more for stock health than counting everything every month. Our guide on reorder levels and safety stock explains how to set them.

GST notes

Pipes and fittings of different materials can fall under different HSN codes; check the current GST rate for each on the GST portal. Inter-state purchases from manufacturers attract IGST. E-way bills are routine for truckloads above the threshold. Registered plumbers and contractors need their GSTIN on bills for input credit. This is general information, not tax advice.

How Cashflow OS and Tally help

Cashflow OS syncs your TallyPrime data so the owner sees retailer, plumber and project outstanding with ageing on the phone. Price lists with dealer types fill the right rate for each customer automatically. Salespeople on a route plan record visits, orders and collections from the staff app, and orders post to Tally as sales orders. Delivery challans for project supplies carry your logo and can be converted into invoices. See route planning for how beats are set.