How to Return Unused Inventory to Warehouse Stock

If unused material is still reserved for a job or project, you can move it back to a warehouse as free stock with an Inventory Transfer. The material must be an Inventory item that BuildOps is already tracking in warehouse or truck stock.

This process does not record the material as used and does not change the original purchase order or receipt.

When to use an Inventory Transfer

Use an Inventory Transfer when:

The item type is Inventory.
The item was received into a warehouse or truck.
The item is currently reserved for a job or project.
The quantity has not already been recorded as used through an Inventory Issue.

Free stock is inventory that is available and not reserved for a specific job or project.

Return reserved inventory to a warehouse

Go to Operations > Transfer
Select Create Transfer.
Select the Inventory item.
In "Transfer From" field, select Job or Project.
Select the job or project where the item is reserved.
In "Transfer To", select Warehouse.
Select the warehouse where you want to return the item.
Enter the quantity.
Select Transfer Items.

The quantity must be greater than zero and cannot exceed the quantity available from the selected job or project.

BuildOps only shows jobs and projects that have reserved quantity for the selected item. If the job or project does not appear, confirm that the item is an Inventory item and still has reserved quantity.

You can also start a transfer from the item actions menu while viewing an item in a warehouse.

What happens after the transfer?

The quantity moves from job or project stock to warehouse free stock. It remains available in inventory for future use, but it is no longer reserved for that job or project.

A transfer moves inventory; it does not consume inventory. It also does not remove a cost that was recorded as a direct-to-job purchase cost.

When an Inventory Transfer does not apply

Non-Inventory and Fee items

Non-Inventory and Fee items do not track warehouse quantities, so they cannot be returned through the Inventory Transfers page.

Item types cannot be changed after an item is created. Do not change an existing Non-Inventory item to Inventory. If the material should be tracked in stock in the future, your administrator may need to create a separate Inventory item.

Materials purchased for direct delivery to a job

Materials shipped directly to a job site, or purchased through a purchase order without a warehouse destination, are not added to warehouse stock. They will not appear as a source on the Transfers page.

BuildOps does not currently provide a native Inventory Transfer workflow for these items. If the material needs to be added to warehouse stock:

Ask your purchasing or accounting admin whether the original purchase order or receipt needs to be corrected.
Confirm that the item being received or adjusted is an Inventory item. A Non-Inventory item cannot hold warehouse quantities. If necessary, your admin may need to create a separate Inventory item.
Receive the returned quantity into a warehouse or use the appropriate inventory-adjustment workflow for your accounting setup.
If the unused quantity must be removed from the job’s cost, complete the purchase or receipt correction separately. A transfer alone does not remove a direct-to-job purchase cost.

Materials already recorded as used

If the material was already issued or recorded as used, it is no longer reserved stock and cannot be returned with an Inventory Transfer.

Correct the quantity in the document that created the usage record, such as a service visit, job report, or invoice. Auto-generated Inventory Issues are read-only and update from their originating document.

Correct an inventory transfer

Completed transfers cannot be edited or voided. If a transfer is incorrect, create a new transfer that reverses the original transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use an Inventory Issue to add stock back?

Inventory Issues reduce inventory quantities when they are posted. They do not add stock to a warehouse. To increase warehouse stock, use a posted purchase order receipt or the appropriate inventory-adjustment workflow.