> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.realtimelca.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Non-verified (Custom)

> Add a custom material with manually entered values when no EPD is available.

A **non-verified (Custom)** material is a Library entry that does not come from a published EPD. Use it when you need a material to map elements against but no EPD exists — for example, an early-phase estimate, an internal product specification, or a placeholder while you wait on a manufacturer's documentation.

Custom materials show up in the Library with the **Custom** type and are filterable just like any other material.

<Warning>
  Custom materials are not third-party verified. Make sure that everyone in your organization understands that the indicator values are author-supplied estimates, not declarations.
</Warning>

## Open the Custom form

From the Create Material page, click the **Custom** tab at the top.

<Frame caption="Create Material — Custom tab, General Details, EPD Units, and EPD Sources">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/real-timelca/bMAMJ-Pe-pcp6ZrR/images/user-guide/Create%20material%20-%20Custom%20form.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=bMAMJ-Pe-pcp6ZrR&q=85&s=c8ea7b2c41fa6f71ab369fd2b863945e" alt="Custom tab selected with General Details (Name, Life Time, Description), EPD Units (Declared value, Unit, Mass value, Unit), and the beginning of EPD Sources." width="3104" height="2024" data-path="images/user-guide/Create material - Custom form.png" />
</Frame>

The Custom form is a leaner version of the [Published form](/user-guide/library/materials/create-materials/verified-epds): there is no EPD specification, no document upload, no declaration number, and no owner/data source — because there is no underlying EPD to declare.

## Step 1: General details

| Field                      | Notes                                                   |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name** *(required)*      | The name shown in the Library.                          |
| **Life Time** *(required)* | Expected service life in years.                         |
| **Description**            | A short description shown on the material detail panel. |

## Step 2: EPD units

| Field                           | Notes                                                        |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Declared value** *(required)* | The numerical declared quantity.                             |
| **Unit** *(required)*           | Unit for the declared value (for example, *m²*, *m³*, *kg*). |
| **Mass value** *(required)*     | The mass per declared unit.                                  |
| **Unit** *(required)*           | Mass unit (typically *kg*).                                  |

## Step 3: EPD sources

| Field                     | Notes                                                     |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Category** *(required)* | The material category that drives filtering and grouping. |

## Step 4: Life cycle indicators

Enter the indicator values you want the material to contribute for each module (A1–A3, A4, A5, B1–B7, C1–C4, D).

<Frame caption="Custom material life cycle indicators">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/real-timelca/bMAMJ-Pe-pcp6ZrR/images/user-guide/Create%20material%20-%20Custom%20indicators.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=bMAMJ-Pe-pcp6ZrR&q=85&s=07c5b54cd85dc5172d7697f2d830ca79" alt="EPD Sources category dropdown above the Environmental impacts per declared unit table for a Custom material." width="3104" height="2024" data-path="images/user-guide/Create material - Custom indicators.png" />
</Frame>

The table mirrors the one used for verified EPDs. Fill in whatever modules and indicators apply to your case and leave the rest as `-`.

<Tip>
  Cloning an existing material (Library list → row's **⋮** menu → **Clone**) is the quickest way to start a Custom material when you only need to tweak a few numbers.
</Tip>

## Step 5: Save

Click **Create Material** at the bottom of the form. Your custom material appears in the Library with the **Custom** type tag and is available to every project in the current organization.