diff --git a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/CompanySettings/Index.cshtml b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/CompanySettings/Index.cshtml
index 0e9775d..278f02d 100644
--- a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/CompanySettings/Index.cshtml
+++ b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/CompanySettings/Index.cshtml
@@ -2284,7 +2284,7 @@
 <!-- Custom Formula Walkthrough Modal -->
 <div class="modal fade" id="cfWalkthroughModal" tabindex="-1" aria-labelledby="cfWalkthroughLabel" aria-hidden="true">
     <div class="modal-dialog modal-lg modal-dialog-centered modal-dialog-scrollable">
-        <div class="modal-content">
+        <div class="modal-content" style="height:700px">
             <div class="modal-header border-0 pb-0">
                 <h5 class="modal-title" id="cfWalkthroughLabel">
                     <i class="bi bi-calculator text-info me-2"></i>Custom Formula Templates &mdash; How It Works
diff --git a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Quotes/Create.cshtml b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Quotes/Create.cshtml
index c96e881..155d46f 100644
--- a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Quotes/Create.cshtml
+++ b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Quotes/Create.cshtml
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@
             function applyMode(mode) {
                 if (mode === 'simple') {
                     form.classList.add('quote-simple-mode');
-                    hint.textContent = 'Advanced fields are hidden &mdash; switch to Full Quote to see them.';
+                    hint.innerHTML = 'Advanced fields are hidden &mdash; switch to Full Quote to see them.';
                 } else {
                     form.classList.remove('quote-simple-mode');
                     hint.textContent = '';
diff --git a/src/PowderCoating.Web/wwwroot/js/item-wizard.js b/src/PowderCoating.Web/wwwroot/js/item-wizard.js
index b7b266e..127a2cc 100644
--- a/src/PowderCoating.Web/wwwroot/js/item-wizard.js
+++ b/src/PowderCoating.Web/wwwroot/js/item-wizard.js
@@ -209,11 +209,20 @@ function wizardNext() {
     if (wz.step === 1) {
         wz.step = 2;
     } else if (wz.step === 2) {
-        // Generic / labor / sales: step 2 is the last step
-        if (wz.itemType === 'generic' || wz.itemType === 'labor' || wz.itemType === 'sales') {
+        // Labor / sales: step 2 is the last step
+        if (wz.itemType === 'labor' || wz.itemType === 'sales') {
             wizardSave();
             return;
         }
+        // Flat-Rate Charge: go to step 3 only if user opted in to specifying coatings
+        if (wz.itemType === 'generic') {
+            if (wz.data.genericHasCoatings) {
+                wz.step = 3;
+            } else {
+                wizardSave();
+                return;
+            }
+        }
         // AI: step 2 must be accepted before proceeding
         if (wz.itemType === 'ai') {
             if (!wz.ai.accepted) {
@@ -223,6 +232,11 @@ function wizardNext() {
         }
         wz.step = 3;
     } else if (wz.step === 3) {
+        // Flat-Rate Charge with coatings stops here — no prep or catalog-save step
+        if (wz.itemType === 'generic') {
+            wizardSave();
+            return;
+        }
         // Step 4 (prep services) for product, calculated, and ai items — always shown
         // so users with no prep services configured see the empty-state prompt
         wz.step = 4;
@@ -615,6 +629,18 @@ function renderGenericFields() {
                 <label class="form-label fw-semibold">Notes <small class="text-muted">(optional)</small></label>
                 <input type="text" class="form-control" id="wz_notes" placeholder="Internal notes about this charge…" maxlength="500">
             </div>
+        </div>
+        <div class="d-flex align-items-center border rounded py-2 px-3 mt-3 gap-2">
+            <div class="form-check form-switch mb-0 flex-shrink-0">
+                <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="wz_genericHasCoatings"
+                       ${wz.data.genericHasCoatings ? 'checked' : ''}
+                       onchange="wz.data.genericHasCoatings = this.checked; updateStepDots(); updateWizardButtons();"
+                       style="cursor:pointer">
+            </div>
+            <label for="wz_genericHasCoatings" class="mb-0" style="cursor:pointer; line-height:1.3">
+                <strong>Specify powder coating</strong>
+                <span class="d-block text-muted fw-normal small">Add coat &amp; color specs for powder ordering and tracking (price stays flat)</span>
+            </label>
         </div>`;
 }
 
@@ -1795,7 +1821,7 @@ function addCoatRow() {
     const coats = wz.data.coats = wz.data.coats || [];
     const i = coats.length;
     const defaultName = i === 0 ? 'Base Coat' : '';
-    const coat = { coatName: defaultName, sequence: i + 1, inventoryItemId: null, powderType: 'stock' };
+    const coat = { coatName: defaultName, sequence: i + 1, inventoryItemId: null, powderType: wz.itemType === 'generic' ? 'custom' : 'stock' };
     coats.push(coat);
 
     const container = document.getElementById('coatsListContainer');
@@ -1816,7 +1842,7 @@ function buildCoatNameHtml(i, currentName) {
         `<option value="${n}"${selectVal === n ? ' selected' : ''}>${n}</option>`
     ).join('');
     return `
-        <select class="form-select form-select-sm" style="max-width:160px"
+        <select class="form-select form-select-sm" style="min-width:150px;max-width:200px"
                 id="coat_name_sel_${i}" onchange="onCoatNameSelect(${i})">
             <option value="">-- Select --</option>
             ${options}
@@ -1932,6 +1958,7 @@ function buildCoatRowHtml(i, coat) {
                                    placeholder="Lookup from catalog (color name or SKU)…"
                                    oninput="customPowderCatalogInput(${i})"
                                    onkeydown="if(event.key==='Escape'){customPowderCatalogClose(${i})}"
+                                   onblur="catalogQBlur(${i})"
                                    autocomplete="off">
                             <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary btn-sm" onclick="customPowderCatalogClose(${i})" title="Clear lookup">
                                 <i class="bi bi-x" style="font-size:.8rem;"></i>
@@ -1945,8 +1972,8 @@ function buildCoatRowHtml(i, coat) {
                     </div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="col-sm-6">
-                    <label class="form-label form-label-sm">Color Name</label>
-                    <input type="text" class="form-control form-control-sm" id="coat_colorName_${i}" value="${escHtml(coat.colorName || '')}" placeholder="e.g., Gloss Black">
+                    <label class="form-label form-label-sm fw-semibold">Color Name <span class="text-danger">*</span> <small class="text-muted fw-normal">(shows on quote)</small></label>
+                    <input type="text" class="form-control form-control-sm" id="coat_colorName_${i}" value="${escHtml(coat.colorName || '')}" placeholder="e.g., Gloss Black, Matte Red…" required>
                 </div>
                 <div class="col-sm-3">
                     <label class="form-label form-label-sm">Color Code</label>
@@ -2265,6 +2292,19 @@ function customPowderCatalogClose(i) {
     if (qEl) qEl.value = '';
 }
 
+// When the catalog search loses focus without a catalog result being selected,
+// copy whatever the user typed into Color Name (if Color Name is still empty).
+// This handles the common case of typing a color name in the search, not finding
+// a catalog match, and expecting the typed text to become the color name.
+function catalogQBlur(i) {
+    const q     = document.getElementById(`coat_catalog_q_${i}`);
+    const catId = document.getElementById(`coat_custom_catalogItemId_${i}`);
+    const cn    = document.getElementById(`coat_colorName_${i}`);
+    if (q && !catId?.value && q.value.trim() && cn && !cn.value.trim()) {
+        cn.value = q.value.trim();
+    }
+}
+
 function applyCustomCatalogResult(i, r) {
     customPowderCatalogClose(i);
     // Fill in the custom fields from the catalog result
@@ -2967,9 +3007,12 @@ function buildCardHtml(item, i) {
         const orderBadge = (!c.inventoryItemId && c.powderToOrder)
             ? ` <span class="badge bg-warning text-dark" style="font-size:.65em;vertical-align:middle;" title="Custom powder — must be purchased before coating"><i class="bi bi-cart me-1"></i>ORDER ${parseFloat(c.powderToOrder).toFixed(2)} lbs</span>`
             : '';
+        const noColorHint = (!color && !c.inventoryItemId && c.powderToOrder)
+            ? ` <span class="badge bg-danger" style="font-size:.65em;vertical-align:middle;" title="Edit this item and enter a Color Name for the coat">No color specified</span>`
+            : '';
         const coatNotes = c.notes ? `<span class="fst-italic ms-1 opacity-75">— ${escHtml(c.notes)}</span>` : '';
         return `<div style="font-size:.8rem;" class="text-muted mt-1">
-            <i class="bi bi-layers me-1"></i><span class="fw-semibold">${escHtml(c.coatName || 'Coat')}</span>${color ? ` — ${color}${code}` : ''}${orderBadge}${coatNotes}
+            <i class="bi bi-layers me-1"></i><span class="fw-semibold">${escHtml(c.coatName || 'Coat')}</span>${color ? ` — ${color}${code}` : ''}${orderBadge}${noColorHint}${coatNotes}
         </div>`;
     }).join('');
 
@@ -3352,7 +3395,9 @@ function updateWizardButtons() {
     if (!btnBack || !btnNext || !btnSave) return;
 
     const isLast = (wz.step === 4 && wz.itemType !== 'calculated' && wz.itemType !== 'ai')
-        || (wz.step === 2 && (wz.itemType === 'generic' || wz.itemType === 'labor' || wz.itemType === 'sales'));
+        || (wz.step === 3 && wz.itemType === 'generic' && wz.data.genericHasCoatings)
+        || (wz.step === 2 && (wz.itemType === 'labor' || wz.itemType === 'sales'))
+        || (wz.step === 2 && wz.itemType === 'generic' && !wz.data.genericHasCoatings);
     const isCatalogStep = wz.step === 5;
 
     btnBack.classList.toggle('d-none', wz.step === 1);
@@ -3369,7 +3414,8 @@ function updateStepDots() {
     const step2Line = document.getElementById('step2Line');
     const step3Line = document.getElementById('step3Line');
 
-    const hasCoats = wz.itemType !== 'generic' && wz.itemType !== 'labor' && wz.itemType !== 'sales';
+    const hasCoats = wz.itemType !== 'labor' && wz.itemType !== 'sales'
+        && !(wz.itemType === 'generic' && !wz.data.genericHasCoatings);
 
     if (step3Dot)  step3Dot.classList.toggle('skip', !hasCoats);
     if (step4Dot)  step4Dot.classList.toggle('skip', !hasCoats);
@@ -3383,7 +3429,9 @@ function updateStepDots() {
         else if (s < wz.step) dot.classList.add('done');
     });
 
-    const totalSteps = hasCoats ? 4 : 2;
+    // Flat-Rate + coatings stops at step 3 (no prep or catalog save); all others follow normal flow
+    const totalSteps = (wz.itemType === 'generic' && wz.data.genericHasCoatings) ? 3
+        : hasCoats ? 4 : 2;
     const currentDisplay = Math.min(wz.step, totalSteps);
     const label = document.getElementById('wizardStepLabel');
     if (label) label.textContent = wz.step === 5 ? 'Final Step' : `Step ${currentDisplay} of ${totalSteps}`;