Part 08 · Estimating

Building an estimate by hand

Typing each line, assigning resources, and using templates as assemblies — either as their own bill item or added onto an item you wrote yourself.

Steps

1. On the project page click New estimate. Revision 1 opens in the bill editor: Sections on the left, the bill grid in the centre, the Data Sheet below it, the Template library and resources on the right, totals along the bottom.
2. Hover the starter section and click Rename to give it a code and title. The + in the Sections header adds more.
3. Click Item in the toolbar, then double-click the Item, Description, Unit and Qty cells to type. There is no rate on the item: the rate comes from its build-up.
4. With the item selected click Buildup in the Data Sheet, then use Add resource to pick resources from the pinned database. Set each line's Res/Act Qty per bill unit. Free-text line adds something not in the database, with its own rate.
5. Template as its own item: select a template in the library and click Insert as new item. Set its quantity; every line scales with it.
6. Template as an assembly: select a bill item you typed, select a template, click Add to selected item. It lands as a build-up on that item, editable for this job only.
7. Items can carry several build-ups, each a tab in the Data Sheet. Right-click a tab to Create template from build-up when you want to reuse one.