Estimate Tab Overview

The Estimate tab is where you bring quantities and cost items together to calculate job totals. The Estimate tab is arranged like a single spreadsheet with columns and rows. Each row of an estimate represents a single cost item. You can add an infinite number of cost items to the estimate.

Each column represents a type of information that is entered for each cost item. Some of these columns will be blank for a cost item. For example, a cost item cannot have both a Labor and Material cost. For more information on cost items, see Cost Items.

Job totals are calculated in real time for the entire job and each basic cost item type, such as Material, Labor, Equipment, gets subtotaled. This means that as you change the costs and information for cost items in the estimate, the totals are updated at the bottom of the tab. However, if you have list assemblies, visual assemblies, or financial cost items in the estimate, you will need to recalculate the estimate to ensure that the job totals are correct. See Recalculate the Estimate for more information.

Tip:
  • Multiple users can work on the same job in the Estimating tab at the same time. The last person to perform an edit function to an estimate item will have the data retained.
  • Any sorts a user performs are temporary unless the job is set to Exclusive mode, which allows you to save sorts. Moving items also requires the job to be set to exclusive, or the move will be temporary.
  • To turn Exclusive mode on, get all other users to close the job, then click Set Job Exclusive. Make the changes to the estimate, then turn Exclusive mode off by clicking Set Job Exclusive again.
  • You can also lock a job, which not only turns on Exclusive mode, it prevents other users from editing the job. Note that all users can view a locked job. To lock a job, get all other users to close the job, then click Lock Job. To unlock a job, click Lock Job again.
  • Any filters performed in the Estimate tab are only seen by the user performing the filter.
  • You will see changes occur in real-time by changing tabs in the Manage Estimates screen or by refreshing the Estimate tab.