Manage Estimates screen

Use the Manage Estimates screen to create and manage estimating jobs. When you create a new job, you specify:

  • Job information

  • Job template settings

  • Digital plans or physical blueprint locations

You can organize the jobs in the Select Job window by including a category name when you create a job. For example, you could create categories for commercial jobs and residential jobs. Separate the category name from the job name with a backslash ([\]) in the New Name field.

The second tab of the Job Setup Wizard enables you to select a catalog or job template for the new job. By selecting a catalog in the Job Setup Wizard, you won't need to select the catalog again on the Catalog tab. This also copies all the WBS code structures, WBS code field names, Export field names, Other cost type field names, and calculator parameters that are saved in the catalog to the new estimate. By selecting an existing job to use as a template, you create an copy of the existing job without the digital plans or blueprints and save it under the new job name.

You can add digital plans in the following formats: BMP, JPG, CAL, DWF, DWG, DXF, PDF, or TIF.

Once you have created an estimating job, use the Manage Estimates screen to estimate quantities and costs for all types of construction jobs. You can digitize quantities from drawings, build catalogs of cost items, and build an estimate of a job or sections of a job so you can generate the most accurate bid. See Tabs in Estimating for more information.

The application saves the job each time you switch tasks or digitize a takeoff item in the Manage Estimates screen.

Note: To open the Manage Estimates screen, click Estimating > Estimating > Manage Estimates in the All Tasks pane.
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.