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The
Estimate Worksheet is where you actually take off the job. As you can see
each line and the page is extended and totaled right on the screen
instantly. You can:
- Apply special page markups to labor or material
- Set page multipliers (for multiple instances of a
takeoff item, like rooms of a hotel)
- Place the entire page in a certain Phase of Construction,
overriding the default line phases
- Set the page type to Regular (all markups and
factors are included), Quote (Material only that comes in below
markups), or Comment (just a scratch page for figuring).
- Inactivate a page - useful for setting and selecting
alternates and different vendors pricing
- Add Material Items, Assemblies, and Special Code
Items (Notice the Comment and Labor Only line below.
Typically
Items from the Material Database can be added by using a 3 letter
Description Code such as EM- for EMT. You can also bring up a list to
choose from as in the popup below:
Estimate Worksheets
From the Estimate Worksheet you add all your material and
labor to a job. Also from this location you can set all the different
Page Options.
Each Page of the estimate is designed to be an "Area of
Construction". This simple idea allows you to better manage your
job. It is also flexible to allow you to organize the job any way that
you see fit. The pages might be floors or a building, or building on a
job site, page of a schematic, or logical areas of construction, such as
Fixture, Switchgear, Quotes, Feeders, Branch etc… Or you can just take
off the whole job on one page. Keep in mind that this is a management
tool and dividing big jobs into logical areas of construction will better
enable you to manage the job when the time comes.
Location Field - Enter in this field a name for the Page or
Area of Construction. When you press Enter or Tab you will be take to the
first line of the current estimate page.
Page Options Button - Clicking this button brings up the
following screen for setting page options:
Page Options Dialog
Page Title - The Name of the Page as shown on the Recap and
Worksheet tabs.
Page Active - Setting a page "Active" will cause
its material and labor totals to be included in the estimate total.
Conversely, setting a page to "Inactive" will cause its totals
to be omitted from the estimate totals.
Work Complete – Checking this box marks the items on this
page as Completed Work. Items on Work Completed pages are included in the
estimate totals if that applicable option is set under the Main Menu
Option choice.
Cost/Labor Columns - Sets the Material Cost and Labor
Columns to use in the Material Database Only new items added on the
current page after this selection are affected. Columns 2 and 3 are
factors of Column 1 Price/Labor. These are set from the Database Utility
and discussed further in that Chapter of the manual.
Page Phase - A complete listing of the default Phases of
Construction is located in the Appendix. Phases of Construction further
enable you to properly manage a job and to fine-tune your bid. Each item
in the database has an associated phase (Branch, Feeders, Fiber, etc…)
and each phase has an associated Labor Factor. By setting the Page Phase
to anything other than Phase 0 (zero) you override the individual item's
phases. For instance, if all the items on this page were conduit being
thrown into a ditch, you could set the Page Phase to 91 (DITCH
INSTALLATION). Each phase has an associated Labor Factor. For Phase 91 it
is .5, so all labor on this page would be cut in half. Setting the Page
Phase back to zero restores the individual line phases.
Page Multiplier - This value would be used to set multiple
instance of an Area of Construction. For instance, motel room, hotel
floors, etc…
Page Material Markup - Used as a factor on the total Raw
Material on this page only.
Page Labor Markup - Used as a factor on the Raw Labor on
this page only.
Page Type -
Regular: All Material and Labor is included in the bid.
Taxes, markups etc. apply.
Comment: None of the Material or Labor is included in the
bid.
Quote: Material and optionally labor are included in the
estimate but after all taxes and markups, profit and overhead, etc…
Apply Estimate Labor Rate to Quote Page - Typically Quote
pages do not include labor in the totals. If you want to add labor and
use the Labor Distribution and Rates defined in your estimate, then check
this box, Totals will still be included below all taxes and markups.
Page Types and Inactivate Buttons
The first three buttons set the page type:
Regular: All Material and Labor is included in the bid.
Taxes, markups etc. apply.
Comment: None of the Material or Labor is included in the
bid.
Quote: Material and optionally labor are included in the
estimate but after all taxes and markups, profit and overhead, etc…
The fourth button marks the items on the current page as
"Work Completed".
The fifth button sets the page Inactive if it is down and
Active if it up. It is a toggle on and off button. If the page is
Inactive, there will be a red label in the Page Total area saying,
"THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY INACTIVE". If a page is Inactive, its
totals are NOT included in the estimate total.
Moving From One Page to Another
To go to a certain page of the estimate, you can click on
the page tabs shown at the bottom of the Worksheet Grid. There are small
right and left arrow buttons to the right if more pages exist than can be
shown with the tabs. You may also access the "Go to Page
Dialog" as shown below by either:
1. Clicking the Main Menu Goto and then clicking Worksheet
Page, or
2. Pressing F6
Just Click on the Page and then click OK or double-click on
the page. You may also select a page from the Recap Sheet as outlined
earlier.
You can also use the Worksheet Navigator
The button are (in order): First Page, Previous Page, Goto
Page (as above), Next Page, Last Page, Add a page to the end, Copy a
Page, Insert a page prior to the current page, Delete the current page,
and Page Options (as above).
Page Totals
C= L=: Current Cost and Labor Columns for this page. Only
applicable to items subsequently added to the page. Items already on the
page by have other column pricing or may have been adjusted manually.
Page Multiplier: How many of this page to include in the
estimate
Material: the Raw Material Cost of the items on this page.
Page Material Markups and Material Fudge Factors are applied. Page
Multiplier is not.
Labor: Raw Labor Hours on this page. Page Labor Markups and
Labor Fudge Factors are applied. Page Multiplier is not.
Extended Material: Total estimated cost of the material on
this page to the customer. This number includes tax, material markup,
profit, overhead and miscellaneous summary markups.
Extended Labor: Total estimated labor cost on this page to
the customer. This number includes Job Factors, Labor Distribution, Job
Expenses, tax, labor markup, profit, overhead and miscellaneous summary
markups.
Total: (Extended Material + Extended Labor) times Page
Multiplier
Worksheet Grid Columns
DB# - This column contains the BHS Item Number form the
Databases or a Special Line type code. The field will be one of the
following type:
I 1842 - Item 1842 from the Item Master Database
A 394 - Assembly 394 from the Assembly Database
F - An all fields line - allows you to enter items not found
in the database and gives you access to all columns
M - Material Only Line - You may enter data in the Extended
Cost column only
L - Labor Only Line - You may enter data in the Extended
Labor column only
Q - Quote Line - You may enter data in Extended Material and
Extended Labor only
C - A Comment Line - No Material or Labor
Description - The description from the database or
description of the Special Code
Quantity - How many or how many feet/meters of these you
want.
Cost - Cost per Unit of Issue - Typically this number is
read from the Item Master Database or calculated from Assemblies but you
may override this value by typing in a cost. After typing in a cost the
value will appear to change if Material Fudge Factor is set to anything
other than 1.
MUI - Material Unit of Issue - Typical values are E for per each,
C for per 100 and M for per 1000. There are other Units of Issue defined
in the Unit of Issue Database. You must use a defined Unit of Issue.
Extended Cost - (Quantity * Cost Each)/Unit of Issue Value
Labor Hours - Hours to install one of these items
LUI - Labor Unit of Issue
Extended Labor - (Quantity * Hours Each)/Labor Unit of Issue
Value
Phase - Labor Phase for this Item - Typically this number is
read from the Items Master Database for item, and is 0 (Zero) for
Assemblies and Special Code lines. You may type in a Phase Number or
select a phase by pressing Alt-P or right-clicking the Worksheet Grid and
clicking Set Phase. The following screen will appear:
You may pick a phase from the Phase Database. Choosing Phase
-1 will return Items to their original Phase as specified in the Item
Mater Database. Notice that the Labor Factor is listed to the right
above. Any Labor on this line will be multiplied by this factor before
being displayed on screen.
Extended Mat. Ea. - Extended Material Each - The resultant
cost to the customer for material for each of these items. The number
reflects fudge factors, tax, markups, overhead and profit.
Extended Lab. Ea. - Extended Labor Each - The resultant cost
to the customer for the labor for each of these items. The number
reflects fudge factors, Job Factors, Labor Distribution and Rates, Job
Expenses, labor tax, markups, overhead and profit.
Extended Total Ea. = Extended Material + Extended Labor for
each of these items.
Extended Total - Extended Total Each * Quantity
The Worksheet Grid Popup
By right clicking on the Worksheet Grid you will get the
Pop-up.
Chaining Enabled - With this item checked, if you select an
item or assembly from the database, the BHSestimator will move through
the chain defined for that item or assembly to automatically bring up the
next logical item. This chain is defined in the Database Utility and is
discussed further in that Chapter of this manual. If not checked, only
the item requested is placed on the Worksheet Grid. (For instance, if chaining
is enabled and you request 1/2" EMT Conduit, the program will
automatically chain you through, ells, couplings, connectors, hangers and
wire. If chaining is not enabled, you will only get the 1/2"
conduit.)
Prompt for each Item in Chain - If checked, you will be
prompted for a quantity in a popup window as each item from a database is
placed on the Worksheet Grid. If not checked the program will just add
one (1) of the item and let you set the quantities after the chain is
loaded or after the item is on the Worksheet.
With Prompt for each Item in Chain checked you would see
this popup:
From this screen you:
Enter the quantity desired and Press Enter or Click Add, if
the quantity is 0 the item is skipped. You can enter a formula (e.g.
‘=1000*3*1.1’) for the quantity also.
Click the Skip Button to skip and go to the next chained
item if chaining is enabled,
Press Esc or click Abort to end the chain.
You may also use F7 and F8 to get the previous and next
database items respectively.
You may use the Scalex hotkeys for length or count.
Clicking Back or Forward takes you through the chain of
recently used items.
With Prompt for each Item in Chain uncheck and chaining
enabled the screen would look like this after requesting 1/2" EMT:
Notice that you are left in the Quantity Field ready to
enter quantities for each item.
Close Window after one Chain - If you entered a Description
Code for an item (e.g. EM- for EMT) and picked an item from the Material
or Assembly Database Popup, if this choice was checked then after the
chain, the Database Popup would close automatically. If not checked, then
the popup would remain open allowing you to pick the next item you
wanted. The following screen shows the popup left on the screen. (i.e.
Close Window after one Chain is unchecked)
If the Popup is left open, you may click the Close Button to
close it.
Set Phase - This item is active on all lines and is used to
set the Phase of Construction for the highlighted line. Keep in mind, as
discussed above that the Phase also applies a Labor Factor, which may be
equal to, greater than, or less than 1. Typing Alt-P will also activate
this choice.
Get Previous Item - Active on Material and Assembly lines
only. Activating this choice (or pressing F7) will get the previous
numeric item from the associated database. For instance, if you are on a
line of 3/4" EMT (Item Number 1844), pressing F7 would change the
line to 1/2" EMT (Item 1842). Typically selecting the previous item
from the database equates to selecting next smaller size as long as you
stay in the same section of the database.
Get Next Item - Active on Material and Assembly lines only.
Activating this choice (or pressing F8) will get the next numeric item
from the associated database. For instance, if you are on a line of
3/4" EMT (Item Number 1844), pressing F8 would change the line to
1" EMT (Item 1846). Typically selecting the next item from the
database equates to selecting next larger size as long as you stay in the
same section of the database.
Insert – Insert brings up the following submenu
Insert Blank Line – Inserts a blank line just before the
current line
Item from Material Database – Opens the Database Editor
where you can search for a part and then add it to the estimate takeoff
Insert an Assembly – Opens the Assembly Database.
Delete line - Deletes the Current Line - There is no
"Are you Sure?" prompt.
Write Line to Database - Material - Active on Special Code
lines only. The line is written to the Item Master Database at the next
available number at the end of the database. For instance, if you had an
F Line with a description of WD- 2X4 Stud and the last item in your
database was Item #13243, activating this choice (pressing Ctrl-W) would
create a new item in the database at 13244. It would then write all
pertinent data from this line to that item and then change this line to
that Item 13244. It would now be an Item Database Item line instead of an
F line. The first three letter of the original description would now be
the description code for that item. In this case, WD-.
Write Line to Database - Assembly – Highlight a group of
lines and then select this option. A new assembly will be created. The
first line will be adjusted to Qty 1 and all other lines adjusted in
proportion to line 1. Enter a new Assembly number (the next highest
number is selected by default). Enter a new description. (Remember to
have the first three character referencing a Description Code.) Enter the
next item in the chain if desired. Preface the Next Item number with a *
if it is an assembly (e.g. *250).
View Assembly - Shows the items and sub-assemblies included
in an assembly. This choice is only active on assembly lines. It can also
be activated by pressing Ctrl-A. Shown below is the view of Assembly 239.
Clicking OK from the Expanded Assembly View will close the
window. Clicking Insert will bring the Assembly onto your worksheet in
the form of Items. All assemblies and sub-assemblies will be documented
by Comment Lines. This is useful if an Assembly is similar to want you want
but not exactly and you want to just change a couple of items. Viewing
the Assembly is always useful if you just want to make sure what all is
included in it.
Fudge Factors - Takes you to the hidden Material and Labor
markup fields located on the Job Title Page. These markups do not appear
on any of the printouts and would be used to add margins to your estimate
without showing these on printouts to your customer.
Word-wrap Descriptions - Causes the Word Wrap attribute of
the highlighted fields to equal the checked value of the Word-wrap
Description choice. In others words, if you highlight the description
column from rows 2-10 and check Word-wrap Descriptions then any data in
these fields will wrap if too long to fit in the column.
Worksheet – brings up the following submenu
Worksheet Defaults – This choice allows the user to set the
text for all Special Code lines, the color of each type of line, the
database popup width (you can also set this by clicking the side of the
popup and dragging it when the popup is visible), Unit Price Mode (Also
F9) and whether or not to show the edit bar at the top of each worksheet.
Recalc Page – re-figures all the formulas on the current
page. Use this option if you have just turned on the Use Phase Labor
Factors under the Options menu.
Worksheet Designer - Warning!!! You can do many things with
this option to destroy your estimate! It is provided here specifically to
allow BHS technicians to help you troubleshoot a faulty estimate.
Show Edit Bar - shows the actual contents on a Worksheet
Grid cell in an Edit Window above the Worksheet Grid. This is similar to
a spreadsheet style.
Page Options – Same as the Page Options Button above
Show/Hide PhaseWS – Shows or hides the Phase Worksheet (it
appears on the Images Page when enabled). This is just a troubleshooting
feature. You will not need to use it in normal operation.
Show Page Numbers – This feature enables the hidden columns
of the worksheet which include raw material entered, markups, Unit Price
Factors, etc…
Scalex – If the Scalex probe is active, You can add length
or count from this menu. There are also definable hotkeys for these
functions.
Adding Material to an Estimate
There are various ways to add lines to the estimate
worksheet. Different options may be selected depending on your
familiarity with the BHSestimator, your method of doing a takeoff, your
purpose for the estimate, etc. Regardless of the method chosen if you
enter data for a new code or item over the DB# of an existing line, the
original line will be moved down to make room for the new data. In other
words, if you are on line 5 which contains Item 1842 and you enter an F
into the DB# column and press Enter, a new line 5 will be inserted and
Item 1842 will now be on line 6.
Special Code Lines
Any of the Special Code Lines can be added by simply typing
the letter of the code and then pressing Enter.
Typing F and Enter would add an All Fields Line.
Typing M and Enter would add a Material Only Line.
Typing L and Enter would add a Labor Only Line.
Typing Q and Enter would add a Quote (Material/Labor Only)
Line.
Typing C and Enter would add a Comment Line.
Alternately, you can click on any of the 5 Special Code
Speed Buttons at the bottom of the Worksheets Page. E.g. Clicking the MO
button would add a material only line.
Regardless of the method used to add a Special Code line,
you will be left in the Description column awaiting input. You may then
use the Tab key to move to the next logical column to enter the other
data required.
Adding Items from the Material Database
If you already know the Database Number of the item that you
wish to add, enter that number in the DB# Field and press Enter. For
example: 1842 Enter would give you 1/2" EMT.
If you do not know the Item Number, but you do know the
three-letter Description Code, you may enter the Description Code under
DB# and press Enter. For example, EM- and Enter would bring up a list of
all EMT Items in the Item Master Database. You may then double-click on
the item you want or merely arrow down to it and press Enter. A complete
list of defined Description Codes is listed on the Appendix of this
manual and on your Quick Reference Card.
If you do not know the Item Number or Description Code you
can open the entire Material Database by clicking the M speed button at
the bottom of the Worksheets Page. A popup window will open that includes
ALL the items from the Material Database. Also a Popup windows opens that
shows a list of all the defined Description Codes.
The Goto Popup lists all the defined Description Codes.
Clicking on a Code will take you to that portion of the database. Also
pressing the first letter of the Description Code will take you to that
portion of the database. Once you find the Item that you are searching
for, you may double-click on it to move it to your estimate.
You can also Right-Click on the Worksheet Grid, click Insert
| Item From Material Database (or Ctrl-Alt-M) to go into the Material
Database Editor. Find and highlight the item you want and click OK.
With all of these data entry option, whether or not the
estimator automatically chains to the next Item, prompts you for Quantity
and whether or not the Material Item Popup stays open is determined by
the settings checked in the Worksheet Grid Popup as outlined previously
in this chapter.
Adding Items from the Assembly Database
Adding Assemblies to an estimate is accomplished in the same
way as adding Items. Preface the DB# or Description Code with a * to
specify Assemblies. For example *1 would be Assembly Number 1 and *EM-
would bring up EMT Assemblies. Selecting Assembly Database from the Add
Type Box would give you access to the entire Assembly Database and
Defined Assembly Description Codes.
Deleting Lines from an Estimate
To delete the current line, Press Ctrl-Del or click the
Delete Button at the bottom of the Worksheets Page. You may also Press
Ctrl-X to "Cut" the line. This will just delete the line but it
will still be available to "Paste" to another location in the
estimate. You may highlight multiple lines for "Cutting" or
"Copying" by holding the shift key and arrowing up or down the
Worksheet Grid.
Modifying Lines of an Estimate
Simply use the Tab key or Arrow keys to move around on the
Worksheet Grid and enter the data in the appropriate fields. Some checks
are performed to try to keep you from entering incorrect data. If you use
the Tab key, The estimator will attempt to move you to the next logical
column for the line type that you are on.
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