Adjusting Construction Unit Prices

NOTE-- We retired the BidMagic construction estimating software program in 2001. Since then, it has been replaced by Goldenseal construction estimating software (which has greatly improved management of unit costs).

We still include this BidMagic estimating software manual, as a convenience for users of our older program. Many features are similar, in Goldenseal estimating.

Using MacNail Customizing

You can use MacNail Customizing to manage prices in the BidMagic construction estimating software program, whether or not you have MacNail Estimating. To do so, follow these basic steps:

  1. Update material unit prices in MacNail Customizing (see the MacNail Customizing Manual for further instructions).
  2. Use the Transfer Manager to export prices out of MacNail and into a form that can be read by BidMagic (see page 394).
  3. Open BidMagic, and import the new unit prices (see page 396).

If you use the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, MacNail Customizing will do an excellent job of maintaining material unit prices for you--much more quickly and accurately than you can on your own within BidMagic itself.

Using a Spreadsheet

If you are an experienced spreadsheet user, you can use any spreadsheet program to work on material unit prices. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Export Unit Prices from the Data menu.
  2. If you are using BidMagic for the first time or have recently moved BidMagic or the BidMagic folder, you'll be asked to locate the Transfer Manager. Otherwise, you'll be told the name of the export file and where it will be saved.
  3. Click OK to have BidMagic use the default name and location. Click Save As to save the export under a different name or in a different location.
  4. Click on Materials Only, then click OK.
  5. To work on just some unit prices, select those items you'd like to work on, then click OK. To work on all prices, click Export All. NOTE: You can use the Shift key to select a contiguous block of items, and the Command key to select non-contiguous items.
  6. BidMagic will create a new file that contains material unit prices for the selected categories.
  7. Switch to a spreadsheet program, and use it to open the BidMagic Prices file that you just exported.
  8. To change material unit prices, click in the cells in column E (or column 5 if columns are numbered, not lettered), then type in new values. WARNING: Make sure you enter only valid numbers! Do not change anything in the other columns, since BidMagic will need them when importing prices afterwards.
  9. When you've finished making changes, choose Save As from the File menu, and save the file as Text.
  10. Switch back to BidMagic, and choose Import Unit Prices from the Data menu.
  11. Select the file you just changed from the list of files, then click OK. The new, revised unit prices will be brought back into BidMagic.

NOTE: For more about importing unit prices into BidMagic, see page 396.

If you use the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and want to adjust unit prices by a percentage, follow these steps:

  1. Follow steps 1 through 7 in the previous section.
  2. Click in a blank cell and type in a multiplier that is equal to the adjustment you'd like to make, plus one. EXAMPLE: To add 5% (.05) to all numbers, type 1.05 into a blank cell. To subtract 2% (.02) from all numbers, type .98 into a blank cell.
  3. Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
  4. Select all the cells in Column E that you'd like to adjust. WARNING: Be sure to only select cells in Column E!
  5. Choose Paste Special from the Edit menu.
  6. Choose Paste--Values, and Operation--Multiply, then click OK.
  7. Continue with steps 9 through 11 in the previous section.