Calibrating BidMagic Estimating

Step Three--Adjust BidMagic Prices

Once you have created a comparison bid with the BidMagic construction estimating software program, take a look at how its numbers compare to the actual job cost records (or to the estimate you made by hand).

NOTE: If there were any unusual situations that happened on the project (e.g. bad weather, picky clients) keep them in mind when figuring prices--you may want to adjust the actual costs up or down to reflect more 'normal' conditions.

If BidMagic is already close to the actual cost and the cost for each category seems reasonably close, you can probably use BidMagic safely on future projects without further calibration.

NOTE: Just to be safe, it's a good idea to check the BidMagic construction estimating software program on two or three different projects that you've already done.

If there are significant differences between your actual costs and the prices in BidMagic, there are several ways to get BidMagic's prices into line. The method you use will depend on how accurate you want to make BidMagic, and how much time you want to spend on it.