Estimating Vertical Measurements

The BidMagic construction estimating software includes fields for vertical dimensions such as the total building height.

Vertical Measurements

The Exterior Structures card includes several vertical measurements for the project. If you have floor plans with section or elevation drawings, you should be able to find these measurements directly.

Highest Roof Point

This is the distance from the highest point of the roof down to the elevation of the top floor ceiling.
If this quantity is locked, it will be 'suggested' based on roof geometry from the Roof Dimensions card. If you unlock this quantity, enter the measurement from the average top floor ceiling elevation to the highest point of a shed roof, to the ridge of a gable, gambrel or arch roof, or to the center of a hip, mansard or dome roof. On a complex roof, pick the highest point and measure to that.

Top Floor Ceiling to Eaves

This dimension is used to adjust the amount of siding, stucco or other exterior finish, depending on how the project is framed near the top. To calculate it, first measure the elevation difference between the top floor ceiling and top of the exterior wall, just under the eaves.
When the building is built with roof trusses resting on the top plate of the wall framing in the highest story, the exterior wall finish will end at the same height as the ceilings, and the elevation difference will be zero ( Example 1).

If the building has a 'raised' ceiling attached to the underside of the roof framing, or in a Cape Cod (see page 377), the eaves are lower than the top floor ceiling height, so enter a negative number (Example 2, previous page).
If the building has a parapet wall, the additional siding covering the parapet and roof framing beneath it is already included in the siding area calculations, so enter a zero (Example 3, previous page).

WARNING: The way BidMagic handles this number is slightly different from the way they were handled in HyperEstimator, HyperRemodeler and MacNail Estimating 3.3 and earlier.

Highest Ceiling Height

BidMagic uses the total interior height of the building to calculate quantities for chimneys and a few other items.
If this quantity is locked, it will be computed based on the ceiling height for each floor, plus the thickness of each floor structure. To enter your own quantity, use the elevation difference between the first story finished floor surface and the top floor ceiling.

Height of First Floor off Ground

This is the distance from the average first floor elevation down to the average ground level. If the first floor is higher than the ground, it is a positive number. If the first floor is exactly at grade, it is zero. If the first floor is below ground level, it is a negative number.

If this quantity is locked, BidMagic calculates the height of the first floor off the ground, based on the height of the pier or foundation and the estimated thickness of the first floor. You may also unlock this quantity and enter your own measurement.