Estimating with Gross & Net Areas

The BidMagic construction estimating software calculates both gross and net areas for finish quantities. You can use either of them for your pricing.

Using Gross and Net Areas

Use the Preferences card to determine whether Gross or Net areas will be used for calculating flooring, insulation, painting, roofing, siding, and wallboard (see page 96).

Use the gross area if your unit prices (or those of your subcontractors) are based on overall areas without subtracting for openings. Use the net area if your unit prices are based on the area after subtracting openings.

For insulation and painting, the choice in Preferences will be used to adjust the insulation and paint quantities shown at the bottom of the Finish Dimensions card.

For flooring, roofing, siding and wallboard, the choice in Preferences will be used to calculate values for the 'suggested' formulas in Specifications.

To create a formula that will use either gross or net areas depending on Preferences, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Specifications card that includes the unit price you 'd like to change.
2. Click on any pop-up button in the desired subcategory, and choose Edit Unit Prices from the bottom of the menu.
3. Select the desired line item in the Unit Price Editor (see page 260).
4. Click the Edit button next to Suggested Quantity (at center right) to edit the item 's 'suggested' formula.
5. In the Formula Editor, build a formula for the item (see page 263). Click one of the Construction Quantity buttons, and choose a dimension from one of the pop-up menus. NOTE: Click the Roof button, then choose Roof Areas, or click the Finish button, then choose Finished Floor Areas, Siding Areas or Wallboard Areas.
6. To use whichever quantity is specified in Preferences, choose a Basic dimension such as Basic Finished Floor Area. You can also choose a Gross dimension to always use the Gross quantity, or choose a Net dimension to always use the Net quantity for that line item.