Fudge Factors

NOTE-- We retired the MacNail and BidMagic estimating programs in 2000, and replaced them with Goldenseal construction estimating software. Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing. We keep these instructions online for our die-hard MacNail users! Goldenseal estimates also include a quick adjustment factor.

You can also use the individual fudge factors to adjust labor, material or subcontractor costs, if only one of the three cost areas is off, and the other two are fairly close. To add 10% to material costs, for example, use a material fudge factor of 1.1.

NOTE: If possible, save the fudge factors to account for job-to-job variations and for things like picky clients and bad weather work. To avoid using the fudge factors, leave them all set to 1, and change unit prices (see next page) for any areas where there is disagreement between the HyperEstimators and your own costs.

If overall labor costs seem to be significantly different between the HyperEstimator construction estimating software and your own actual costs, even though other costs are in line, you can also adjust the wage rates until labor costs are correct. The wage rates we use are for a theoretical "average" carpenter, laborer and supervisor, and you may need to adjust them until they hit correctly for projects done by your own actual crews.