Calibrating from Previous Projects

NOTE-- We retired the MacNail and BidMagic estimating programs in 2000, and replaced them with Goldenseal construction estimating software. We keep these instructions online for our die-hard BidMagic and MacNail users! Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing. You'll use a similar process to calibrate the construction prices that are included with the Goldenseal estimating program.

Step 1-- Get Your Own Actual Costs

Before you can see how our estimating prices compare to yours, you will first need some actual comparison numbers from one or more of your own projects. That way you'll be able to fit your own cost data into our construction estimating software.

What kind of projects to use

You can use any of the following types of construction projects to calibrate our construction estimating software programs (listed in descending order of reliability):

• Jobs that you have already completed, for which you kept detailed job cost records. Ideally they should be broken down into construction cost categories (roofing, framing, trim, etc.) and also into labor, material and subcontractor costs.
• Jobs that you have already completed, for which you have a total of actual costs spent on the job, and a rough idea of how the costs were divided.
• Jobs that you have already completed, for which you have at least a ballpark idea of how costs went, or how well it compared to your original estimate.
• Jobs that you estimated in detail, using a "sticks and bricks" approach. If you have a choice, use a project that has already been completed, or one that is at least partly underway.
• Jobs that you estimated using simple rules of thumb, or some other approximating technique.

The ideal projects to use are additions or new construction, since they'll have a full range of construction in them-- from excavation to foundation to framing to drywall to final trim. Choose projects that are typical of the kind of work you normally do.

Try to avoid very small projects, since "unit price" calculations don't work as well for them. It's also better to avoid specialty projects (e.g. a re-roofing or a deck project), although you can use them to calibrate unit prices for the specific types of work involved in them.