Using Unit Costs for Estimating

NOTE-- We retired the MacNail estimating program in 2000, and replaced it with Goldenseal construction estimating software. There are still a significant number of die-hard MacNail users, so we keep the manuals online for them! Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing. Our new software uses concepts that are similar to MacNail, but it does not require Excel, and is much easier to use!

Using Unit Pricing in your Business

Unit price estimating works best when you tailor your 'price book' to match the actual style of work you do. MacNail Customizing makes it easy for you to set up unit price items that match the way you build things.

Using MacNail 's 'Stock' Prices

The MacNail construction estimating software comes with a 'stock' price book of about 900 items-- with about 100 of them in 'compressed' form so the one line item will handle a wide range of situations. You should be able to use MacNail's basic price book to cover most of the work you do, with little or no modification.

MacNail's 'stock' labor hours and material assemblies are calculated using actual costs from Turtle Creek Construction over a 15 year period. Most projects were additions and remodeling jobs in the $3,000 to $100,000 range (usually 100 to 1000 square feet in size).

If your projects are usually smaller than that, you may want to adjust our 'stock' prices upwards. If your typical project is larger, then you may want to adjust them downwards slightly.

Similarly, if you do extremely 'high end' work, you'll need to adjust our unit prices upwards, and if you do tract housing or other quick work, prices should be adjusted downwards.

For further instructions on adjusting unit prices in the MacNail construction management software to match your own conditions, see the Calibrating Instructions for MacNail Estimating.