What Customizing Can Do

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 features. It also has many features that allow you to customize your estimates.

How to Customize MacNail Estimates

MacNail Customizing includes several commands that let you create new estimators, and make changes to existing ones. Since every business has different needs, and different ways of doing the same thing, you'll be able to adjust MacNail's estimating format to be just what you want.

To create a completely new construction estimator, see page 29. You can start with a copy of an estimator you already have, or you can set up an 'outline' of cost categories and create a new estimator from the ground up.

To change the cost category system of a construction estimator you already have, see pages 34-43. The MacNail construction management software allows you to add, delete or rename any cost category or subcategory.

To change Specifications line items, see pages 44-63. You can add or delete line items, change any of the data in them, or change the way unit prices are calculated.

You can also use MacNail Customizing to add special formulas that show you labor person-hour figures, as well as dollar costs (see page 138). Finally, you can use the Remove Blank Specs command (see page 140) to remove blank rows from an estimating worksheet, and the Check Duplicates command to make sure you don't accidentally use the same code number more than once (see page 141).