Storing Unit Costs in Multiple Estimators

NOTE-- MacNail estimating was retired in 2000, and replaced with Goldenseal construction estimating software. There are still die-hard MacNail users, so we keep the manuals online for them! Goldenseal also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing features. It has a much simpler system of managing unit prices, than MacNail.

Method 2-- Using Several Estimators

If you estimate different kinds of work with the MacNail construction estimating software, you may want to have more than one estimator, each designed for a different 'style' of construction. For example, you might want to have 'high end' and 'low end' estimators, each with different unit prices suited for different qualities of work.

Adding items to the 'Price Book'

To add items to your 'price book', open one of the estimators, select a row or rows in Specifications under the cost category where you'd like to add them, then choose Add Rows Here from the Edit menu. Then type in unit price information about the new line item (see pages 49-50).

If you'd like to use the new item in more than one estimator, 'flag' the item by giving it a negative code number (see page 207). You can then use the Move Prices command to send all of the flagged items to one or more other estimators.

To remove items from your 'price book', select the row or rows you'd like to remove from any estimator, then choose Delete Rows (to remove the rows entirely) or Clear Rows (to erase the rows) from the Edit menu.

Adjusting Prices in the 'Price Book'

To change labor prices in your 'price book', open any estimator, scroll to the desired Specifications line item, and type a new number into the skilled or unskilled labor unit price column (see page 163).

To include the same change in other estimators in the MacNail construction management software, first choose Flag Items from the Formula menu to 'flag' the item with a negative code number. Once you've made all desired changes, use the Move Prices command to send all of the flagged items to one or more other estimators (see pages 93-97 and 221-223).

To change material unit prices, you can type in a material cost-per-unit, or create a material assembly formula (see pages 117-120), and then flag the items and use Move Prices to shift them to other estimators. You can also update material prices in all of your estimators from supplier price sheets with the Update Material Prices command (see pages 98-105).