Making a New Construction Estimator

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 lets you create new construction estimating templates, very easily.

New Construction Estimators

The MacNail construction estimating software comes with several 'stock' estimators. If they don't meet your needs exactly, you can use MacNail Customizing to create new estimators. To do so, choose New Estimator from the File menu.

Choose From another Estimator (or From this File if the active document is an estimate or estimator) to save a copy of an existing construction estimating worksheet under a new name. You can then modify the duplicate copy without affecting the original (see next page).

Choose From a Category Sheet to create an entirely new construction estimator (see page 31). The Fixed Costs, Dimensions and formats for the new estimator will come from an Estimator Blank. The category system will come from a Category Sheet, and the price book will come from another estimating worksheet, a Price Master, or from numbers that you type in directly.

NOTE: You may make full and legal use of new customized Estimators within your own business. However, you may not distribute them to any outside parties without our express written permission. See page 19 for more on the legal aspects of Customized files.