Construction Specifications

NOTE-- We replaced MacNail construction software with Goldenseal, in 2000. The MacNail manuals are still online, as a courtesy to folks who still use it. Goldenseal is a complete software package for Macintosh and Windows, which includes construction spec writing, accounting, construction estimating, and project management, Goldenseal also uses contract headers and footers, which are type-in fields available in each Contract record.

Working with Headers and Footers

The MacNail construction management software comes with several sample text documents which include language relating to payment terms, liability and other legal issues. You can add this text to any construction contract or subcontract as either a header (at the beginning of the contract) or a footer (at the end of the contract).

You can include as many different header and footer files as you want in each contract document. You can also create new header and footer files that include your own legal language.

Creating a New Header or Footer

You may want to create new header or footer files for different types of project in the MacNail project management software. The file can include all the legal language needed for an entire contract, or it can include just a few clauses that you'll use along with other headers or footers.

To create a new header or footer file, follow these steps:

1. Open your favorite word processing program.
HINT: If you don't own a word processor, use TeachText, which is provided with your Macintosh, or NotePad, which is provided with Windows.
2. Choose New from the File menu.
3. Write the text to be included in the header or footer.
4. Choose Save As from the File menu.
5. Type in a name for the file (see the next section).
6. If necessary, move to the Headers & Footers folder inside the Spec Writer folder (see page 57).
7. Save the file in text format (see page 101).