Mechanical Estimating Platinum overview

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The estimating program may be used to estimate residential, commercial or industrial projects. An Estimate Take Off is done using normal methods and entered into the estimate without adding totals first, or by using the optional take off probe.

The following is a summary describing some of the features of the Mechanical Estimating, HVAC Estimating and Plumbing Estimating software module. Should you have further questions, please contact our office through one of the available contact options.

• The AccountPro Mechanical Contractor Estimating Software module may be used as a standalone module or interfaced with the AccountPro Purchase Order and Job Costing modules.
• When used as a stand alone mechanical construction estimating software module, no other software or modules are required.
• The number of Estimates you may establish is unlimited as are the number of take off items you may place into each estimate.
• Distribution breakdown by job phase and sub phase of takeoff items within any estimate is unlimited and are all user definable.
• On screen estimate inquiries include pop-up window selection of estimates for viewing, editing and entry of takeoff items.
• To speed up entry of takeoff items into an estimate, user definable settings may be used to bypass fields not normally required at time of entry, such as, for example, drawing number or reference number.
• Control is maintained by the estimator over unit costs, labor units and factors.
• Quick changes may be made without the need to recalculate extensions, trade discounts, overhead, profit, bonding, etc.

Master Estimate

• Each estimate master contains the following details:
  • An estimate number of up to 12 alphanumeric characters
  • A description of the estimate
  • Location
  • Number of units, such as, for example, square feet, meters, suites, etc.
  • Unit description
  • Estimate type, such as, for example, commercial, residential, industrial, etc.
  • Construction Starting date
  • Scheduled Completion date
  • Client Name including:
    • Business phone number
    • Cellular number
    • Residence phone number
    • Fax number
  • Tender Due date
  • Estimator name
  • Architect
  • Engineer
  • Bond Required
  • Labor Units used in this estimate represent:
    • H = Hours
    • D = Dollars
  • Quoted amount
  • Contract details if estimate is accepted

Master Mechanical Cost Database

• The mechanical contractor estimating software package comes complete with a database of most commonly used items in the mechanical, plumbing and HVAC construction industry. Most of these items come complete with labor units for all 5 levels of installation difficulty.
• The database of cost items (also called Cost Codes) may be changed (including costs and labor units), or added to without limitation to the maximum number of items the database may contain. Takeoff items may consist of actual items to be used in the estimate, sub-contractor quotations, supplier quotations, etc.
• Takeoff Items in the master database may be:
  • Displayed in a pop-up window for editing or selection into an estimate.
  • Added to as required without limiting the number of items the database may hold.
  • Updated:
    • On an Item by Item bases.
    • Globally for each product within a Class.
    • From supplier or manufacturer supplied CSV or ASCII file (requires optional Import Data module).
    • Deleted if not required.

• Standard industry coding may be used to identify items or defined by the estimator. Each item may consist of:
  • An Item ID of up to 20 alphanumeric characters
  • A description to 45 characters
  • 3 costs per item (useful when pricing change orders)
  • 5 labor units per item allowing for various levels of installation difficulty
  • Separate conversion factors may be used on a per Item bases for cost and labor, to convert, for example, feet to meters, meters to feet, yards to meters, etc.. allowing for standard published costs and labor units to be used without having to convert to take-off units.
  • The factor may also be used as a waste factor, for example, use 1.05 to allow for a 5% waste.

Mechanical Takeoff

Takeoffs are entered into the estimate on a line by line bases. Each takeoff line (in addition to takeoff item, quantity, cost and labor details) can track additional details in the takeoff:

• Takeoff Line Number
• Change Order #
• Reference
• Job Phase ID
• Sub Phase ID
• Drawing #
• Detail # from Drawing
• Building
• Floor #
• Room #

• When printing or viewing a detailed takeoff report for the estimate, the report or view may be sorted by any of the above details making it easy to identify various sections of the takeoff either for corrections or verification of the takeoff.
• At time of entering takeoff items into an estimate, the estimator has a choice of using one of the cost columns 1, 2 or 3 as established in the Item Cost database, or override the cost for special, or quoted costs.
• When overriding established costs, the estimator has the option of entering a cost per unit, or total costs for the takeoff item and quantity entered.
• A special code may be used to indicate that the takeoff item(s) is supplied by others.
• For the labor component, the estimator has a choice of using one of the labor columns 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 as established in the Item Cost database, or override the cost for special, or quoted costs.
• When overriding established labor units, the estimator has the option of entering a labor unit for the takeoff quantity measure, or total labor for the takeoff item and quantity entered.
• A special code may be used to indicate that labor is supplied by others.

Distribution

• The estimate take-off may be broken down into as many divisions (job phases) and sub-divisions (job sub-phases) as the estimator defines. Divisions may represent trades, contracting out, sections of work, shop work, field work, supervision, or whatever the estimator defines. Divisions are pre-defined globally and do not have to be defined on an estimate by estimate bases. Once defined they are available to all estimates.

Overhead & Profit Margins

• Separate overhead and profit margins are maintained for each estimate, and each change order within an estimate.
• Different overhead and profit margins may be applied to:
  • Material
  • Sub-Trades
  • Rental
  • Other
  • Labor

Changes

• Changes to an estimate may be made at any time and as often as required. To keep track of changes to an estimate, the date and time of any changes made are recorded.

Supplier Discounts

• Supplier discounts are maintained by Class. Using discounts by class allows for maintenance of costs using standard supplier pricing for items in the item master database, eliminating the need to manually convert published pricing to net costs, and also allowing for quick and easy last minute changes to net costs just before submitting final tenders.

Mechanical Change Orders

• Change orders may be priced using regular trade pricing with or without discounts, or by using special discounts for change orders, all without changing the change order takeoff, or pricing in the master cost item database.
• Separate overhead and profit margins are maintained for each change order.
• Change orders may be printed in detail or in summary format with options to suppress the printing of unit costs, labor units, line totals, etc. Often breakdowns are required by the owner, architect or consultant and these option allow for varying degrees of detail to be printed based on what you wish to show, or not show, in the breakdown of the estimated change order.

Assemblies

• The Assemblies option may be used to create assemblies from any number of items (components) from the master item database. Entry of an assembly ID into the estimate will automatically place all of the required components into the estimate complete with pricing and labor units from the master takeoff item database.
• Cost levels may be predefined, for each of the components in the assembly, by one of 3 cost levels.
• Labor units may be predefined, for each of the components in the assembly, by one of 5 levels of installation difficulty.

Reports

• Numerous reports are available and may be printed with or without suppliers discounts or taxes and reprinted with a different supplier discount all without changing the estimate (important when printing out change orders).
• Detailed takeoff reports may be sorted by any of the takeoff details making it easy to identify various sections of the takeoff either for corrections or verification of the takeoff.

Bill of Material

• A bill of material may be printed with, or without estimated costs ready to fax to suppliers to obtain quotations. Great time saver when quotations are needed, either before or after tendering an estimate.
• Options available allow a bill of material to be broken down by:
  • Reference
  • Material Class
  • Drawing number
  • Division
  • Sub-division
  • Location
  • Change Order number

Audit Trail

• A comprehensive audit trail is maintained indicating details such as, for example, drawing number, reference, division, sub-division, takeoff sequence line number, date & time of takeoff entry, date and time takeoff sequence line number has changed, etc.

History

• Full detail is kept for each estimate for as long a period as the user wishes to keep an estimate on file.

Optional Modules and Interfacing with:

Job Costing module

• Estimates may be exported from the Mechanical Contractor Estimating Software module to the Job Costing module, allowing for analysis of Actual, Estimated & Committed (such as for example purchase orders) Costs and Labor Hours.

Import module

• Using the optional Import module, you can import customer, vendor and product lists from ASCII or CSV files.

Takeoff Probe

• Using an optional takeoff probe, such as for example, ScaleMaster II with PC interface kit, takeoff measurements maybe inserted directly into the AccountPro Estimating program.
• Scale Master II is a registered trademark of Calculated Industries.

Optional add-on modules:

Estimating add-on module

• The optional Estimating add-on module provides additional options complementary to the Estimating Platinum module.