Creating New Construction Estimators

To create a new estimator from a Category Sheet, choose New Estimator from the File menu, type in a file name, click on From a Category Sheet, then click OK. If a Category Sheet is the active document (in front), you can also click on From This File, then click OK.

Unless you are using 'this file', you'll first be asked to choose a Category Sheet to use as a source-- select one from the list of Category Sheets, then click OK.

You'll next be asked to choose an Estimator Blank-- select one, then click OK.

The MacNail construction management software will open the Estimator Blank, fill it with the cost categories from the Category Sheet, and then save it as a new file. The new estimator will be in the form of an empty 'shell' with blank lines in Specifications, ready to be filled with unit prices.

Moving Prices into a New Estimator

Use the Move Prices command to fill a blank estimator with actual construction unit prices from another estimating file or from a Price Master (see page 93).

If the new estimator uses the same cost category system as the source estimator or Price Master, you won't have to do any advance preparation before moving the cost items.

If you are creating a completely new cost category system, you'll first have to 'link' the new and old cost categories in the Category Code Master. This file 'maps' the relationship between category systems, so new unit prices can be put into the correct cost categories (see pages 151-152).