Adjusting Material Costs

How do I enter adjust material costs for a hurricane, big city, island, distant location, or other special conditions?

The Assemblies included in Goldenseal construction estimating software are designed for "average" conditions. However, sometimes you'll get non-average jobs that will affect the price of the materials needed to do the work.

When Will You Need to Adjust Materials?

You may need to adjust the material costs in an estimate in any of the following situations:

• It's a rush job, and you will waste more materials than usual.
• It's a distant job or a a job in a big city, and materials will be more expensive because of higher delivery costs.
• The job uses exotic materials that cost more than usual, and that may result in higher material waste.
• There has been a widespread storm, hurricane, earthquake or other catastrophe, and you expect that material prices will rise before you can start work.

How to Make a Material Adjustment

To make a quick percentage adjustment of all material costs on a job, follow these steps:

1. Choose Estimates from the Income menu.
2. Locate the Estimate you are working on.
3. Click in the breakdown table, at the place where you'd like to add the adjustment.
4. Choose Table from the Edit menu, and choose Insert Row from the submenu.
5. Enter Percent of Materials into the Cost Area column.
6. Type an explanation for the cost in the Cost Item column.
7. Type a percentage into the Quantity column.

HINT-- if there has just been an earthquake or hurricane, you'll only need to make an adjustment if prices have not yet changed, but you anticipate that they will. Once prices have actually changed, you can update the material prices, and then make estimates without any adjustments.

To add a line item for a specific extra material costs that you anticipate needing, follow these steps:

1. Choose Estimates from the Income menu.
2. Locate the Estimate you are working on.
3. Click in the breakdown table, at the place where you'd like to add the adjustment.
4. Choose Table from the Edit menu, and choose Insert Row from the submenu.
5. Enter Materials into the Cost Area column.
6. Enter a specific material Cost Item into the Cost Item column.
7. Type the amount of that material that you'll need into the Quantity column.

To add a line item for extra material costs that you anticipate, follow these steps:

1. Choose Estimates from the Income menu.
2. Locate the Estimate you are working on.
3. Click in the breakdown table, at the place where you'd like to add the adjustment.
4. Choose Table from the Edit menu, and choose Insert Row from the submenu.
5. Enter Material Unlisted into the Cost Area column.
6. Type an explanation for the cost in the Cost Item column.
7. Type the extra material cost into the Quantity column.

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