Storing Unit Costs in the Price Master

NOTE-- MacNail estimating was retired in 2000, and replaced with Goldenseal construction estimating software. There are still die-hard MacNail users, so we keep the manuals online for them! Goldenseal also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing features. It doesn't need a Price Master file, since it can update estimates automatically based on prices stored in construction Cost Items.

Method 3-- Using the MacNail Price Master

Once you have created several estimators, you may wish to have a 'central storage file' for unit prices. The MacNail Price Master will do that for you. It stores unit price information about each Specifications line item, and also keeps track of other information about each unit price.

To use a single Price Master, choose Customizing Options from the Options menu, and turn on Just one Price Master. The MacNail Price Master will be used as your 'central storage file' for all your unit prices.

Adding items to the 'Price Book'

You can type new line items directly into the MacNail Price Master, and then move them to some or all of your estimators with the Move Prices command. You can also add new line items to any of your estimates or estimators, and then move them to the MacNail Price Master with the Move Prices command. In either case, you can move all prices, or to save time, you can 'flag' just those items that have been changed recently, and move only them.

Using a MacNail Price Master makes it possible for you to have a very large 'stock' price book, so you'll have many additional items available when you need them. Your estimators can then store just those items that you use frequently, and you can use the Move Prices command to add more unusual items just when you need them for a particular project that you are estimating in the MacNail construction management software.

See pages 107-112 for more on the creation of new unit price items in your 'price book'.

Adjusting Prices in the 'Price Book'

You can adjust prices directly in the MacNail Price Master, and then use Move Prices to get the new prices into your estimators.

You can also make the changes in an estimate or estimator, and then use the Move Prices command to make the same adjustment in your MacNail Price Master. If you do that, you should 'flag' the changed items and use Move Prices just on the flagged items, so you don't accidentally replace the prices in the MacNail Price Master with older prices from the estimating worksheet.

To change material unit prices, either type in a material cost-per-unit, or create a material assembly formula (see page 117-120) and update prices in the Price Master from supplier price sheets, using the Update Material Prices command (see page 104).

By using the MacNail Price Master, you can also adjust your 'price book' based on the experience you've had on your past projects. Once you've used MacNail Accounting to track job costs on one or more projects, use the Feedback Job Costs command to apply them to the MacNail Price Master (see pages 124-135). After you've done that, use Move Prices to get the new prices into your estimators.