Estimating Glossary

NOTE-- In 2000 we completely replaced MacNail with the newer Goldenseal construction estimating software. There are still die-hard MacNail users, so we keep the manuals online for their use! Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, job costing and contract writing features. There are answers to many Goldenseal questions on our website.

Estimating Glossary S to Z

Supervision: The part of the supervision cost of a project that can't be assigned to any other project.

System: The program that makes the Macintosh work, so it can run software programs like the MacNail construction estimating software.

Take-off: A list of material items that will be used on a project.

Template: A worksheet that has already been set up for some specialized task.

Unit prices: The cost of a construction item per unit (for example, per square foot or per foot of length).

Unit Quantities: see Units used.

Unit prices: Material unit price is the cost of all materials per unit for that line item (units column is column B). Labor unit price is the amount of time a skilled or unskilled worker will spend per unit of that line item.

Units Used: The number of units that will actually be used in a project.

Version: Software developers assign version numbers to their products. Generally it is better to have the latest version (the greatest number) unless more recent versions take up too much space, then you need to use an older (smaller) version.

What-if: A way of testing out possibilities. For example, estimating the cost of vinyl flooring in the bathroom to see how much less expensive it will be than tile.

Window: When you open any program (or double click on a disk or folder icon to open it) it is displayed within a window. Windows use the metaphor of pieces of paper on your desk (see Desktop).

Worksheet: Excel creates three different kinds of documents: worksheets, macros, and charts. Each one has a different icon.

Zoom Box: You can open any of the windows to full screen size by clicking in the zoom box (to the right of the window title). Click a second time in the zoom box to return it to its original size. A special note to users of Excel 1.0: The first version of Excel does not have a zoom box! In order to change the size of windows, you'll have to use the size box at the BOTTOM RIGHT corner.