Estimate Extra Maintenance

Owned by Adrian Matlack (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Oct 12, 2016
7 min read

Overview

Estimate extras are a way to add costs and labor to a line item in an estimate. To open the Estimate Extra Maintenance screen select the menu option Maintenance > Labor Maintenance > Estimate Extras. Use this screen to add or edit the estimate extras.

Estimate Extra Maintenance

When viewing the window, the list of estimate extras appears to the left side, with the data entry on the right.  There are command buttons across the bottom of the window.   Click on the tabs at the top right to change the window view, allowing for data entry for that specific selected option.


  • New - To get started, click the ‘New’ button at the bottom left corner of the window.  Enter a new Code and Destription to identify your new estimate extra. Enter any desired cost or labor entries under the tabs to the right and click the ‘Add’ button when finished.
  • New - Carry Over - Use the ‘New - Carry Over’ option to copy existing data into a new estimate extra.  First, click to highlight an estimate extra in the list and then click the ‘New-Carry Over’ button.  The fields for Code and Description are cleared but all of the cost and labor entries remain. Enter a new code and description, adjust any other settings, and click the ‘Add’ button when finished.
  • Add/Save - When completed with data entry for an estimate extra, click the ‘Add’ (if adding a new estimate extra) or 'Save' (if updating an existing estimate extra) button to save the changes.
  • Delete - Click to highlight an extra estimate item, and then click the ‘Delete’ button.  The item and all costs and labor will be deleted.  Note that an estimate extra cannot be deleted if it is currently in use by one or more estimate items.

There are six different options that can be added to an estimate extra:

  • Cost
  • Labor
  • Additional Operations
  • Labor Code Operations
  • Labor Code Formulas
  • Child Estimate Extras

The tabs include a number in parenthesis, indicating the number of entries in that area allowing you to see at a glance what is included in the selected estimate extra.

Cost

The Cost area represents additional material cost that will be added to the item.  The cost can be set at either a specific value or with an expression, using properties of the item that the estimate extra is being applied to in order to compute the cost.

Cost Value

Click the Cost Value radio button to add a cost.  When adding a cost, there is a list of cost units which may be applied.  Right click in the cost field to change the cost units.  For example, select a unit for Cost/Item to add a price per item at the estimate.

Cost Expression

Click the Cost Expression radio button to add the cost as the result of an expression, then click the ‘Formula’ button to the right to open the ‘Formula’ window.

Enter the cost expression into the formula window.  The 'Standard Variable' drop-down box contains the various properties that can be used to calculate the cost.  To use a variable select it in this list and click the 'Add Variable' button.

A number of mathematical functions are available, including the ability to use if-then-else expressions.  For example, if you wanted the estimate extra to apply a cost of $100 if the length is less then or equal to 40' and $150 if the length is greater than 40' then the expression would be:

IF [Length] <= 40' THEN 100 ELSE 150 ENDIF

Labor

Any number of labor entries can be added, each one specifying a labor group and either a specific labor value or an expression to calculate the labor.

  • Labor Group - Select the labor group that the labor should be associated with.
  • Man Hours Value - Click the Man Hours Value radio button to add a specific amount of labor to the estimate extra. Right click in the box to change the units to be used.
  • Man Hours Expression - Click the Man Hours Expression radio button to add the labor as a result of an expression, then click the 'Formula' button to the right to open the 'Formula' window and set the expression.

  • New Labor - Click the ‘New Labor’ button to begin adding a labor entry.
  • Add/Save Labor - When completed with the labor entry, click the ‘Add Labor’ (if adding a new labor entry) or 'Save' (if updating an existing labor entry) button to save the changes.
  • Delete Labor - Click to highlight a labor item in the list, and then click the ‘Delete Labor’ button to delete it.

Additional Operations

Additional burn, drill, punch, and weld operations can be added to the estimate extra.  Expressions can be used to set the quantity, operation type, thickness, and length.


In the following example an additional operation has been added to the estimate extra.  This operation will add a Butt Weld (SEMI) operation.  The weld thickness will be the thickness of the material, and the weld length will be the length of the material.

  • New Operation - Click the ‘New Operation’ button to begin adding an additional operation entry.
  • Add/Save Operation - When completed with the additional operation entry, click the ‘Add Operation’ (if adding a new additional operation entry) or 'Save Operation' (if updating an existing additional operation entry) button to save the changes.
  • Delete Operation - Click to highlight an operation in the list, and then click the ‘Delete Operation’ button to delete it.

Labor Code Operations

Labor code operations can be added to the estimate extra.  These are the same operations that are used by the Labor Codes.


Select the material group, the operation, and the quantity to add to the estimate extra.  The quantity can be set with an expression.  If the material group of the operation does not match the material group of the item that the code is applied to then it will be ignored.

          

  • New Operation - Click the ‘New Operation’ button to begin adding a labor code operation entry.
  • Add/Save Operation - When completed with the labor code operation entry, click the ‘Add Operation’ (if adding a new labor code operation entry) or 'Save Operation' (if updating an existing labor code operation entry) button to save the changes.
  • Delete Operation - Click to highlight an operation in the list, and then click the ‘Delete Operation’ button to delete it.

Labor Code Formulas

Labor code formulas can be added to the estimate extra.  These are the same formulas that are used by the Labor Codes.


Select the formula, and the quantity to add to the estimate extra.  The quantity can be set with an expression.

  • New Formula - Click the ‘New Formula’ button to begin adding a labor code formula entry.
  • Add/Save Formula - When completed with the labor code formula entry, click the ‘Add Formula’ (if adding a new labor code formula entry) or 'Save Formula' (if updating an existing labor code formula entry) button to save the changes.
  • Delete Formula - Click to highlight a formula in the list, and then click the ‘Delete Formula’ button to delete it.

Child Estimate Extras

A child estimate extra represents another estimate extra that is to be included along with the current one, which is considered the parent estimate extra.  It allows the estimate extras to be organized in a hierarchy, with low-level codes representing individual operations and higher-level codes representing common combination of those low-level codes.  So if you have two operations that can occur separately on an item but often occur together, then estimate extras can be created for those two operations as well as a third estimate extra that will include them as child estimate extras.  The first two estimate extras can be used when those operations occur on their own, but when they occur together then the third estimate extra can be used on the line item to simplify that selection.


Choose any other estimate extra extra as well as the quantity, which can be set with an expression.

  • New Child Extra - Click the ‘New Child Extra’ button to begin adding a child estimate extra entry.
  • Add/Save Child Extra - When completed with the child estimate extra entry, click the ‘Add Child Extra’ (if adding a new child estimate extra entry) or 'Save Child Extra' (if updating an existing child estimate extra entry) button to save the changes.
  • Delete Child Extra - Click to highlight a child estimate extra in the list, and then click the ‘Delete Child Extra’ button to delete it.