Benchmark Estimating User Guide
Defines use of various Tabs, Text Boxes and Buttons
Suggested Procedures to try
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1) Review this User Guide with many helpful hints
2) Click on the Takeoff button and start an Estimate
3) Click on Components Button and view the 2000+ components available
4) Click on the Assemblies Button and view the 600+ Assemblies available
5) Click on the Print Button and view the various Printout Reports
6) Create a new Assembly
7) Enter a Component
8) Enter an Assembly
9) View the Estimate printed reports available
10) Finalize estimate by adjusting markups and print
Initial Setup Screen is displayed on the
next slide
Initial Setup Screen
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Bullet points for Opening Setup Screen
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Takeoff Tab - Click this tab to Open Estimating form to add Components and Assemblies to
Estimate.
Summary Tab – Click this tab to view Summary of Estimate.
Tables Tab – Contains lists of Components, Assemblies and other pertinent information
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Settings Tab – Opens the form below where you can select different Data and Detail
Databases. You can have databases for different trades (Carpenter, Plumbing, HVAC etc.)
or import a database from other users. Also provides the options to price the Estimate
with 4 different Pricing Schemes provided. Competitive, NECA Competitive, NECA Normal
and NECA Difficult labor units.
Bullet points for Opening Setup Screen
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Print Tab – Forces a recalculation of the Estimate.
Exit Tab – Clicking this tab closes the Estimate Program.
New Button – Push this button to Generate or start a New Estimate.
Wage Group Drop Down box – Click on arrow to expand list of desired Labor Rates for this
estimate. Double Click on this Drop Down box to Add, Edit or Delete Labor Rates.
Estimate Selector – Click this item to view all the Estimates in this database.
Manpower Text Boxes – Enter the desired number of Tradesmen to match the intended
labor force for the project. The Labor Rate at the bottom will show the Total Labor Rate
for the blend of entries.
Mark-up Strategy Text Boxes – Enter the desired Markup Percentage separately for Labor
and Material and local Sales Tax rate.
Notes – This notepad area is useful for keeping notes regarding this estimate.
Show Estimates Drop Down Box – Click here to open all the Estimates saved in the system.
Once the list is opened, double click on any estimate to start that estimate.
Sell Price Text Box – This shows the totals value of the estimate based on the markup,
wage rates, etc. To force the estimate to compute to a specific price, enter a price in this
text box area and the whole estimate will be recomputed to match that price. It is a handy
feature where you can see what the resultant markup would be for a selected Sell Price.
Square Footage Text Box – Enter the square footage of the project to generate a Square
Foot Cost.
Takeoff or Estimating Screen is
displayed on the next slide
Takeoff or Estimating Screen
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Explanation of Bullet Points for the Takeoff Screen (Refer to Slide #3)
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Setup Button – Returns you back to the Setup Page
Pipe / Wire Button – Pushing this button opens the Pipe/Wire form below where you can
enter various Pipe Wire Combinations as an assembly to the estimate. After entering the
desired number of wires, this program determines the required Pipe Size.
Explanation of Bullet Points for the Takeoff Screen (Refer to Slide #3)
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Special Button – Push this button to enter an Estimate item that is not in the Database yet
Explode Button – Pushing this button opens the Assembly Builder form shown below,
where you can build an Assembly on the fly with the Components or Assemblies located
in the database.
Explanation of Bullet Points for the Takeoff Screen (Refer to Slide #3)
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Chains Button – Click this button to open this Chain Table Builder. Simply select
Components or Assemblies that should be included when the Estimate Item selected.
Example: Clicking on 75 KVA Transformer chains to the following items shown on the right
which will include appropriately sized whips, disconnects and fuses.
Explanation of Bullet Points for the Takeoff (Refer to Slide #3)
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Delete Button – Click this button to build Chain Tables that include Components or
Assemblies that should be included with the Estimate Item selected. Example: Clicking on
75 KVA Transformer chains to the following items shown on the right.
Print Button – See next Slide #14 that contains the various printouts available.
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Print Tab – Opens form where you can select any of these print outs
Explanation of Bullet Points on the Takeoff Screen (Refer to Slide #3)
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View Detail Button – Opens the current estimate into a spreadsheet view where
you can modify any of the enabled cells (the cells shown in black font.) A very
powerful feature in the program is the ability to change the Description of a
Pipe/Wire Assembly and force a recalculation based on the changes made.
Example: Change the description from ¾” PVC 2#12 2#10 ~3 @1 to 1” IMC
2#12 6#8 ~3 @1 and the system will automatically recalculate the feeder
based on using 1” IMC rather than ¾” PVC and figure the change in wire counts
from 2#10’s to 6#8’s.
a) This program treats the number after the ~ Tilde Symbol to be the
number runs (conduit between 2 connectors) in this feed or feeder.
b) The number after the @ Symbol is the difficulty multiplier. Use 1 for
normal installation difficulty, 1.5 for a difficult installation or 2 for a
very difficult installation. The difficulty number can be any number.
This number will be multiplied times the labor only, it does not affect
the material cost. Example: If the labor hours of a Pipe/Wire assembly
were 6 hours, changing the difficulty number after the @ sign from 1 to
1.5 would force the total hours to be 9 hours. It took the original labor
and increased it 1.5 times. See the example Spreadsheet view on the
next slide #16.
Screen shot of the Estimate after clicking on View Detail button
22. View Detail Button – Clicking this button opens up the Current Estimate in a Database form
where you have the ability to modify and of the enabled items shown in black. After a
modification the Estimate will automatically re-calculate the disabled cells in gray.
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Tables Button – Forces a recalculation of the Estimate.
Last Record Button – Push this button to Generate a New Estimate.
Units Form – Click on arrow to expand list of desired Labor Rates for this estimate. Double
Click on this Drop Down box to Add, Edit or Delete Labor Rates.
Calculator Button – Enter the desired number of Tradesmen to match the intended labor
force for the project. The Labor Rate at the bottom will show the Total Labor Rate for the
blend of entries.
Utilities Button – Enter the desired Markup Percentage separately for Labor and Material
and local Sales Tax rate.
Components Button – Clicking this button expands the various Components listed by
Category to choose from.
Left List Box – Shows the various Components or Assemblies to choose from
Assemblies Button - Clicking this button expands the various Assemblies listed by
Category to choose from.
Unit Prices Button– This shows the totals value of the estimate based on the markup,
wage rates, etc. To force the estimate to compute to a specific price, enter a price in this
text box area and the whole estimate will be recomputed to match that price. It is a handy
feature where you can see what the resultant markup would be for a selected Sell Price.
Right List Box – Shows the various Components or Assemblies entered for this estimate.