Labor

Labor represents the workforce required to build each construction assembly — masons, carpenters, electricians, steelworkers, equipment operators, helpers, and other trades.

In Darwin, labor is defined in the Catalog and used inside modules to create predictable, reusable cost structures.
The recipe records how much work each unit requires; the Price List lets you review the rates the project will use on recalculation.

1. What Labor Represents

Each labor entry contains:

Trade name (e.g., Mason, Carpenter, Electrician)
Reference rate, unit, and currency
Description of the work and what the rate includes

Labor definitions do not store quantities.
Quantities are stored inside modules or calculated from project input.

2. Why Labor Matters

Labor is one of the most variable components in construction estimating.
Using structured labor definitions ensures:

Consistency

The same trade uses the same base assumptions across all modules.

Transparency

Users can see exactly which trades are involved in an assembly.

Adaptability

Labor rates change frequently — Darwin updates them through price lists.

Traceability

Revisions, audits, and team handoffs become easier when labor is standardized.

3. How Labor Works Inside Modules

Modules combine materials, labor, and expenses to represent how something is built.
The labor portion defines how many hours of each trade are needed per quantity of output.

For example, a Masonry Wall 20cm module might include:

0.25 hours of Mason
0.10 hours of Helper
0.05 hours of Plastering Labor

When mapped to the project (IFC or manual quantity):

Estimated quantity × labor hours × labor rate = Labor cost

The catalog holds a reference rate. The estimate uses its pinned price basis; Recalculate refreshes rates from the project’s current Price List or, if none is assigned, the catalog.

This creates a clean separation:

modules define logic
price lists define cost
estimations combine both

4. Creating a Labor Entry

To create a new labor definition:

Go to Catalog → Labor
Click New Labor
Enter:
- trade name
- description of the work and what the rate includes
- reference rate and currency
- unit from the standard selector, such as hour, day, or m²
Save the record
Set or update its hourly rate in the Price List

5. Editing Labor

You can edit:

trade names
descriptions
reference rate, currency, and unit

These changes apply across all modules that reference this trade.

For project rates, use Price Lists → Labor and recalculate an editable revision. Editing the shared catalog does not rewrite existing estimates’ stored rates.

6. Search Before Creating

Search by trade name and check unit and description before adding another record. The labor catalog has no separate category, crew-composition, or wage-burden field. Describe what the rate includes and keep productivity in recipe quantities.

7. Productivity and Notes

Darwin allows you to store productivity assumptions indirectly through module definitions.
If a trade requires special considerations, you may document them in:

labor entry description
module notes
project documents

Examples:

“Crew is assumed to work with scaffolding.”
“Productivity based on typical block installation speed.”
“Requires two helpers for every mason.”

Clear documentation helps teams stay aligned.

8. Best Practices

Use specific trade names

Prefer “Drywall Installer” over “General Labor.”

Distinguish reference and project rates

Check currency, unit, and what each rate includes. Review the project’s list before recalculating.

Reuse labor consistently across modules

Avoid duplicating labor trades unless absolutely needed.

Document assumptions

Especially for complex trades like formwork or rebar installation.

Review labor periodically

Rates and productivity often evolve with market conditions and team experience.

9. Next Steps

Continue exploring the Catalog:

➡️ Categories
➡️ Materials
➡️ Modules