Capture Your First Module

Choose one job your team prices regularly: a wall, a slab, or a finish. Use a recent reviewed estimate to describe how your company builds one unit of that work. You decide which materials, labor, and assumptions belong in the module.

You do not need to move your whole estimating library to begin. Capture one assembly first, then work toward the ten or fifteen items you price most.

Before You Begin

• Ask your administrator or catalog owner to confirm the initial setup and your access to the catalog.
• Have the assembly’s description, output unit, material quantities, labor hours, and assumptions ready.
• Find its materials and labor trades in the catalog, or create the missing entries.
• Keep supplier quotes or Excel price sheets available for your Price List.

Existing estimate spreadsheets are not converted into modules as they are. Use them as a reference while you capture the recipe. When you are ready to bring many assemblies at once, fill in Darwin’s Excel template and import them; you review each one before it is saved. Excel import/export in a price list is for rates.

1. Define One Unit of Work

For a wall measured in m², the module describes the resources needed for one m². The estimate will supply the project’s wall quantity later.

For practice, a wall recipe might include:

Resource	Quantity per m² of wall
Blocks, measured in m²	1.05 m²
Mason	0.25 hours
Helper	0.10 hours

These are example coefficients, not recommended construction yields. Replace them with values your estimator has reviewed. Record what the recipe includes, its waste allowance, and any exclusions.

2. Save the Module

1. Open Catalog → Modules and choose New Module.
2. Enter a specific name, such as “Masonry Wall 20cm.”
3. Select its System and output Unit of Measure.
4. Add a description explaining the scope and assumptions.
5. Add the materials and labor with quantities per output unit.
6. Add any expenses. Check the charge basis: PerUnit scales with module quantity; PerModule charges once per occurrence. See Expenses.
7. Save, then reopen the module to review it.

Keep supplier rates in the price list. A price change should not require rewriting the resource quantities.

3. Review and Verify

Check units, quantities, labor hours, waste, expense charge basis, and scope. When the definition is ready, choose Verify in the saved module’s editor.

The catalog’s checkmark identifies a verified module. Saving alone does not verify it. An edit removes verification, so review and verify the changed definition again.

You can also start by cloning or merging existing modules, or by correcting a Module Copilot draft when it is available. Each route still needs your review.

4. Prepare the Prices

Open or create the price list your team will use. Enter the relevant material, labor, and expense rates, or use its Excel import/export controls for a larger update.

Check each item’s unit, currency, quote date, and source before relying on it. Imported rates and AI suggestions still need review. See Price Lists.

Ready for a Project?

You should now have:

• a saved, reviewed module with a clear output unit;
• resource quantities and assumptions another estimator can understand;
• a price list with reviewed rates for the items you will use;
• the reviewer and approver roles needed for your project.

Add other recurring assemblies as you need them. Keep a short list of the first ten or fifteen, who will review each one, and what information is missing.

➡️ Your First Project