Read an Estimate Summary
Summary shows how one revision’s saved quantities, prices, and decisions add up. Open it from the project’s Estimations list; it is the first tab of the Estimation Workspace. Use Edit to return to Details when quantities or margins need changing.
Read the Three Headline Amounts
Section titled “Read the Three Headline Amounts”| Amount | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Base cost | Calculated cost before commercial margin |
| Applied margin | Sell price minus base cost; planned margin, not realized profit |
| Sell price | Commercial total after margins |
For base cost 100 and sell price 125, applied margin is 25. That is 25% markup on cost and 20% margin on price. The average of configured percentages is not necessarily either effective percentage.
Direct and indirect totals break down base cost. Material, labor, and expense totals break it down another way: do not add the two sets together. Disclosed tax and handling are already included in material cost. Distance is an input to transport calculations, not another monetary amount to add.
Choose a View and Drill Down
Section titled “Choose a View and Drill Down”| View by | What you can inspect |
|---|---|
| Section | Owner, cost, share, and effective percentages. Expand modules, composites, and standalone resources into their breakdown |
| System | Distribution and resources by construction system |
| Cost Type | Materials, labor, and expenses across the estimate |
The selected view changes the detail and chart. It does not move lines, change margins, or change the Cost Control grouping chosen at approval. Negative or unusual margin alerts indicate what to inspect; they are not rejection decisions.
Current limitation: the System chart omits some standalone-direct resources. Reconcile using headline totals and section/resource detail rather than treating its percentages as a complete breakdown.
Inspect Quantities and Fixed Costs
Section titled “Inspect Quantities and Fixed Costs”When compatible 2D QTO evidence is available, QTO Source groups contributions by session and shows drawing/page, quantity, unit, calibration, and method. Inspect auto-count and uncalibrated measurements. An absent card does not prove there is no evidence: also check each line’s sources, including IFC.
An effective rate can change when a fixed cost is spread across more units. With variable cost 10 per unit and fixed cost 100, ten units cost 200 and twenty cost 300. The effective rate falls from 20 to 15 without a supplier price change. Open the Effective breakdown in Details to check it.
Check the Basis Before Deciding
Section titled “Check the Basis Before Deciding”- Confirm the revision and state: a superseded approved revision preserves history but is not the active baseline.
- Inspect the Price List used and calculation date. A different current list or recalculation warning needs attention.
- Check currency and exchange rates. Draft summaries read current project rates: retaining unit prices does not guarantee a frozen converted total after rate edits. The project’s Exchange Rates tab is for inspection; edit or refresh in Price Review and inspect the result.
- Check quantities, margin overrides, and differences from another revision.
Material/labor reports labeled Client are report downloads. They do not finalize or issue a commercial proposal. Continue in the Estimation Workspace for reports, requests, and the approval path.