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Here is all the information you need for estimating and bidding construction and home improvement projects. Explains what you need for a career as a construction estimator, how to construct a take-off from the plans, how to check the details of an estimate, prepare a schedule, deal with subs, and calculate project overhead and profit. Also covers how to estimate remodeling work for typical remove and replace jobs, and include markup for remodeling work. Explains how to profit from estimating commercial work.

Includes the National Estimator stand-alone estimating program with a 50,000 item database for residential, commercial, and home improvement work. A video tutorial, and a program that lets you export completed estimates into QuickBooks Pro for job costing, or progressive billing. Other Craftsman databases are compatible and available by download on the Web.

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Contains the database of the National Construction Estimator and the National Home Improvement Estimator.

Estimating & Bidding for Builders & Remodelers Includes the National Home Estimator disk.

Guaranteed to improve your estimating skill and bidding results: What to look for in the plans. How to scope out the last 5% of job costs. Immunize yourself against common estimating mistakes. Includes over 1,100 pages of current labor and material costs for both new construction and home improvement jobs – covering every trade and the most common specialties. Two of Craftsman’s most popular residential cost guides are on the disk: National Construction Estimator and National Home Improvement Estimator.

Use your mouse to copy and paste cost estimates from the costbook to your electronic estimating form. Costs are extended and columns totaled automatically.

40 estimating forms are on the disk. Open any of these forms with your favorite word processing or spreadsheet program.

It’s quick and flexible. Change any price or description in your estimate. Enter the five-digit zip code to adjust costs to your community.

Then print your estimate directly or export it to nearly any word processing or spreadsheet program running under Windows.

More ways to work faster and easier. Copy costs from one estimate to another. Open both databases at once and use costs from each in a single estimate.

Get help from an expert Free phone support is available 8 AM to 5 PM (Pacific), Monday through Friday. Call 760-438-7828.

Cut learning time in half! Let the Show Me video on the disk teach you how to use the National Estimator program.

Job Cost Wizard Exports estimates to either QuickBooks Pro or QuickBooks Premier® where you can track actual costs against estimated cost. Requires Windows 98 or higher.

Open both new construction and home improvement estimating costbooks. Then copy anything from either costbook to your estimate. Cut and paste from one estimate to another. Then adjust the costs to your zip area and print the estimate. Remodeling magazine recommends National Estimator and calls it an easy-to-use “estimating wiz.” You’re going to agree.

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The National Estimator System Requirements:

• PC with 300 megahertz or higher Intel (or equivalent) processor recommended; 233 MHz minimum required.
• Operating Systems: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME or Windows 98SE. Requires up to 160 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space.
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor. CD-ROM or DVD drive.
• Keyboard and Mouse or compatible pointing device.

For Internet access:

• DSL or Cable recommended; 56 kilobits per second (Kbps) or higher-speed modem minimum.
• ShowMe Tutorial System Requirements: 1024 x 768 or higher video resolution required.
• To listen to video tutorial - Sound card and speakers or headphones.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
 Get Started Right, 5
   Sink or Swim in Construction Contracting, 6
   The Detailed Cost Estimate, 7
   Estimating as a Career, 8
   Typical Estimator Profile, 10
   Shortcomings of an Estimating Career, 12
   Rewards, 12
   Decision Making, 16
Chapter 2
 Planning your Estimate, 17
   It All Starts With a Plan, 17
   Custom-made Markup, 18
   The Long-term Plan, 21
Chapter, 3
 Getting Ready to Estimate 29
   It All Starts With Plans, 29
   The Plan Package, 32
   Examine the Site, 36
   The Cost Data File, 36
   Doing the Take-off, 38
   Compiling an Estimate, 39
   Checking Estimates, 47
Chapter 4
 The Estimating Process, 51
   Detailed Estimating Steps, 51
   A Sample Take-off, 63
   The Detailed Estimate Advantage, 88
Chapter 5
 Estimating Repair & Remodeling Work, 89
   Limiting the Scope of Your Bid, 90
   Protecting Yourself, 91
   A Sample Remodeling Estimate, 93
   The Estimating Process, 96
   Putting it All Together, 111
   Checking the Estimate, 117
   Preparing the Bid, 117
   Closing the Sale, 120
Chapter 6
 Estimating Commercial Work, 125
   The Commercial Estimate, 126
   Follow a Plan, 128
   Start the Take-off, 129
   The Take-off Form, 131
   How to Take off Quantities, 132
   Applying Unit Costs, 146
Chapter 7
 Pricing With a Computer 153
   What's on the National Home Estimator Disk, 154
   Installing National Home Estimator, 155
   Using National Estimator, 156
   Opening the Costbooks, 157
   Your First Estimate, 158
   Splitting the Screen, 159
   Copying Costs to Your Estimate, 160
   Changing Wage Rates or Costs, 163
   Adding Tax, Overhead and Profit, 166
   Printing and Saving Your Estimate, 167
   Converting Estimates With Job Cost Wizard, 168
   Amount of Detail on Invoices, 170
   QuickBooks Account Names, 171
   Exporting an Estimate to QuickBooks, 173
   Turn an Estimate into an Invoice, 175
   Your Jobs in QuickBooks, 176
Chapter 8
 Cost Recording, 177
   Why Keep Cost Records? 178
   Essentials of a Cost System, 179
   Cost Records Check Current Jobs, 182
   Classifying Labor Costs, 182
   Using Cost Data, 187
Chapter 9
 Planning Overhead, 191
   Start With Last Year, 192
   The Annual Budget, 196
   My Budget for AEI Builders, 200
   The Preliminary Budget Bottom Line, 208
   Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail, 213
Chapter 10
 Estimating Overhead & Profit, 215
   Your Normal Markup, 216
   The Right Markup for Your Estimates, 218
   But Will We Make More Money? 222
   Develop a Profit Curve, 222
   Your Own Best Profit Range, 227
Chapter 11
 Smart Bidding, 229
   Adjustment for Risk, 229
   Asset Utilization Adjustments, 240
   Identify Under-utilization, 242
   Project Adjustments, 248
   What Is the Net Effect? 251
Chapter 12
 Pricing Strategies, 253
   Learn About Your Competition, 255
   Graph Your Competition, 260
   Let’s Wrap This Up, 264
Index, 265