Creating Estimates
The flexible Estimate Editor lets you quickly create estimates for both standard and specialized construction work. Smetter uses commercial rates only; standardized rates are not available. You can also build your own Materials and Labor Cost Libraries, create custom Assemblies, and reuse them when preparing estimates.
- Click the “+” icon in the left sidebar, create a new Project, and open a Work Package within that Project (1);
- Start preparing the estimate on the “Estimate Editor” tab (2);
- Add items to the estimate and enter their unit costs and markups. Smetter will calculate all other values automatically (3);
- Use the “Cost Library” module to build an estimate quickly from your saved rates or templates (4);
- You can also add an estimate item manually (5) using the “Add item” button at the top of the screen;
- An estimate can include costs for Materials, Labor, Equipment, and Transportation. Select the item type using the colored badge to the left of the item name (6);
- Drag a row up or down to change the order of items. To create an Assembly, drag the row to the right (п.7);
- You can edit markups and discounts for each Stage manually or using the Markup editor (8). You can also add VAT to the entire estimate. The tax will be included in the estimate total;
- To undo your last action, press “Ctrl + Z” or click the button in the upper-right corner of the screen;
- View the estimate calculation results in the summary table (9) in the upper-right corner of the screen. Markups are displayed as percentages and absolute amounts;
- You can create multiple Work Packages (estimates) within a single Project (10);
- You can import estimate data from Excel or another spreadsheet using the “Copy from table” feature;
- To add a comment to an item — for example, a product code or an attached specification —click the “Comment” icon next to the item name. Comments are visible to employees only, not to the Client;
- Fixing client rates. Use this setting if you need to change unit costs and markups without changing the rates agreed with the Client. Enable “Fix client rates” at the top of the screen. Changes to unit costs and markups will then leave the estimate total unchanged. This lets you adjust crew costs in an estimate that the Client has already approved;
- You can hide selected items and their costs from the Client. Group the items into an Assembly and select “Hide items in the assembly for the client” or “Hide quantity and prices of items in the assembly for the client”.
All data you enter is saved automatically; there is no separate Save button. You can stop working on an estimate at any time and return to edit it later without losing your changes.
Markups and discounts in an estimate
For greater flexibility, you can set markups and discounts separately for each Stage. This allows you to apply different rates to different types of Labor. For example, you can place Labor and Materials in separate Stages and apply a discount to Labor only.
In practice, Clients tend to respond better to a percentage markup shown separately for each Stage than to one overall markup at the end of the estimate.
You can also apply a markup or discount to the entire estimate. Click “Markups and discounts” at the end of the estimate and enter a percentage or amount. Smetter will automatically allocate it across the Stages and recalculate the total.
In client-facing documents, the markup applied to the entire Estimate is displayed separately at the end of each Stage. For example, if you apply a 6% markup to the entire Estimate, the Client will see it broken down by Stage rather than as a single total at the end of the document. This presentation makes the markup feel more manageable: instead of one large amount at the end of the Estimate, the Client sees smaller amounts for each Stage.
If a discount is applied to the entire Estimate, it is displayed as a separate line item in the totals section of client-facing documents and Work Completion Certificates, highlighting the savings the Client receives.
For more information on using markups and taxes effectively, see: How to Use Markups and Taxes Effectively?
Combining Labor and Materials into an Assembly
When an estimate item includes both works and materials, you can combine those items into a single Assembly. An Assembly can contain any number of resources. If you specify a unit of measure and quantity in the Assembly name, Smetter automatically calculates the total cost per unit for the entire Assembly.
Example:
Hidden Items and Progress Drivers
You can hide items within any Assembly from the Client, or hide both their quantities and prices. If items are hidden, we recommend setting one item as the Progress Driver so Smetter can track the progress of the Assembly correctly for the Client.
Example: Suppose turnkey brick wall construction costs $150 per cubic meter. This price includes subcontracted labor, bricks, mortar, scaffolding rental, sand, cement, and other resources. If you set the “Brick Wall Construction” trade item (marked as sub) as the Progress Driver for the Assembly, the Client’s reports, claims, and payment schedules will show progress as that specific work is completed.
For example, if you buy sand and bricks in August but do not start laying the walls, the August valuation will show zero progress for the brickwork. If you build 2 cubic meters of wall, the valuation will show 2 m³ × $150 = $300. The valued quantity reflects the completed cubic meters of finished wall.
In internal cost analysis, all costs breakdown within this Assembly continue to be recorded as usual as they arise.
Company Employee Access to Work Packages
When a new Work Package is created, not every employee in the company automatically receives access to it. This keeps employees from being distracted by draft Work Packages or those outside their area of responsibility.
For more information on collaboration with Work Packages, see “Collaborating on Work Packages”.
Other Ways to Create Estimates
In addition to the methods described above, Smetter offers the following options:
- To use an existing Work Package as a template, open the “Estimate Editor” tab and click “Copy work package”;
- To import estimate data from Excel or another spreadsheet, click “Data import” on the “Estimate Editor” tab and use “Copy from table” (see “Import”);
- You cannot move a Work Package from one Project to another. However, you can create a copy in the target Project and then delete the original Work Package;
- You can prepare an estimate using the “Cost Library”
- You can prepare an estimate using the “Assembly Library”
Result: less time spent preparing estimates, no need to set up formulas and dependencies, and no errors caused by missing formulas or incorrectly totaled cells.