I have found estimators using the “ESTMAST” as their company’s master estimate. True its name is “Blank Master Estimate” but best practice is not to use this estimate for your company’s master estimate. Two reasons. First you might want “blank out” a setup like labor and you need a blank estimate to copy a data file into your current estimate (Note a blank estimate also exists in the Utility folder but you must first restore the estimate). It is just handy to have around a complete blank estimate to create a quick estimate to test how HeavyBid is performing certain calculations or to create a simple change order estimate. Second there is a remote chance that someone could accidentally overwrite your ESTMAST with the blank ESTMAST that HCSS ships with the install. Remote but it is not worth taking a chance. A better name for a Master Estimate is to begin the first two characters with the current year and then your company name. For example 15MEIMAST is unique name that has a much less of a chance of being overwritten from an outside source with the same file name.

Summary: This is a very easy way to reducing your risk of having your master estimate overwritten.