Hand Sketches – A Podcast
One skill that, at a minimum, estimators and field personnel should have, is the ability to do hand sketches whether it be on paper or a tablet. Scott Jennings recently did a podcast on this subject where he covered good practices for hand sketches. Gone…
Key Indicators – Import File calculate Margin
The text file for download available here will calculate Margin (% Profit) four different ways. By balanced and actual bid. These Key Indicators are suggested as a starter for companies bidding public work where takeoff quantities will be inputted. If you import this file it…
Clearing out Master Estimate Audit Trail
I recommend leaving the Audit Trail on in the Master Estimate so changes in the Master can be logged and unintentional changes can be discovered. But for a new estimate, it is better to just start with a clean slate and not with an inherited…
Auto Number Biditems when Copying
When you copy from the same or another estimate and create new biditems, let HeavyBid auto-number the biditems for you. All you have to do is set the number for the first biditem and what increment you want. Good for when you want to copy…
Activity Codebook – the Core of HeavyBid
At its initial development, the Activity codebook was at its core. Everything was built around this codebook, and the Activity codebook was developed prior to the programming of the initial version of HeavyBid! I found a video on the HCSS Youtube site that is pretty…
Package Alternates
I had two requests the other day for more information on this feature in HeavyBid. Here is a summary of what it does. You have groups of biditems that HeavyBid calls “Packages,” and you want to control how Indirects spread to each one. A tab…
Entering a Sub’s Quote Total
Sometimes, a subcontractor will quote a total for their item or items. You don’t have to use your calculator (if you can find it) and calculate the unit price. Not too many releases ago HCSS added the feature, so you can just input the total,…
Accurate Estimation of PM/Super Costs
One of the challenges of moving PM and Superintendents out of G&A overhead to be charged to a project is how much time to charge in an estimate. I was at a customer’s office that had an elegant solution that I think for many companies…
Equipment Setup in HeavyBid
In my travels training estimators, there is a level of frustration with the rising labor, fuel, and material prices. But less than 30% of HeavyBid users have EOE broken out to a fuel burn per hour. If fuel usage is set up then it is…
Colors in Tree View
Most estimators spend a lot of time in the Tree View screen so take advantage of some of the customization you can do in the way of colors. One way is to add a color block to distinguish between resource types. An example is below:…
HeavyBid – Basics and Beyond is devoted to everything HCSS HeavyBid and estimating. Updated regularly with helpful insights and tools of the trade, this blog is designed to make your estimating easier and more successful.
