Instructions

Quick Start

1. Admin → Settings: Set company identity and estimator defaults (labor rate, overhead %, target margin, tax rules).
2. Libraries: Verify Materials (name, unit, cost ea, labor unit), DJE (permits, rentals, fees), Assemblies (common bundles), and Customers. Add anything missing.
3. Estimates → New Estimate: Enter project details and select the customer.
4. Estimator: Add items (materials or assemblies), enter quantities, apply labor‑unit adjustments where conditions require (height, access, schedule), and add DJE. Then review Summary.
5. Save, confirm totals, and Export (PDF or CSV).

Recommended Workflow

1. Set your defaults. In Settings, confirm labor rate, overhead, margin, and tax before you start.
2. Verify your libraries. Check Materials, DJE, and Assemblies for completeness and current pricing.
3. Build the estimate. Add line items, enter quantities, and apply labor adjustments that match field conditions.
4. Review your numbers. Use Summary to verify labor hours, DJE, overhead, and margin before pricing.
5. Save and export. Lock in the final version and produce a polished PDF or CSV for delivery.

Libraries (Materials / DJE / Customers)

• Materials. Define each item’s name, Unit (1 / 100 / 1000), Cost ea, and Labor Unit (hrs per unit). Keep descriptions short and searchable. Use the unit that matches how the item is counted or ordered.
• DJE (Direct Job Expense). Non-material costs such as permits, rentals, delivery, disposal, or travel. Use consistent names and enter cost or labor where applicable.
• Assemblies. Reusable unit prices built from specific materials. Labor and cost are calculated from the parts included—no separate entry required. Use assemblies to speed repeat work and keep pricing consistent.
• Customers. Store company, contact, and address details once, then select them when creating or exporting estimates.

Estimator

• Row anatomy (Materials & Assemblies):
  • Notes — short scope/assumptions for this line.
  • Material Type (DB-driven) → Description fills from the library.
  • Qty (number) and Labor Adj (×0.25, ×0.5, ×1, ×1.5, ×2).
  • Cost ea (read-only) → Material Ext = Qty × Cost ea.
  • Labor Unit (read-only) → Labor Hrs = Qty × Labor Unit.
  • Unit — 1 / 100 / 1000 (matches how the item is counted or ordered).
• Assemblies: Add one line for the assembly; labor and cost are calculated from the included parts. No separate labor entry.
• DJE: Add non-material job expenses (permits, rentals, delivery, disposal, travel). These roll up on Summary.
• Totals: “Mat Total” and “Total Hrs” update live in the header.

Summary

The Summary page rolls up your estimate into one place:

• Materials — item costs and totals.
• Labor — total hours (including adjustments) × your labor rate.
• DJE — job-specific, non-material expenses (e.g., permits, rentals, delivery, disposal, travel).
• Overhead, Margin/Markup, and Tax — applied per Settings and estimate-level choices.

What you can do here

• Sanity-check totals for labor hours, materials, and DJE before pricing.
• Adjust permitted fields (e.g., target margin) and review the effect on sell price.
• Set taxable flags for materials and/or DJE as required by the job.
• Confirm customer and project details are correct for exports.

Customers

Store client details once, then reuse them whenever you create or export an estimate.

• Select an existing customer when you start a new estimate.
• Add or update customers on the Customers page (company, primary contact, email/phone, address).
• Use one record per client and consistent naming to keep searches and exports clean.

Settings

Settings control what new estimates start with. Update them here to keep numbers consistent across jobs.

• Company identity: Company name, address, and primary contact. Appears on exports and client-facing outputs.
• Estimator defaults: Labor rate, overhead %, target margin (or markup), and tax behavior.
• Taxable defaults: Choose whether Materials are taxable by default; you can change this per estimate.

Saving & Loading

• Save — Writes the current numbers, notes, and selections. Exports always use the last saved state.
• Open — Load a saved estimate from Estimates → List to continue where you left off.
• Clone — Make a copy for alternates or revisions without touching the original (e.g., “Bid A”, “Bid B”).
• Delete — Remove a test/stale estimate from the list. This action can’t be undone.

Exporting

• PDF: Summary export showing project details, materials, labor, DJE, overhead, and totals.
• CSV: Line-level export of all items, quantities, unit costs, labor units/hours, and totals for recordkeeping or import.

Before exporting

• Save the estimate — exports use the most recent saved version.
• Review Summary to confirm labor, DJE, overhead, margin, and tax values.
• Check that customer and project information is complete.

Tips

• Make each row a measurable unit of work; avoid mixing scopes in one line.
• Use Notes to capture assumptions (height, access, off-hours, coordination) and any labor adjustment rationale.
• Match Unit to how the item is counted/ordered (1 / 100 / 1000); be consistent across similar items.
• Use Assemblies for repeat work; keep libraries current (pricing and labor) to maintain consistency.
• Apply labor adjustments intentionally; document the reason. Extreme conditions may warrant a separate line item.
• After major changes, open Summary to validate labor hours, DJE, overhead, margin, and tax before exporting.
• Use Clone to create alternates; don’t overwrite a priced version.

Troubleshooting

• Dropdowns or lists are empty — Verify the item exists in Libraries and refresh the page after adding new data.
• Totals look off — Double-check quantities, labor adjustments, and units. Open Summary to confirm overhead, margin, and tax values.
• Exports don’t match screen values — Save the estimate first; exports always reflect the last saved version.
• Old data appears in a new estimate — Always start from Estimates → New Estimate. Reusing an old browser tab can pull cached data.
• Page performance issues — Refresh your browser or close heavy tabs. Large estimates may take a moment to update totals.
• Still stuck? — Note the steps you took, what you expected, and what you saw. Email support@kingsmarktech.com with that info for faster help.

Glossary

Labor Unit

The base labor time to install one unit of material under normal conditions. Expressed in hours per unit.

Labor Adjustment

A multiplier applied to labor units to reflect job conditions such as height, access, repetition, or schedule.

DJE (Direct Job Expense)

Any job-specific expense that isn’t labor or material — permits, rentals, delivery, disposal, travel, or specialty fees.

Assembly

A reusable group of materials that together form a single unit price. Labor and cost are calculated from the parts included.

Overhead (OH)

Business operating costs not tied to a single job — insurance, vehicles, rent, office, supervision, etc.

Margin

The percentage of profit remaining after all direct costs and overhead are covered.

Markup

The percentage added to cost to reach a sell price. Markup and margin are related but not identical.

Material Unit

The quantity basis used for pricing and labor (1, 100, or 1000). Choose the unit that matches how the item is measured or ordered.

What’s Next

• Proposal builder tied to Settings and Customers.
• Estimate versioning with side-by-side compare.
• Change order tracking and history.
• Bill of Material (BOM) with RFQ emailing.
• Breakouts by phase/area/alternate.
• Expanded exports and client-ready layouts.
• Assemblies enhancements (e.g., nested assemblies).