Estimating | Buildxact Help Center

General

Estimate and Job costings Excel export

How to get clean excel data out of your estimate or job

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Sharing an estimate to another Buildxact account

This is how you grab an estimate from one account and copy it into another account.

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Setting up the Estimate Categories and adding items

You can amend or edit the estimate categories to suit your project

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Screen Presence - See who is working on the same Estimate at the same time

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Reorder Estimate Items and Estimate Categories

This guide will show you how to reorder your estimate items and estimate categories.

Written by Ryan Noonan
Updated over a week ago

How to move estimate items between cost categories

Moving items between categories in the same estimate

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to do framing

How to do framing from simply to detailed

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Open an Accepted Estimate for changes

This guide will explain how you can unlock an Accepted Estimate to make further revisions

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Uploading estimates with Excel

If you have your estimates in an Excel format they can be imported into Buildxact using our excel template.

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Uploading documents and images to Buildxact

Save documents, images and more to keep track of and share with your customer via the Client Portal

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to delete items in bulk

This is a work around to be able to delete items from a list quickly

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Printing/emailing a bill of quantities

If you want a copy of your quanities for youself or a supplier you can export that

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Estimate Details

Estimate/Job Details tab

See what information you can save/set up in Details tab before you begin putting together your project

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to change an estimate/job number

Buildxact creates project numbers in sequential order. The job number mirrors the estimate number that is auto generated by Buildxact

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Plans and Takeoffs

Uploading plans

Upload your plans into Buildxact in a few simple steps.

Written by Matt Govett
Updated this week

How to do footings

A guide on how to measure footings in Buildxact

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Cut and fill (earthworks) in Buildxact

How to get an idea of earthmoving volumes and costs in Buildxact

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

How to upload a protected/ locked PDF to Buildxact

If you are receiving an error when uploading a PDF to Buildxact that is protected or locked, this guide will show you how to handle this.

Written by Kate Cromie
Updated over a week ago

Checking accuracy of scaling and measuring plans

When scaling plans you want to make sure that what you have measured is accurate

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Naming uploaded plans

Naming plans makes them easier to find and use

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Help on scaling

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Scaling plans

Scale plans using the Buildxact Take Off tool

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to organise plans

Rotate and flip plans, or delete those you don't need

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to print/export takeoffs & plans

How to print/export the higlighted takeoff drawings to give to someone

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Removing the linked measurement from an Estimate Item

This guide will step you through how to remove a linked measurement from an estimate item

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Take off Toolbar

Tips and tricks on how to use the tool bar when drawing take offs

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Changing takeoff colours

I am having trouble seeing the colours when I draw, can I change the colours?

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to measure raked walls in m2

If you have a raked wall, heres how to meausure it in m2

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Take off measurement for m³

You can do take of measurements in cubic metres

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to take off m² for cladding

Using the m² tool allows you to measure materials to clad walls

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to take off m² for Plasterboard

Using the m² tool allows you to measure materials to line walls

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to take off m2 for Roofing

Using the m2 tool allows you to measure materials for roofing

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Vertical M2 takeoffs

How do I do takeoffs for wall area? Like tiling or plaster?

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Plans without dimensions

You may have received plans with no dimensions, with this solution you can scale these plans

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Costing

PC/PS/Allowance items and Redistribution

This article covers everything to do with PC/PS/Allowance items and the markup moving (Redistribution) related to them

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Cut list measuring and ordering

How to measure timber/steel and define a "cut list" for it for ordering

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Seeing the breakdown of tax and markup on an item

Getting a better view of the distribution of tax and markup on an item

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

How does Buildxact calculate it's costs

This guide will walk you through how Buildxact calculates the costs for all your items

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

The calculator - rounding, wastage, and re-using measurements

There is a calculator against each item added to the estimate, this calculator has many useful functions

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Markup/rounding/redistribution

Markup vs Margin

Why does Buildxact use Markup and not Margin?

Written by Kate Cromie
Updated over a week ago

Charge out rate and markup

Working out what markup to apply to get to your charge out rate

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to add Markup

There are three ways to add markup within the costings tab

Written by Dustin Elliott
Updated over a week ago

How to add rounding in your final quote figure

How to add rounding in your final quote figure and where that rounding goes.

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Recipes

Assembly / Recipe rounding

How to use UOM Min and UOM Inc to round the final quantities in your recipes / assemblies

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Advanced Buildxact Recipes

Recipes for cladding, insulation, bricks, framing, decking, joists, bearers and more.

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Creating and Loading Recipes

Recipes can be used to quickly add a prebuild of items into a project, including materials and labour. They are also called composite rates.

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Can I split recipes into multiple cost categories?

How to reassign items via a recipe

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to Convert Category Items to Recipes

This guide will show you the process for turning your existing category items into recipes via Excel

Written by Ryan Noonan
Updated over a week ago

Catalogues/Price lists

Linking a catalogue item to an estimate

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How do I import price / item catalogue from Excel

This guide will explain how to import your own price / item catalogue from excel

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to Export Recipe and Item Catalogues

The purpose of this article is to step you through the process of exporting both Recipe and Item Catalogues.

Written by Elliot Connell
Updated over a week ago

Updating catalogues and how that updates throughout your account

What effect does updating catalogues have on the recipes, templates and estimates within your account, and how to update linked items

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

How to remove duplicates from your Excel price file

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Using 'Update Linked Items' to re-link catalogue items

How to Re-link out of date items in Estimate Costings

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Adding Item Codes to Catalogue items

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Hiding the Buildxact Pricelists/Catalogues

If you want to hide the Buildxact pricelists/catalogues OR you're wondering why your Buildxact recipes are empty this article is for you.

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Managing linked catalogue items

Easily see, change or remove catalogue items that are linked to your estimate

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Request for Quote

Quote Requests (RFQ)

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to quote request an entire estimate

The process of bulk selecting and bulk sending a request for quote

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Extending a request for quote deadline

The purpose of the article is to go through the steps of extending the deadline for a Request for Quote.

Written by Elliot Connell
Updated over a week ago

Request For Quotes - Reminders and status meanings (RFQ)

How to send a reminder to a supplier/contractor, how often automatic reminders are sent and what the quote request status means.

Written by Kate Cromie
Updated over a week ago

Updating a quote request on behalf of the trade/supplier

What's to do when RFQ's are responded to by trades/suppliers outside of Buildxact?

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to reply to a quote request (RFQ)

This article is specifically for those receiving a quote request (RFQ) and covers what to do

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Additional items within Quote Requests (RFQ's)

If you get back a quote from a supplier in Buildxact and it has additional items this is what it means

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Specifications

Shrinking images for specifications

If you find that all the images you want to load are too big this link will help

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Adding Specifications to Estimates

There are 3 ways to get specifications into estimates, enter manually, nominating items from the estimate, and setting up a pre-set

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Order of specifications

Having the order of the specification match the estimate

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Including specification numbers on the quote form

There are two ways to get numbers against your specifications in the quote form

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Printing Specifications

Sometimes you need to send or print out just the specifications, you can do that in the Specifications screen

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Where can I write up exclusions, notes and clauses in a quote?

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

The Quote letter

Updates to sharing your Quote with your Client

We have made some improvements to the Quote Letter page to improve your experience when sharing your quote with your client.

Written by Ryan Noonan
Updated over a week ago

Producing your quote and sharing it to your client

How to edit your quote and the methods by which you can share it to your client

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

The quote letter layout options

Customising your quote letter

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

What changes can I make to each section of my customisable layout Quote?

Editing each section of your customisable quote letter

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to use digital acceptance when sharing quotes

You can elect to use digital acceptance when sharing quotes via the client portal or email.

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Advanced editing in the customisable layout for Quotes

How to use advanced editing in your quote letter

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Customizable Quote Letter Commands Cheat Sheet

Full list of of commands available for users to pull data through to the customisable quote letter.

Written by Elliot Connell
Updated over a week ago

Custom Templates - Showing Specification images inline with description

We will go over how you can get your Custom Templates Specification section to appear how it used to with the images inline with the text

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Custom Templates - Specification Layout to show text when there isn't an Image

We will go over how you can get your Specification layout to only show text when there isn't an image using the advanced editing.

Written by Elliot Connell
Updated over a week ago

How to upload and edit images in customisable layouts for quotes

Customise your quote with images to convey your brand

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Checking the size of a image to use in your Quote letter

How to check the size of an image you are wanting to upload to your Quote letter

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

How to handle optional extras

Showing things to your client that are optional like upgrades for example

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Custom Templates - Docking Specification Images to top of section.

We will go over how you can get your Custom Templates Specification section to appear with the specification images docked to the top.

Written by Elliot Connell
Updated over a week ago

Templates and copying estimates

How to subscribe to estimate templates provided by your suppliers/dealers

Get prepopulated estimate templates to speed up your quoting

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Create an estimate from a job

How to copy actual costs from a job and make it into an estimate

Written by Dan C
Updated over a week ago

Copy Categories and Items from Estimates to a Template

Copy categories and items from an existing estimate to a new or existing template

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Written by Kalya Ryan
Updated over a week ago

Add an existing category to an estimate template

Learn how to reuse a category from an existing template when creating a new estimate

K

Written by Kalya Ryan
Updated over a week ago

How to save a Quote layout for reuse

The new Quote letter - Released 06/04/2021

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Preset / Template Guide Master List

A master list for all guides relating to the different presets and templates available within Buildxact.

Written by Elliot Connell
Updated over a week ago

How to delete a quote layout you no longer need

The new Quote letter - Released 06/04/2021

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Setting a default estimate template

You can set up estimate templates in Buildxact, and even nominate one to be your default template

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Creating an estimate template

The best practice guide to creating estimate templates to speed up your quoting

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Copying an estimate or template

Why and how to copy estimates and templates

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

Versioning

Estimate versioning

What is estimate versioning and how should I use it

Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago