# Switched companies and I don't know anything anymore.



## ToolTimeTim (Jan 23, 2015)

I just went from a company that uses the edge for their estimates, and it works great but that's the only way I've estimated. I left that company and now its all pen and paper. I feel like i should have gone the other way..

Does anyone know of decent templates for figuring out the laps, t joints, screws or adhesive. It seems to me i can save a lot more money and time if i dont have to calculate that every time.


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## 1985gt (Dec 21, 2010)

We use our own spread sheets. One figures up quantities the other you input the quantities and the pricing is there. It works well for us.


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## JBL (Dec 14, 2014)

Calculator is the best. I can calculate 1000 squares in just 5 minutes.


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## ToolTimeTim (Jan 23, 2015)

I guess its just getting used to doing it the good ole way. I was probably spoiled at my old office. I had put together $1.2 mil jobs in a few hours now its a 4-6 hour affair. Hell i may just be slow.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

I have done everything by custom spreadsheet for years. When I closed my company last year and began interviewing, so many companies do their pricing long hand on a yellow note pad. I still do my pricing that way and my spreadsheet will spit out a "best case scenario" number. I will then adjust acordingly for real world conditions. However when we do our price review with one of the company managers or executives before sending to the customer they still do it long hand with the yellow note pad. I don't understand it, but I'll be honest they spit out numbers quicker than me.

The large part of the reason I use the spreadsheet is so I don't forget one accessory or another. It's like a reminder to be sure I don't forget a part. Plus I have formulated my spreadsheets in such a way that some calculations are done for me, for example determining how many gallons of primer will be needed based on the various flashing roll widths and lengths. I don't need to think about it, it's automatically done.


4-6 hours to price a job? Even by long hand that is an incredibly long time. I am not familiar with edge. What did edge do for you that is taking so long to do long hand? Did you previously make a complete materials list with edge or was edge based on averages and after you sold the job a production guy would make a material list? To do a complete take off AND input the pricing should be 4-6 hours on a simple box-job including time bullshitting with the guy in the office next to me. However once the take-off is done, making the material list and filling in my spreadsheet takes only a couple of minutes.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

JBL said:


> Calculator is the best. I can calculate 1000 squares in just 5 minutes.


LOL a 1000 square job is easier to calculate than a 10 square job. Both may have the same amount of details and penetrations. I find I spend more time pricing the job the smaller it gets. The owner of the company where I work will price out about 3-4 jobs a day all of them big box ballast usually not less than an acre. LOL Pricing a curb build out takes me longer.


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## 1985gt (Dec 21, 2010)

Lol I've spent days pricing out jobs!


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

1985gt said:


> Lol I've spent days pricing out jobs!


Yep I quoted a job for the local county park district on OUTHOUSES and when it was all said and done I figured I spent 60 hours on the bid. I didn't get it, I was something like $160,000 and someone was $125,000.

Did I say this was for outhouses? No wonder the state of IL is broke and taxes are so high.


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## 1985gt (Dec 21, 2010)

So was it a 60k roof and the 100k was to cover your estimating fees?


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

1985gt said:


> So was it a 60k roof and the 100k was to cover your estimating fees?


I would have got the job but I got greedy. I put in the cost of a new dump trailer and new tar kettle, since I did not own either. 

I also figured in the cost of a fenced in staging area as per the engineer request, which was un-necessary on this job. I figured because of the size of each roof we would load up the trailer with the day's materials each morning, and download the tear off each night.... but I added in the temp fencing anyways.

Oh well, win some lose some. I still remember the basic spec which was a rolls royce hot roof on these outhouses. No wonder Cook County is nearly bankrupt. They wanted insulation on unconditioned spaces. They wanted a gyp cover board over the insulation. They wanted a meramac river rock instead of pea gravel, and if I recall this river rock cost 3x what pea gravel cost. 

Friggin outhouses! Sheesh. That was one of my first entries into govt work, now I bid alot of it, back then very very little.


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