Estimating Cost Book Import

Import your estimating database including components, assemblies, and pricing to build estimates quickly.

Overview

The estimating cost book is your library of components and assemblies used to build estimates. Importing your cost book saves significant setup time and ensures consistent pricing across estimates.

What Gets Imported

Components

• Component Details - Name, description, SKU
• Pricing - Material cost, labor cost, labor hours
• Units - Unit of measure and default quantities
• Cost Codes - Associated cost codes
• Manufacturers - Product manufacturer links

Assemblies

• Assembly Details - Name, description
• Components - Component list with quantities
• Pricing - Calculated from components or override
• Categories - Organization groupings

Template Download

Download the Estimating Cost Book Import Template:

1. Go to Admin → Estimating Database
2. Click Import → Cost Book
3. Download the template file

Component Template Fields

Required Fields

Field	Description	Example
name	Component name	2x4x8 Stud
type	COMPONENT or ASSEMBLY	COMPONENT

Pricing Fields

Field	Description	Example
material_cost	Material unit cost	3.50
labor_cost	Labor unit cost	2.00
labor_hours	Hours per unit	0.05
unit_price	Combined unit price	5.50
subcontract_cost	Subcontract unit cost	0.00

Descriptive Fields

Field	Description	Example
sku	Unique identifier	LBR-2x4-8
description	Detailed description	Kiln dried SPF 2x4x8 stud
unit	Unit of measure	EA
default_qty	Default quantity	1
category	Component category	Lumber
cost_code	Associated cost code	06-100
manufacturer	Product manufacturer	ABC Lumber
notes	Internal notes	Standard framing lumber
active	Status (TRUE/FALSE)	TRUE

Assembly Template Fields

Required Fields

Field	Description	Example
name	Assembly name	Exterior Wall 8'
type	COMPONENT or ASSEMBLY	ASSEMBLY

Assembly-Specific Fields

Field	Description	Example
assembly_components	Component list (see format below)	See example
override_price	Fixed price (optional)	450.00
category	Assembly category	Framing
description	Assembly description	8' exterior wall section

Assembly Components Format

List components with quantities, separated by semicolons:

component_sku:quantity;component_sku:quantity

Example:

LBR-2x4-8:3;LBR-2x6-8:2;HW-NAILS-16D:0.5

Preparing Your Data

Component Example

type,name,sku,description,material_cost,labor_cost,labor_hours,unit,category,cost_code,active
COMPONENT,2x4x8 Stud,LBR-2x4-8,Kiln dried SPF stud,3.50,2.00,0.05,EA,Lumber,06-100,TRUE
COMPONENT,2x6x8 Plate,LBR-2x6-8,Kiln dried SPF plate,5.25,2.00,0.05,EA,Lumber,06-100,TRUE
COMPONENT,16d Nails,HW-NAILS-16D,Framing nails,45.00,0.00,0.00,LB,Hardware,06-100,TRUE
COMPONENT,1/2 Drywall 4x8,DW-12-4x8,Standard drywall sheet,12.50,8.00,0.25,SHT,Drywall,09-100,TRUE
COMPONENT,Drywall Tape,DW-TAPE,Paper joint tape,8.00,0.00,0.00,RL,Drywall,09-100,TRUE

Assembly Example

type,name,sku,description,category,assembly_components,active
ASSEMBLY,Exterior Wall 8',ASM-EXT-WALL-8,8ft exterior wall section,Framing,LBR-2x4-8:3;LBR-2x6-8:2;HW-NAILS-16D:0.5,TRUE
ASSEMBLY,Interior Wall 8',ASM-INT-WALL-8,8ft interior wall section,Framing,LBR-2x4-8:2.5;HW-NAILS-16D:0.3,TRUE
ASSEMBLY,Drywall Both Sides,ASM-DW-BOTH,Drywall finish both sides per SF,Drywall,DW-12-4x8:0.03125;DW-TAPE:0.01,TRUE

Combined File

Components and assemblies can be in the same file:

• Import components first (assemblies reference them)
• Or import in two passes

Units of Measure

Common units:

Unit	Description	Use For
EA	Each	Individual items
LF	Linear Foot	Linear materials
SF	Square Foot	Area-based materials
SY	Square Yard	Flooring, carpet
CY	Cubic Yard	Concrete, fill
BF	Board Foot	Lumber
SHT	Sheet	Sheet goods
LB	Pound	Fasteners, bulk
HR	Hour	Labor
LS	Lump Sum	Fixed price items

Import Steps

1. Prepare Components

   • Fill in component details
   • Set pricing and units
   • Assign cost codes
   • Save as CSV

2. Import Components First

   • Go to Admin → Estimating Database
   • Click Import → Cost Book
   • Select components file
   • Import and verify

3. Prepare Assemblies

   • Reference component SKUs
   • Set quantities
   • Save as CSV

4. Import Assemblies

   • Import assemblies file
   • Verify component references
   • Check calculated pricing

Pricing Calculations

Component Pricing

Total unit price calculated as:

unit_price = material_cost + labor_cost + subcontract_cost

Or set unit_price to override calculation.

Assembly Pricing

Assembly price calculated from components:

assembly_price = Σ(component_price × quantity)

Or use override_price for fixed pricing.

Labor Hours

For assemblies, labor hours are summed:

assembly_hours = Σ(component_hours × quantity)

Handling Updates

New Items

Items with new SKUs are created.

Existing Items

Matching SKUs update:

• Pricing updates
• Description updates
• Component references update

Removing Items

To deactivate:

• Set active to FALSE
• Or remove manually after import
• Historical references preserved

Common Issues

Missing Components

Assemblies require components to exist:

• Import components first
• Check SKU spelling
• Verify component is active

Invalid Cost Codes

Cost codes must exist:

• Import cost codes first
• Check code format
• Create missing codes

Pricing Errors

• Numbers only (no $ symbols)
• Use decimal point
• Positive values only

Unit Mismatch

Ensure units are consistent:

• Same unit for same material type
• Valid unit abbreviations
• Match existing units

After Import

Verify Data

• Review component list
• Check pricing accuracy
• Verify assembly calculations

Organize

• Set categories
• Arrange display order
• Mark frequently used items

Test in Estimate

• Create test estimate
• Add components and assemblies
• Verify totals

Category Organization

Organize by trade or CSI division:

By Trade:

• Framing
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• HVAC
• Drywall
• Painting
• Flooring

By Division:

• 03 - Concrete
• 06 - Wood & Plastics
• 09 - Finishes
• 15 - Mechanical
• 16 - Electrical

Best Practices

Data Quality

• Verify pricing is current
• Use consistent naming
• Complete all fields

SKU System

• Create logical SKU format
• Include category prefix
• Keep SKUs short but meaningful

Pricing Maintenance

• Update costs regularly
• Track price changes
• Version pricing if needed

Organization

• Use meaningful categories
• Group related items
• Build assemblies from components

Related

• Data Import Overview
• Cost Codes Import
• Manufacturers Import
• Components
• Assemblies