Enable Service Estimates and Specify Related Settings

Use the Service Estimate tab of the Estimate Settings form to enable service estimates, specify the default settings for use on the Estimates form in the Projects hub, and create commonly used clauses for use on Project Service Estimate reports.

To enable service estimates and set up default settings and clauses:

  1. In the Navigation pane, select Settings > Projects > Estimates.
  2. Select Enable Service Estimates to turn on the ability to use service estimates in the Projects hub.
    When you do, the following occurs:
    • The Estimates form becomes available in the Projects hub.
    • The Project Service Estimate report becomes available in Reporting.
    • The Estimates feature becomes available in Proposals.
    • The Available for Project Estimates option on the Unit Tables form becomes available in Units Settings.
  3. Under Estimate Grids, select the grids that you want to display on the Estimates form in the Projects hub.
  4. Under Decimal Digits, select the number of decimal digits that you want for hours, quantities, and monetary amounts in service estimates.
  5. In Estimate Type, select the type or types of service estimates that you want.
    Your selection determines the columns that display in the enabled grids. You have the following options:
    OptionDescription
    Cost Displays only cost columns, such as Cost Rate and Planned Cost. The Analysis grid on the Summary tab displays only Total Cost.
    Billing Displays only billing columns, such as Billing Rate and Planned Bill. The Analysis grid on the Summary tab displays only Total Bill.
    Cost and Billing Displays both cost and billing columns. The Analysis grid on the Summary tab displays Total Cost, Total Bill, Gross Margin, and Gross Margin %.
    The Project Service Estimate reports are only available if you select Billing or Cost and Billing.
  6. Select default labor category tables for service estimates:
    OptionDescription
    Cost Select a default labor category table for cost, or select None if you do not want a default table. This setting is only available if you selected Cost or Cost and Billing in Estimate Type. Only those tables that are marked as available for project planning appear on this list.
    Billing Select a default labor category table for billing, or select None if you do not want a default table. This option is only available if you selected Billing or Cost and Billing in Estimate Type. Only those tables that are marked as available for project planning appear on this list.
    These defaults can be overridden for individual projects on the Estimates form in the Projects hub.
  7. Select default billing multipliers for expenses and consultants:
    OptionDescription
    Expense If the Expenses grid is enabled and Cost and Billing is selected in Estimate Type, Vantagepoint automatically applies the billing multiplier to the planned cost to calculate the planned billing amount for reimbursable expenses. This value can be overridden in the Projects hub.
    Consultants If the Consultants grid is enabled and Cost and Billing is selected in Estimate Type, Vantagepoint automatically applies the billing multiplier to the planned cost to calculate the planned billing amount for reimbursable consultants. This value can be overridden in the Projects hub.
  8. To set up clauses that can be selected for inclusion on Project Service Estimate reports, do the following:
    1. Either click + Add Clause below the Clauses grid to display a blank row for entering a new clause, or hover over the row for an existing clause that you want to copy, click , and then click Copy.
    2. In Type, enter a unique identifier for the clause.
    3. In Clauses, enter the text of the clause. Click to display a larger work area and to use the available formatting options.
    Repeat this step to set up other clauses.
  9. Click Save.