STACK’s Estimate is designed to work within a variety of workflows and give you the freedom and flexibility to generate estimates that capture the specific data you need.
When you create an Estimate, it pulls all current project data to the estimate worksheet -even takeoffs without measurements and takeoffs with no items or assemblies.
Directly Enter Data
You can enter and change certain data directly on the estimate. For example, you can manually add line items and enter unit costs/quantities for them. You can also override existing quantities. This means you can add things to your estimate even if you don’t yet have quantities or measurements (no takeoff needed) and can change quantities without having to edit your takeoffs. It also means you can enter unit costs and line-item markups or override the defaults coming from your STACK Items and your Company Cost Types.
Customize Format
You get to choose what information is shown and how it’s organized for each estimate. You can group line items, move or hide columns, filter, and sort. Once an estimate is set up the way you want, you can save that layout as a Saved View to quickly apply the same filters and groupings to other estimates.
Export
Estimate data can be exported to Excel with the click of a button so you can further manipulate the data, print it, or use it in another estimating/proposal software.
NOTE: This Estimate option is currently available as a preview while we continue developing enhanced functionality. The Estimate does not currently support the ability to update pricing from catalogs (BNi) or download a PDF proposal directly from STACK. Also note that quantities are not rounded on the estimate (you can manually enter an adjusted quantity). Since rounding is handled differently, be aware that the selling price generated with the Estimate may not exactly match the selling price on Unit Cost Estimates and Material and Labor Estimates for the same project.*
*You can continue to create Unit Cost Estimates and Material and Labor Estimates during this time.
See below for more information and instructions:
Create an Estimate
You can create multiple estimates per project.
Click on the ESTIMATES tab within a project.
This will take you to the Estimate Home page.Click the green Create New Estimate button.
Select Estimate.
The estimate worksheet will open for you to review/adjust as needed.
All estimates you create will be listed on the Estimate Home page. You will open an estimate from the Estimate Home page by clicking on the estimate name.
Rename an Estimate
By default, when you create an estimate, it is named Estimate.
We recommend renaming your estimates so it’s easier to find the estimate you want on the Estimate Home page.
In the open estimate, click on the estimate name at the top left of the estimate.
Type in the desired estimate name.
Hit Enter on your keyboard or click outside of the text box.
The new name will be listed on the Estimate Home page.
Group Line Items
You can group (and subgroup) line items on the estimate by Takeoff, Assembly, Plan Name and/or any Labels you’ve applied to any measurements.
Click Group By on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Check the box next to the category/categories you want to use to group your data.
Selecting multiple categories will create subgroups.
Subgroups
The order of the selected categories on the Group By dropdown menu determines the grouping order. The selected category at the top of the menu is the top-level group and the subgroup order follows the order of the other selected categories.
You can change the list order to create the group/subgroup order that you want.
Change the Group/Subgroup Order
Click Group By on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
On the dropdown menu, click and drag the selected categories so they are listed in the order you want.
TIP: You can expand or collapse all grouped data at once.
Hover over the Group column name.
Click the hamburger menu that appears to the right.
Select Expand All or Collapse All.
Customize Column Layout
You have a lot of flexibility to customize the column layout and how you view your estimate data.
You can change the column order, hide columns, resize columns, and pin columns to the side of the estimate so they don’t scroll out of view.
Change Column Order
It’s easy to move columns anywhere you want with a quick drag and drop.
Click on the Column Name you want to move.
While still clicking, drag the column to where you want it.
Release your mouse.
Hide/Unhide Columns
You get to decide which columns are visible on the estimate by hiding or removing columns from view. And it’s as simple as drag and drop.
Hide a Column
Click on the Column Name you want to move.
While still clicking, drag the column outside of the worksheet area.
Release your mouse.
NOTE: You can also follow steps 1-2 below and uncheck the box next to the column name to hide the column.
Unhide a Column
Click Columns on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Type the Column Name you want to see on the estimate in the Search box (or scroll down to find it).
Check the box next to the column name to include it on the estimate.
(Checking the box next to Select all will make all columns visible on the estimate.)
Adjust Column Size
You can adjust the size of individual columns or use Autosize to adjust the width of all columns at once.
Resize Individual Columns
Hover over the vertical dividing line to the right of the column name you want to adjust until your cursor becomes a horizontal line with arrows at the ends.
Double click and the column will automatically adjust to the width necessary to display the data it contains.
OR
Click and drag the line to manually adjust the width of the column (right to increase, left to decrease).
Autosize All Columns
Click Columns on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Click Autosize All Columns at the top of the dropdown.
All columns will automatically adjust to the width necessary to display the data they contain.
Pin Columns
You can “freeze” columns so they’re always visible and won’t scroll out of view by pinning them to either side of the estimate worksheet.
Click on the Column Name you want to pin.
While still clicking, drag the column all the way to the side where you want it pinned.
When you see a pin icon and the column has moved, release your mouse.
Multiple columns can be pinned to each side of the estimate. You can change the order of pinned columns by clicking and dragging them.
Unpin a Column
Click on the Column Name you want to unpin.
While still clicking, drag the column away from the side of the estimate to where you want the column located.
Release your mouse.
Filter Data
You can filter data in any column and can apply filters to multiple columns. Filter options (text/number) for each column depend on the type of data they contain.
If a column currently has a filter applied, a funnel icon will be displayed next to the column name.
Apply Filters
Hover over the column name you want to filter.
Click the hamburger menu that appears to the left.
Open the dropdown menu to see filter options and select the one you want.
Type the data you want returned in the Filter…box.
If you want to apply a second parameter to the filter -
Click AND for results that include both.
ORClick OR for results that include either.
Open the second dropdown menu and select the filter options you want.
Type the additional data you want returned in the Filter…box.
Click the top of the filter window to close it.
Remove Filters
Hover over the column name where you want to remove the filter.
Click the hamburger menu that appears to the left.
Delete/clear the data in the Filter…box(es).
Click the top of the filter window to close it.
Sort Data
Estimates can be sorted by the data in any column, and you can sort by multiple columns.
If a column is currently sorted, an arrow will be displayed next to the column name. If multiple columns are sorted, a number will also be displayed, so you know the order in which they're being sorted.
Click the column name you want to sort by once to sort the data from smallest to largest.
An arrow pointing up will appear next to the column name.Click the column name again to sort from largest to smallest.
An arrow pointing down will appear next to the column name.Click the column name again to stop sorting.
No arrow will be displayed.
To sort by an additional column(s), hold the shift key and repeat the steps above for each additional column you want to sort.
Along with the arrow, a number will appear next to the additional sorted column name(s) so you know the order in which the columns are being sorted.
Views
Views are a huge timesaver. They allow you to apply preset column layouts, filters, sorts, and groupings* to an estimate so you can quickly see your estimate data in different ways.
You can create your own custom views. Once you set up an estimate to display the information in a way you want, just save that view and then you can use it to apply the same formatting to other estimates. This can be useful if you want to look at data by Label or Takeoffs; or you could create a proposal view, material cost view, labor cost view…. anything you need.
STACK also provides a Default view which is the condensed list of columns shown when you first create an estimate. If you start moving and hiding columns and feel like you just need to start over, you can apply the Default view to get back to the original view.
*Be aware that if you save a view that has groupings based on Labels, those groupings will not apply to other projects/estimates if the same Labels aren't available.
Save a View
Click Views on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Select Save View As.
Enter view name.
Click Save.
You can create multiple views. Views you save will be listed under My Views in the Views dropdown for use on other estimates.
NOTE: In this Preview release, saved views are specific to the user, machine, and browser.
Apply / Switch Views
You can quickly apply/switch between any views that you have saved (My Views) or the Default view (STACK Views).
Click Views on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
The view that is currently applied is listed in bold green type on the Views dropdown menu.Select the view you want to apply from the list under My Views.
OR
To revert to the default estimate view, select Default under STACK Views.
Update a View
If you save a view and later find that you need to add/remove a column or change the way the data is grouped, you can apply those updates to the saved view, and they will be a part of that view going forward.
NOTE: You can only update My Views, not STACK Views. However, you can make changes to a STACK view and then save that view.
Make sure the view you want to update is the view that is currently applied to the estimate. (The current view is listed in bold green type on the Views dropdown menu.)
Make the changes you want.
Click Views on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Select Update Current View.
Delete a View
If needed, you can delete a view that you’ve saved, and it will no longer be available for use.
NOTE: You can only delete views from My Views, not STACK Views.
Click Views on the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Make sure the view you want to delete is the view currently applied to the estimate.
(The current view is listed in bold green type.)Select Delete Current View.
Add a Row / Line Item
You can add line-item rows directly on the estimate, then manually enter an item name and other data like unit cost and adjusted quantity. This gives you the ability to add things to the estimate without creating a takeoff.
Right click within the estimate worksheet.
Click Add row.
A new row will appear at the top of the worksheet or top of the group.Enter data in the Item, Unit Cost, Adjusted Quantity and any other appropriate cells.
NOTE: If you add a row when data is grouped, the item will appear in that group and will always be associated with that group. This means if you later ungroup, and make the group column visible (e.g., Label), the new line item will have the appropriate value for that column, and if you later regroup, the line item will still appear in that group.
Delete an Added Row
Only rows you have manually added to the estimate can be deleted.
NOTE: Deleting a row is permanent and cannot be undone.
Right click on the row you want to delete.
Click Delete row.
Manually Override Data
There are certain cells where you can enter or change data directly on the estimate.*
Cells that can be edited have a white background and cells that cannot have a light grey background.
NOTE: Any data you manually enter/override on the estimate - like unit cost or adjusted quantity - will persist even when changes are made to the takeoffs themselves, or to the unit costs in your catalogs. The only way to update the manually entered data is to manually enter new data, it will not automatically update.
*You can enter data for any line item in the Adjusted Quantity and Waste % cells, as well as in the Unit Cost and Line Item Mkp % cells for any cost types. If you've added a row/line item, you can also enter data in the Item and Unit cells of that row.
Shortcuts for Entering Data
You can copy and paste data within the editable cells on the estimate.
You can also copy and paste data from editable cells back and forth from your estimate and Excel.
You can drag and fill to enter the same data in consecutive cells within a column - enter the data in one cell, then click the green square in the bottom right of the cell and drag up or down to fill the other cells with the same data.
Export Estimate Data to Excel
You can easily export estimate data to Excel if you want to print it, create a PDF, do additional work, or upload to another program.
NOTE: When you Export to Excel, your current estimate view is exported as is - i.e., what you see is what you get. Hidden columns or filtered data that is not visible on the estimate in STACK will not be exported to Excel. However, the total extended costs and total selling prices will still include everything.
Click the three dots on the right side of the green estimate toolbar at the top of the estimate.
Select Export to Excel.
An Excel file will be saved in the Downloads folder on your device.
If you need additional assistance, please contact us.