Why use Estimating Wizards?

MC² Estimating Wizards are essentially another takeoff tool within ICE used to generate takeoff lines.  Our Wizards will ask you questions about the specs of a particular building like a Church, Condo, Metal Building, Retail Strip Mall, Warehouse or School and then generate a complete quantity takeoff for that building.  Generally, estimators think of the ICE Estimating Wizards as being conceptual in nature, allowing them to answer a few questions about a building and then providing a complete estimate on that building.  Once the takeoff has been generated the estimator can go and modify the estimate detail directly.

The purpose of an Estimating Wizard is to save the estimator time. Transferring information from plans and specifications to the computer is the most time consuming part of producing a construction cost estimate.  An Estimating Wizard reduces the time it takes to make that transfer because you do not need to refer to tables and charts or re-use formulas every time you come across the same set of circumstances.  Estimating Wizards ask a minimal amount of questions but provide you with the estimate detail you need without the detailed questions typically associated with Construction Systems.

Estimating Wizards can be created for several different reasons:

• Conceptual Estimating – these types of Wizards will require a minimal, basic amount of input and contain, internally, many assumptions. One Wizard in particular (Warehouse Wizard) contains a minimal amount of questions but has many assumptions built in. An example of an assumed item would be a sidewalk that runs the length of the building. There was no question regarding sidewalks, but the Wizard creator put that in as an assumed item. Another example, since we don’t know the details of rebar in the footing, we then assume 30 lbs. per cubic yard. The great thing about this type of Wizard is you can go back and change any line of takeoff that was generated.
  
  
• Increase Efficiency of Construction Systems – Some Construction Systems require that you re-run the system to get the desired output. Take the Masonry Construction System for example, if you have several openings in the wall you must re-run the system for each opening. There is a Masonry Wizard that will take you step by step through the same process but in a more efficient manner. The flow of the Wizard input speeds up the takeoff process.
  
  
• Designing Construction Components - Wizards can be written to quantify items designed on the basis of the estimator’s input to the Wizard’s questions. For example, the Wizard might ask for such information as story height, live and dead load, and soil bearing capacity to generate sized column footings of a certain psi. Another might ask for such information as room area and needed footcandles to generate the number and type of fluorescent fixtures required.