Not all systems are automation or flexible. Automation is easy as you plug in the numbers and it spits out prices. It is usually made up of list of materials, which we have dealt with and labor cost witch we haven t dealt with yet. Many programs offer regular price updates and local area modifications to help the customer stay current. Stoddard talks about the importance of finding something that is comfortable for your needs and reliable.
Price is always a concern in estimating.
Stoddard says that it is best to go with a price you are sure of. I have always been told it is better to bid a little high than low because customers never like to see you ask for more money than you told them you would need. The catch to this is if you bid too high than you are likely to not get the job unless you have a good reputation and customers want you no matter what. Whatever the case it is good to set up your program so that it doesn t take much to make adjustments. You should be able to manually if not automatically change individual prices and with a single step change the whole group price.