Setting Up the ProContractor Bid

The Templates tab allows you to save Bid Export Report setting configurations that can then be selected for future Bid Export Reports involving the loaded Estimate.

ADD:  Use to add a setting template to the window. When a saved template is highlighted, the settings of the Properties window are changed to how they were configured when the template was added. In addition, any selected Default Items will be added into the Bid Export Report.

COPY: Use the Copy feature to copy the selected bid export template within the current bid or to copy the bid export template to another data set or another estimate. Follow the prompts on the Open Summary window to select where you want to copy the bid export template to: Data Set or Estimate.
Note: Remember to rename your copy to a descriptive name that suits your needs.

RENAME:  Allows the user the rename the selected template.

DELETE: Deletes the selected template.

Note:  Templates for Bid Export Reports can also be configured by going to Data > Data File Maintenance > Bid Export Templates or Estimate > Estimate File Maintenance > Bid Export Templates. Templates created through Data File Maintenance will be available for all new Estimates, while those created through Estimate File Maintenance will only be available for the Estimate being modified.  

When accessed through the above methods, the Template tab will feature an additional option: View Default Items.

VIEW DEFAULT ITEMS:  This option will open an empty Bid Export Report screen. Users can then takeoff default items which are added to the report when it is run.  The Default Items screen functions just like a regular Bid Export Report. However, you cannot actually create a bid file.  

The General tab contains general settings for the Bid Export Report.

NAME:  By default, this field is set to the name of the Job.  It can be modified if desired.

REPORT DESCRIPTION:  A brief description of the Bid Export Report.  If a template is selected, its name will be automatically entered into the field.

COMMENT:  Comments on the Bid Export Report can be entered in this field.

LABOR RATE:  Enter in the value for the Labor Rate.

In the Divisions tab, you can specify overrides for the codes used in Bid Exports for Field Labor and Shop Labor cost type items.

NOTE: To effectively use this feature, you must have “Create Separate Material and Labor Items” checked in the Accounting Integration section of your Summary Preferences. If this box not checked, items that contain both Material and Labor values will appear as Cost Type “Material” and your overrides selected here will not be applied.

Check the box next to Use Field Labor Overrides. Then use the drop down arrow next to each Code field to select the code you want used in the report.

Check the box next toUse Shop Labor Overrides. Then use the drop down arrow next to each Code field to select the code you want used in the report.

The Code 1, 2 and 3  entries correspond to the codes selected in the General Options Accounting Integration tab.

This tab provides a place to store notes regarding the Bid Export Report.

This tab allows you to specify which Takeoff Sections you want included in the Bid export file. To select/deselect a Section, click on the box by the Section’s name. By default, all Sections are initially selected. In addition, you can use Select All to quickly select all the available Sections.

You can also filter what is included in the report by any of the six user-defined levels or by Sections. To do so, use the drop-down menu beside Include the following checked. You can also use Show Entries to display the number of items in any particular Section or user-defined level filtered.