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Embodied Carbon Estimating in Workbooks
Introduction
The ability to account for embodied carbon has never been so important for Quantity Surveyors
and Estimators. Fortunately, iTWO costX users can create carbon estimates quickly and easily.
This document is set out to help Quantity Surveyors and Estimators understand how Embodied
Carbon Estimating can be achieved within iTWO costX workbooks.
There are definitive stages to the life cycle of a built asset. These stages commence with raw
material extraction, progress through product manufacturing, transport, and installation on site,
then through to the operation, maintenance, demolition and eventual material disposal. EN
15978 introduces a modular approach to a built asset’s life cycle, breaking it down into different
stages, as shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Modular whole life carbon assessment information as per EN 15978 including typical system boundaries © BSI

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Carbon is emitted through each of these stages with the above image outlining the future
potential to consider recovery, reuse and recycling . Therefore, when calculating the total carbon
emitted on a built asset, it makes sense to calculate the carbon emissions based on these stages
too.
By way of example, this document focuses on calculating carbon during the production (A1 –A3)
and construction (A4–A5) stages, as these are likely to make up the predominance of embodied
carbon associated with a building asset.

Overview
iTWO costX’ ability to take-off quantities from hand-drawn sketches through to BIM files can be
advantageous for both cost and carbon estimating, with the same take-off utilized for both
aspects, all in the one application. The flexibility inherent in the workbooks allows the User
columns to be established for multiple purposes. In this example, the workbook comprises of an
elemental summary on the level 1 Cost sheet ❶ with estimate line items for each element on
the associated level 2 Cost sheets beneath ❷ . User columns M through Q have been re-named
to provide headings for the embodied carbon rates and totals for stages A1 -A3 and A4-A5 ❸ .
NB: To aid clarity some other columns have been temporarily hidden.

The User columns can be re-named across
all sheets in the workbook by editing the
Workbook Properties, selecting the Column
Names tab at the top, and then over-typing
the Name for each column with the new
column heading, as shown.

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Estimate Line Items
At its most simplistic, carbon estimating can be achieved by simply setting up the User column(s)
to multiply the quantity associated with the line item (in column C:Quantity) by a carbon rate that
has been sourced and entered into the corresponding carbon rat e column. The following image
shows an example where the A1-A3 rate column contains a hard-typed carbon rate for the

manufacture and supply of a steel frame member, and the User column contains a formula to
multiply the quantity used for monetary estimating of this line item by the carbon rate value.

Entering the dollar symbol before the C:Quantity column reference in the formula i.e., = $C1*M1
locks that part of the formula when copying -and-pasting. Therefore, having entered the formula
once, it can be copied-and-pasted across to the A4-A5 Rate column, and down to every row in
both A1-A3 and A4-A5 rate columns without needing to be edited.

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Rate Libraries
In the same way that Rate Libraries can be utilized for monetary rates, it is also possible to
establish embodied carbon Rate Libraries in iTWO costX. In the following image, the Project
Rates library ❶ contains monetary rates, whilst the Embodied Carbon A1-A3 (Product) library
❷ contains the embodied carbon rates for the material’s production stage. A third library for

Embodied Carbon A4-A5 (Construction) also exists for the material’s installation on -site.

In this example the same items in all three libraries e.g., 20 MPa ready-mix concrete (outlined),
have an identical Code (con 20) and Description in each library whilst the Rate and UOM differ
according to the nature of the rate. This is by no means mandatory but will be utilized further in
a later example.
Having set up the Rate Libraries, the rates within th em can be dragged-and-dropped into the
respective workbook column, automatically creating the live -link formula that connects those
cells to the rate in the designated Rate Library for the required stage of carbon accounting.

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Rate Build-ups
When using the Rate sub-sheet to build-up rate assemblies, the same philosophies apply that
have already been outlined. The column naming is reflected in the Rate sub -sheet, the same
=$C1*M1 formula can be used in the User columns to extend the quantity by the relevant carbon
rate, and those rates can themselves be entered manually (hard -typed) into the cells or draggedand-dropped from a Rate Library.

Rate Build-ups with Code Column Reference for Rate Code
One further enhancement is to standardize the formulae in the A1 -A3 Rate and A4-A5 Rate
columns by removing the reference to a specific rate Code and instead, replacing it with a
reference to the A:Code column. In the following example, the formula for 20 MPa ready-mix
concrete in the cell outlined in orange has been altered from
=XGETRATE(“Embodied Carbon A1-A3 (Product)”,”con 20”,2) to
=XGETRATE(“Embodied Carbon A1-A3 (Product)”,A6,2).
The reference to the designated Rate Library remains the same, howev er, the reference to the
specific Rate Code is replaced with a cell reference for the cell that contains that rate Code.

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This has two effects. The first is to allow copying -and-pasting of the formula down the column
for all Rate sub-sheet line items.
The second is that, as normal, when a monetary rate is dragged -and-dropped into the
B:Description column of the Rate sub-sheet, the Add Quantity window will appear, as above . By
ensuring that the Use check-box for the Item Code is checked, as well as the Use check-boxes
for Description and Rate, it will place the Rate Code in the A:Code column for that row. As long
as the same Rate Codes have been used for equivalent items in the monetary and carbon Rate
Libraries, as mentioned previously, then the formulae in the carbon rate columns will
automatically live-link to the corresponding carbon rates for the item.

Downloading Rate Libraries from EC3
The Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) from Building Transparency is a free
online tool which provides the ability to search for information about carbon emissions
associated with the manufacture and use of various building materials. It is poss ible to create
an embodied carbon Rate Library in EC3, and then transfer it to iTWO costX via an Excel file.
For more details, refer to the “Importing an Embodied Carbon Rate Library from EC3” topic in
iTWO costX Help.

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Estimate Summary
The Rate sub-sheet build-up described in the previous section needs to be pulled up onto the
Cost sheet above. As with the monetary rate figures in the H:Include column, the figures in the
A1-A3 CO 2 e and A3-A4 CO 2 e columns total to give a rate for each unit of the Cost sh eet item.

Therefore, whilst the function in the E:Rate column drills -down into the Rate sub-sheet and sums
up the total of the H:Include column, we need a function that will drill -down into the Rate subsheet and sum up the total of the N:A1-A3 CO 2 e (User6) column.
This can be easily achieved by selecting the cell in the carbon rate column of the Cost sheet
(outlined in orange below) and using the Function (ƒx) button to select the XSUMRATEUSER
function, and then using the drop-down menu to select the N:A1-A3 CO 2 e (User6) column to
include in the function.

Once entered, this function drills-down into the Rate sub-sheet and sums the figures from the
User6 column (outlined in red above) onto the Cost sheet. As it is a generic formula , it can be
copied-and-pasted to all other item rows under which there is a Rate sub -sheet to perform the
same function.
A similar function referencing the User8 column (in this example) can be used to summarise the
Rate sub-sheet build-up for the A4-A5 stage carbon.
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The final step is to summarise all carbon totals for each estimate line item onto the level 1 Cost
sheet (elemental) summary. Again the Function (ƒx) button can be used to select the
XSUMUSER function, using the drop-down menu to select the N:A1-A3 CO 2 e (User6) column to
include in the function. This function drills-down to the Cost sheet below and sums the figures
from the User6 column onto the current Cost sheet.

The same function, referencing the User* column can also be used for the A4 -A5 stage carbon
values. Both of the resulting formulae can be copied -and-pasted to all of the summary sheet
rows to pull up the carbon estimate values from below.

Extensions
By using additional user columns, more information could be included in your carbon es timates
if required. There are many ways you could structure the information, but the following provides
some examples of potential extensions you could develop:
1. Include a column that specifies the basis for the carbon rate (e.g ., Actual EPD,
Conservative, Average, Achievable, etc.). This allows your reports to clearly indicate the
basis of the carbon rate.
2. Use the estimate structure described in the sections above for an initial Conservative
estimate, providing a baseline carbon estimate for the project. Then, add the same four
A1-A3 CO 2 e and A3-A4 CO 2 e columns again to the right (in the next available User
columns) for the Actual (As-built) carbon rates (based on actual supplier EPDs). The
columns can be configured to reference the actual carbon rates in another rate library.
This approach provides the ability to report on the Baseline estimated vs Actual As -built
carbon rates.

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TechWeb
For clients under maintenance, there are numerous iTWO costX Sample and Template files
available

for

download

from

the

RIB

TechWeb

site

(-

international.com/templates/index.php). In this specific instance, there are sample files related
to Embodied Carbon which can be downloaded and imported into your iTWO costX Database
for reference. The rates used in these examples are for demonstration purposes only and should
not be relied on. It is recommended that you source your own carbon rates specific to your
region. Download and import the following Sample Files:

Metric Dataset
ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Building_-_Applewood_University_Metric

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_-_Project_Rates_Metric

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_-_A1-A3_Product_Metric

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_-_A4-A5_Construction_Metric

Imperial Dataset
ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Building_-_Applewood_University_Imperial

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_ -_Basic_Rates_Imperial

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_ -_Project_Rates_Imperial

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_-_A1-A3_Product_Imperial

ã

Embodied_Carbon_Sample_Rate_Library_ -_A4-A5_Construction_Imperial

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Resources
Building Transparency EC3
Building Transparency is a non-profit organisation that provides the Embodied Carbon in
Construction Calculator (EC3), a free database of digital, third-party verified EPDs.
/>
RICS Building Carbon Database
The RICS Building Carbon Database allows users to estimate/benchmark whole life carbon
emissions, during all stages of a building's life cycle. For organisations who submit their data
from

theoretical

and

completed

projects,

the

database

is

free

to

use.

/>Should you have any further queries, or should you face any difficulties on this topic,
please contact our support team via our support portal ( />
Restricted – Not to be reproduced without the express written authority of RIB Technologies Pty Ltd

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7.0

SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON
MANUAL


Copyright © 2014-2021 RIB Technologies Pty Ltd
All rights reserved.
This document may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written authority of
RIB Technologies Pty Ltd.


SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Contents
1

Subcontractor Comparison

4

1.1

Subcontractors
............................................................................................................................................
Database
4

1.2

Generating
............................................................................................................................................
a Subcontractor Workbook
5

1.3

Assigning
............................................................................................................................................
Subcontractors
7

1.4

Entering
............................................................................................................................................
Subcontractor Quote Values
8

1.5

Filling
............................................................................................................................................
Quote Values
9

1.6

Adjusting
............................................................................................................................................
Subcontractor Quote Values
11

1.7

Subcontractor
............................................................................................................................................
Status Settings
11

1.8

Editing
............................................................................................................................................
the Estimate Cells
12

1.9

Adding
............................................................................................................................................
Addendum Items
12

1.10 Notes
............................................................................................................................................ 13
1.11 Selecting
............................................................................................................................................
the Preferred Subcontractor
13
1.12 Allowances
............................................................................................................................................
Columns
14
1.13 Incomplete
............................................................................................................................................
Item Check
16
1.14 Subcontractor
............................................................................................................................................
Reports
16
1.15 Generating
............................................................................................................................................
a Standard Workbook
17
1.16 Reverting
............................................................................................................................................
a Sorted Workbook back to Source Format

18

2

Quotes using iTWO costX® viewer

19

2.1

The
............................................................................................................................................
iTWO costX® viewer
19

2.2

Exporting
............................................................................................................................................
workbooks as an EXF Quote File – Overview
20

2.3

Exporting
............................................................................................................................................
Subcontractor Comparison Workbooks to Tender EXF
21

2.4

Export
............................................................................................................................................
Options
21

2.5

Exporting
............................................................................................................................................
Normal Workbooks to Tender EXF
22

2.6

Entering
............................................................................................................................................
Quotes using iTWO costX® viewer
23

2.7

Importing
............................................................................................................................................
Quotes into iTWO costX®
24
Import..................................................................................................................................
Quote EXQ Files to a Subcontractor Comparison Workbook
24
Import..................................................................................................................................

Quote EXQ Files to a Normal Workbook
25

2.8

3

Workbook
............................................................................................................................................
Verification
27

Further Information

28

3.1

Additional
............................................................................................................................................
Reading
28

3.2

Free
............................................................................................................................................
Training Videos
29

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

1

Subcontractor Comparison

Subcontractor Comparison

(Not available in iTWO costX® takeoff versions)
The Subcontractor Comparison workbook in iTWO costX® is designed to be generated from a two-level
Trade based workbook. The primary intent of this feature is to allow quoted or alternate prices from
various Trades and Suppliers to be entered and compared back to the user’s initial estimate.
The Subcontractor Comparison feature consists of two main parts: a pre-formatted Subcontractor
Comparison Workbook; and a suite of default Subcontractor Comparison report templates. The process of
this feature has a specific workflow to follow and is outlined in the sub-sections below.

1.1

Subcontractors Database

A useful component of this feature is the ability to maintain a Subcontractor database categorized to suit
the user’s Trade based workbooks. Those subcontractors will then be available for selection each time a
Subcontractor Comparison workbook is created that includes their trade, without having to type them in

each time.
The Subcontractors database is maintained under the Costing > Subcontractors area within System
Administration (see below).

§

Use the “Insert” button to enter the Subcontractor’s details. Note it is important to nominate the Trades
to match the Trade Summary workbook and then to the relevant subcontractors. A mandatory short
name of the subcontractor (max of 5 letters) also has to be included for use in named column headers
during the workbook generation process.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Subcontractor Comparison

An alternative option is to import all of the subcontractor’s details from an Excel® CSV file that has the
information populated in the following order:
Name, Trade, Short Name, Code, Contact Name, Contact Position, Email, Phone, Mobile, Fax, Postal
Address, Street Address, License, Certification No; Public Liability, Workers Comp; Notes.
For subcontractors who engage in multiple trades the Name and alternative Trade should be entered on a
new line.
§

Click on the drop-down portion of the Import button to import Subcontractors from CSV. The CSV file
can be updated and re-imported to easily maintain the database in iTWO costXđ.

Đ

Direct access to the Subcontractors database is also provided from the Subcontractors Workbook ribbon
menu. Here it gives the choice between accessing the entire Subcontractors list or, if a subcontractor
value cell is selected, the details of the Current Subcontractor.

1.2

Generating a Subcontractor Workbook

The Subcontractor Comparison workflow process begins by selecting the appropriate two-level Trade based
workbook. Any information below the 2nd level Cost sheets in the workbook will be shown as totals at
Level 2 once the Subcontractor Workbook is generated. Rate and Quantity sub-sheet information at Level 2
of the Trade Workbook will still be available in the Subcontractor Comparison workbook If this workbook
has been generated by coding to sort a tender document into subcontract packages, it can later be reverted
back to the original format (see Reverting a sorted Workbook back to source format).
§

Whilst in the Trade estimate workbook, click on the drop-down portion of the Add button in the
Workbooks ribbon and select Generate Subcontractor Workbook...

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Subcontractor Comparison

A Workbook Properties box will open with a naming option for the new workbook which adds the words
“Subcontractor Comparison” to the name of the source workbook. This name can be left as is or amended at
this point, but cannot be the same as the source workbook.

Options also exist to prefill the ‘Preferred’column with pricing from the Trade estimate workbook, or to
leave it blank initially.
It is also possible to specify that a Single Preferred subcontractor will be selected for each trade or, if not
ticked, that each package may be ‘split’on an item-by-item basis. In a network environment, the ability for
ticking or unticking the Single Preferred checkbox can be enabled or disabled for each user within the User
Properties in iTWO costX® server admin.
If ticked, Generate Cell Names automatically creates cell names for key data (subcontractors names, quote
values, etc.) across the Subcontractor Workbook for referencing in other workbooks, or for use in
Excel®/iTWO costXL®.
By default all trades from Level 1 of the source workbook will be selected for inclusion in the Subcontractor
Workbook, however these can be deselected if required.
The naming of the three allowance columns in the Subcontractor Workbook can be entered and will appear
as the respective column headings.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

1.3

Subcontractor Comparison

Assigning Subcontractors

Once the Subcontractors Comparison Workbook is generated, all of the subcontractors that are associated
with the relevant trades in the Subcontractors database, and have been set to Include by default, will
automatically be added to this new workbook ready for their quoted prices to be entered.
The automated assignment of a subcontractor to the trades has enhanced logic when matching workbook
trade titles with the subcontractor listed trades in the System Administration database. This logic ensures
better matches more often, as it handles differences such as singular and plural, ‘&’versus ‘and’amongst
other things. For example, a subcontractor which is set to be assigned to “Excavation and Earthwork” by
default, would automatically match to “Excavation & Earthworks” as well.
§

Additional subcontractors can be assigned to a specific trade in the Subcontractor Workbook by
selecting any cell on that row of the workbook and clicking on the Trade Properties button.

§

The Trade Properties window will open in which any subcontractor associated with that trade but not
set to Include by default can be assigned by checking the Use box.

§

New subcontractors can also be established by clicking on the Add button. iTWO costX® then gives the
option to save the new subcontractor back into the Subcontractors database in System Administration.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

1.4

Subcontractor Comparison

Entering Subcontractor Quote Values

There are a number of methods for entering a subcontractor’s submitted prices into the Subcontractor
Comparison Workbook.
§

Prices can be manually entered for each of the subcontractors in their respective columns at Level 2 of
the workbook. Rates and text can be copied and pasted into multiple cells. Type prices into the Rate
column and the Total column is filled out automatically by multiplying by the quantity column.
Alternatively, type values directly into the total column and the rate is automatically calculated and
filled in. Each cell that needs to have data entered is identified by an orange corner tag, which
disappears when the data is entered. Remaining tags indicate cells that still need to have data entered.

§

Importing subcontractor data from an excel file is easily done by copy-and-pasting the values into the

appropriate corresponding columns within the workbook.

§

Importing an EXQ Quote file from a Subcontractor (refer to Importing Quotes into iTWO costX®).

Entering Quote Values from Excel Export/Import
If the subcontractor prefers to use Excel, trade packages can be easily selected and exported to Excel from
both a standard workbook and a Subcontractor Comparison Workbook. The generated spreadsheets are
formatted to allow rates to be entered and totals to be automatically calculated by multiplying the rate of
each item by the quantity.
§

Click on the Export to Excel button in the Current Trade section of the Subcontractors ribbon to
commence the export.

§

As well as being able to amend the selection of trades to Include there are also options to choose
whether to include estimate rates and totals in the export.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

1.5

Subcontractor Comparison

Filling Quote Values

Various fill options exist within the Subcontractor Comparison Workbook to ‘plug’ gaps in the detail
provided in the subcontractor’s quote.
§

Click on the Fill button in the Subcontractors ribbon to open the fill options.

Fill to Lump Sum
The Fill to Lump Sum option is available when the subcontractor Name or Total column is selected at Level 1
of the Subcontractor Workbook and enables entry of ‘Fill Amount’, ‘Final Total’ and ‘Status’. If you have
already entered some values against the items on Level 2 of the Subcontractor Workbook, the total of these
will be shown in the ‘Current Total’and ‘Final Total’rows.

§

Enter a value in the ‘Fill Amount’. The ‘Final Total’will automatically update to show the total of the
‘Current Amount’ and ‘Fill Amount’. The ‘Fill Amount’ is allocated to each item on Level 2 of the
workbook pro-rata to the initial estimate item value. Any items previously filled are left unaltered and
the remaining empty item cells are filled accordingly.

Fill from Estimate
Fill from Estimate will bring across the values from the estimate to the selected subcontractor’s column.
§

Click Fill From Estimate at Level 1 of the Subcontractor Workbook to fill all items for the selected

subcontractor with the estimate value.

§

Click Fill From Estimate at Level 2 of the Subcontractor Workbook to fill only the selected item(s) for
that subcontractor with the estimate value.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Subcontractor Comparison

Fill from Another Subcontractor
The Fill button drop-down menu is automatically populated with a list of the alternative subcontractors
associated with the selected trade.
§

Click Fill From (Another Subcontractor) at Level 1 of the Subcontractor Workbook to fill all items for the
selected subcontractor with the values from the alternative subcontractor.

§

Click Fill From (Another Subcontractor) at Level 2 of the Subcontractor Workbook to fill only the
selected item(s) for that subcontractor with the alternative subcontractor’s value.

Fill with Text
In the Workbooks section of the iTWO costX® Options it is possible to enter up to four separate userdefined fill text alternatives. These are then available on the Fill button drop-down menu and, if selected,
will enter the predefined text into the selected cell(s) of the Subcontractor Workbook.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

1.6

Subcontractor Comparison

Adjusting Subcontractor Quote Values

Within the Subcontractors Workbook it is possible to select a single item value, or range of values (other
than the original estimate values), at any level of the workbook and adjust them positively or negatively by
a specified amount or percentage.
§

Click on the Adjust Values button and enter an Amount or Percentage in the relevant field. Whichever
field is completed the alternative field value, and the Final Total, will calculate and display accordingly.

1.7

Subcontractor Status Settings

iTWO costX® automatically displays one of four source status indication colors for all prices in a
Subcontractor Comparison Workbook, identifying how the figure was entered: Quote, Plug, Estimate, and
Other.
The status colors flow through automatically to the Preferred and Lowest columns, and up to the top level
of the workbook and can be shown in subcontractor reports. Colored bar charts are shown where multiple
statuses contribute to the overall total.
§

Select a value, or range of values, at Level 2 of the workbook and click on the appropriate Status button
in the Subcontractor ribbon to override the automatic status setting, if required.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

1.8

Subcontractor Comparison

Editing the Estimate Cells

By default, the original estimate section within a Subcontractor Workbook is locked. It is, however, possible
to unlock the estimate cells to amend descriptions, quantities, rates and other details.

Click on the Lock Estimate button in the Subcontractor ribbon to set the estimate cells to locked or
unlocked. (In a network environment this feature can be enabled or disabled for each user within the User
Properties in iTWO costX® server admin.)

1.9

Adding Addendum Items

Irrespective of whether or not the estimate cells remain locked, it is possible to enter additional items in
the pink cells beneath the original estimate cells at Level 2 of the workbook.

§

Click on the first pink cell under the estimate items at Level 2 of the workbook and enter the necessary
addendum information. As soon as the first entry has been made additional pink rows open beneath,
allowing further entries.

§

If a number of items are to be copied-and-pasted in from another application such as Excel, say, then it
is possible to insert and open up sufficient rows to receive the data using the Rows button on the
Workbooks ribbon.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Subcontractor Comparison

1.10 Notes
As in the standard workbooks, Subcontractor Workbooks provide a notes system where any editable cell
can have a note attached, similar to comments in Excel. Cells with notes attached have a red indicator in the
corner to make them easy to identify.
§

Click on Add Note in the Subcontractor or Workbooks ribbon to add a new note

§

Once a cell containing a note is selected, the Add Note button changes to Edit Note.

§

The Notes summary can be turned on and off via the View Notes button in the ribbon. Selecting each
note in the summary view highlights which cell the note is attributed to.

1.11 Selecting the Preferred Subcontractor
Once pricing has been entered, you can select the subcontractor for that item as “preferred” (regardless of
whether the price is the lowest). The pricing for that subcontractor is transferred into the Pref. Total
column of the workbook.
§

To select a subcontractor as preferred, click on a cell with their name or total in it, then click the Make
Preferred button in the Preferred Subcontractor section of the ribbon. If this is done at Level 1 of the
workbook all of the selected subcontractors pricing will be transferred into the Pref. Total column. If it

is done at Level 2 then, if the Single Preferred setting for that trade is ‘on’then all of the pricing will be
transferred to the Pref. Total column or, if the Single Preferred setting for that trade is ‘off’, just the
pricing for the selected item(s) will be transferred to the Pref. total column.

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The Preferred selection can be cleared by use of the “Clear” button in the Preferred Subcontractor
section of the ribbon.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Subcontractor Comparison

The preferred subcontractor cells can be highlighted with background shading in addition to the bold and
underline of the text to make them stand out more, if needed.
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Use the Highlighting button in the Workbooks ribbon to turn on/off the Highlight Preferred
Subcontractor Cells option.

1.12 Allowances Columns
The three Allowances columns in the Subcontractor Workbooks are able to be named to suit the
requirements of the project at hand within the workbook properties. As noted previously the column

names can be entered at the time of generation of the Subcontractor Workbook.
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Select the Column Name tab within the Workbook Properties of the Subcontractor Workbook to enter
or amend the names of the Allowances columns.

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The Allowances columns can be populated at Summary level 1 or at Detail level 2 by using the Fill
options specific for these columns which are available from the same Fill button as used for the filling
the subcontractor prices. When entered at level 1 the values are automatically spread pro-rata across
the underlying level 2 items. At level 2 the values are entered against each individual line item and in
addition to the Fill options may also be entered manually as lump sums, or formulas such as =M1*5%.

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Fill to lump sum - fills as per previously described with the fill functions in the Filling Quote Values
section.

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SUBCONTRACTOR COMPARISON MANUAL

Subcontractor Comparison

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Fill from Preferred - fills the selected cell with a value derived from a percentage of the relative
Preferred Subcontractor total.

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Fill with Percentage Formula - is similar to the above function however this option enters the formula
instead of the derived value. e.g. =M5*0.1. This allows the user to add or make adjustments to the
formula.

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Once populated the values can be adjusted using the Adjust Values button outlined previously.

Values entered in the Allowances columns are reflected in the Pref. inc Allow column, the total of which is
reflected in the Subcontractor Comparison Workbook Total.

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