Learn how Project Setup drives your questions, your options, and which line items you see in the Estimate Builder.
Project Setup is your project intake checklist. It's the set of questions you ask before you start building line items.
Instead of guessing or jumping straight into the costbook, you capture the important decisions up front: project type, layout, materials, finishes, wall systems, and so on.
Project Setup doesn't show prices. It collects structured choices that tell Best Estimator which items from your costbook should show up when you build the estimate in the Estimate Builder.
At a high level, Project Setup does two things:
Best Estimator connects Project Setup to the Estimate Builder using two simple ideas from your costbook: group and level.
Example: "What hardware finish do you want?" → customer selects "Brushed Nickel".
In your costbook, related items are tagged with:
The Project Setup question is the group selector ("finish"), and the answer is the level (e.g. "Brushed Nickel").
When you move to the Estimate Builder:
This keeps the Estimate Builder clean and focused. You're only choosing between the options that actually match the choices you made in Project Setup.
wall_system)group = wall_system and level = Tile.Project Setup supports a few simple question types. You don't need anything fancy—just the questions that match how you actually sell jobs.
Short answer. Great for notes like paint color, appliance model, or quick scope notes.
Example: "What paint color?" → "Sherwin Williams Alabaster"
You type a number. Great for things like "How many recessed lights?" or "How many windows?"
Example: "How many recessed lights?" → 12
You pick one option from a list. This is what you'll typically use for group selectors.
Example: "What hardware finish?" → Chrome / Brushed Nickel / Matte Black
Simple ON/OFF questions. Perfect for toggles that trigger extra work or hide entire sections.
Example: "Moving plumbing?" → Yes / No
Best Estimator now uses a group + level system instead of hard-coded Good/Better/Best tiers. This gives you more freedom and keeps the Estimate Builder focused.
group (like "finish", "wall_system", "base").level (like "Chrome", "Brushed Nickel", "Tile").group it controls.level pulled from your costbook for that group.Practically: The question is the group, the answer is the level.
Visibility rules control which questions show up in Project Setup based on earlier answers. They don't control costbook visibility directly—that's what group/level is for.
This keeps Project Setup from feeling overwhelming. You only see questions that actually matter for the job.
Pricing rules are "if-this-then-that" math based on Project Setup answers and the items you've selected. They do not decide which items show—that's group/level. Pricing rules change the numbers.
Example: "When kitchen size is greater than 200 sq ft"
Example: "All labor items in the Kitchen category"
Example: "Add 10% to the cost"
Rule 1: If kitchen size > 200 sq ft, add 10% to all labor costs.
Bigger kitchens take longer. This automatically adjusts your pricing so you don't underbid.
Rule 2: If wall_system level = "Tile", add a waterproofing surcharge to wall labor.
Tile installs need more prep. This keeps your margins safe on premium work.
Rule 3: If "Moving plumbing?" = Yes, automatically add "Plumbing Rough-In" line item.
Never forget to charge for hidden work. Rules make sure you're consistent every time.
Best Estimator uses AI to make building Project Setup questions and pricing rules faster and less stressful.
Think of it as a helpful assistant: you describe how you price jobs and what options you offer, and AI helps turn that into Project Setup questions, group/level mappings, and pricing rules. You're always in control—AI just helps you set it up faster and more consistently.
No. Use groups/levels only where you have multiple versions of the same thing (like finishes or wall systems). General items like demo, permits, and design fees don't need a group or level—they'll always show.
That's fine. You don't need a formal tiered system at all. Just create group selector questions that match your actual choices: finish style, wall system, vanity type, flooring type, etc. Project Setup adapts to your workflow.
Existing estimates keep the answers they already had. New questions only affect new estimates or when you re-open and update an old one. Your past work stays intact, and you can evolve Project Setup over time.
No. Project Setup is for you and your team. Homeowners only see the finished proposal and line items, not the internal questions and rules behind the scenes.
Start with 5–10 core questions that you always ask. Add more when you notice "I keep forgetting to ask this". Too many questions can slow you down, so grow Project Setup gradually instead of trying to build everything at once.
Yes. Use a project-type question and visibility rules so that kitchen questions only show when project type = Kitchen, and bathroom questions only show when project type = Bathroom. One Project Setup can cover multiple project types cleanly.
You can edit Project Setup questions, visibility rules, and pricing rules at any time. Test changes on a few sample jobs before rolling them into live sales. It's your system—you're allowed to tweak and improve it as you go.
No. Start simple. Let the costbook and group/level logic do most of the work. As you see patterns in your jobs (like always adding 10% to certain conditions), you can add rules to automate them.