Costbook Template

These columns work like folders or levels in the app, letting you organize your costbook by project structure. For example, you might use:

• Item Group 1 = Kitchen
• Item Group 2 = Cabinetry
• Item Group 3 = Wall Cabinets

You can use as many levels as you need (up to 5), and leave deeper levels blank if not needed. This lets you keep things simple or get as granular as you want.

These columns tell Best Estimator which “tier” an item belongs to. For example, a Standard Faucet might be flagged as Good and Better, while a Premium Faucet might be Better and Best. Typically:

• Good – entry-level or standard options
• Better – mid-tier upgrades
• Best – premium or top-tier selections

When a contractor selects a tier for a package in the app, only items flagged for that tier are suggested or grouped. Not every item needs to be in every tier—labor/demo may be all three, but finish materials typically are not.

These columns let you specify how each item is priced:

• Material $/Unit — what you pay for the material per unit.
• Labor $/Unit — a flat labor charge per unit (if you don’t want to use rates/productivity).
• Labor Rate ($/hr) and Labor Productivity (units/hr) — use these if you price labor by the hour and know how many units get installed per hour.
• Equipment $/unit and Other $/unit — for rentals, fees, or small extras.
• Subcontract $/unit, Subcontract Rate ($/hr), Subcontract Productivity (units/hr) — for work done by subs.

Best Estimator uses these fields to build a “cost per unit” behind the scenes, then multiplies by the Quantity in your estimate to get the line total.

You don’t have to fill every cost field. Many contractors use just Material $/Unit + Labor $/Unit, or use rates/productivity for certain trades where it makes sense.

• Measurement Unit (Abbreviation) — what the quantity represents (e.g., sf, lf, ea, job). This shows up in the app when picking quantities.
• Description — appears in the estimator and on PDFs; keep it clear and homeowner-friendly.
• Waste Factor — lets you build in extra material automatically (e.g., 0.05 for 5% waste on tile or flooring).

• Item Image — optional; enter a file name or image key. Later, when your image library is wired up in Best Estimator, you can match this to actual photos of materials, fixtures, or assemblies.
• Tags — comma-separated keywords for search, filtering, and grouping (e.g., “tile,backsplash,ceramic”).

Use tags to quickly find related items in the app (e.g., all quartz countertops, all premium fixtures, all LVP options).