Exterior Finishes Estimating Guide
Roofing Materials Section
Refer to All About Roofing Materials for any questions regarding construction materials and processes related to this section
Header Information
Ensure that the SF of Flat Roof Area, LF Roof Edge, and LF Ridgeline cells have pulled correct information from the BasicInfo tab.
Starter Course
Starter Course refers to the area of every roof plane where a starter strip is laid down to begin finishing that section of Roof.
- Open the plans in Bluebeam. Both the Roof Plans and the Elevation Views will be useful for calculating the Starter Course in LF.
- Use the measuring tool to do takeoffs of every roof edge that will have a starter strip on it.
- One easy way to identify roof edges that will require starter strip is to look for horizontal edges that do not border a gable.
- Roof Overbuilds are typically perpendicular to the main roof and come to a point as they run up the main roof, forming a triangle. There will typically still be a horizontal edge in these features. That plan of the roof simply gets wider as it comes to ridge of the overbuild.
- Add the LF of the edges together and enter that number in the LF Starter Course cell of the Roof Materials Section Header.
- This number will also be the exact quantity of Starter Course material needed for the project, not accounting for waste.
Roof Slope (In per Ft)
Slope is the ratio of Rise/Run. In construction, it is measured in inches per foot, and typically is represented by a single number (eg. a Roof Slope of 8 indicates that for every 1' of horizontal run, the roof rises 8").
- Open the plans in Bluebeam. The Elevation Views should have an inverted right triangle present at the roof slopes. This triangle will give values for rise and run.
- Enter the value given for rise in the Roof Slope cell of the Roofing Materials Section Header.
SF of Sloped Roof Area
This cell contains a formula that should automatically calculate the SF of Sloped Roof Area, once the other header cells are completed.
Materials Subsection
Line items in this subsection that require extra consideration outside of the process described in How to Complete Material Estimates.
Labor Subsection
This is the same process used for estimating labor costs for any other construction task using the NCE.
- Ensure that the materials that correspond to each job description are present in the line items in the Materials Subsection.
- Use the NCE to look up the CraftHrs, Unit, and Labor for the specific job and material.
- Reference any relevant information in the Header and Material Subsection to calculate the quantity of Labor required for the job.
- Ensure the Total cell has calculated the total cost for completing the job.
Windows Section
Refer to All Window Materials for any questions regarding construction materials and processes related to this section
Header Information
Check the Window Schedule for the project to count the number of windows of each SF designation, then enter them in the appropriate cells of the header.
Materials Subsection
Line items in this subsection that require extra consideration outside of the process described in How to Complete Material Estimates:
- n/a
Labor Subsection
This is the same process used for estimating labor costs for any other construction task using the NCE.
- Ensure that the materials that correspond to each job description are present in the line items in the Materials Subsection.
- Use the NCE to look up the CraftHrs, Unit, and Labor for the specific job and material.
- Reference any relevant information in the Header and Material Subsection to calculate the quantity of Labor required for the job.
- Ensure the Total cell has calculated the total cost for completing the job.
Exterior Doors Section
Refer to All Exterior Door Materials for any questions regarding construction materials and processes related to this section
Header Information
Check the Door Schedule for the project to count the number of doors of each width designation, then enter them in the appropriate cells of the header.
Materials Subsection
Line items in this subsection that require extra consideration outside of the process described in How to Complete Material Estimates:
- n/a
Labor Subsection
This is the same process used for estimating labor costs for any other construction task using the NCE.
- Ensure that the materials that correspond to each job description are present in the line items in the Materials Subsection.
- Use the NCE to look up the CraftHrs, Unit, and Labor for the specific job and material.
- Reference any relevant information in the Header and Material Subsection to calculate the quantity of Labor required for the job.
- Ensure the Total cell has calculated the total cost for completing the job.
Vinyl Siding Section
Refer to All About Exterior Siding Materials for any questions regarding construction materials and processes related to this section
Header Information
| Square Footage of House Wrap | Calculated by determining the length of the exterior walls covered by the house wrap including the area of the gable ends, and multiplying by the width of the roll of house wrap (typically 9'). Then add the SF of the gable walls, which will also be covered in wall wrap. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| Square Footage of Siding | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the area of all walls that are covered in vinyl siding in the plans in Bluebeam. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF Starter Strip | Calculated by identifying the starting points for every exterior surface covered in vinyl siding, and completing a takeoff of the LF of those starting points in Bluebeam. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF J Channel | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the perimeter of any window and exterior door openings in Bluebeam. Note that the bottom length of door openings will most likely not include J channel, so do not include it in your total. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF Utility (Underseal) Trim | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the lengths of the top of the exterior walls and the top of the gable walls in Bluebeam. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF Outside Corners | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the length of any outside corners where vinyl siding will meet. Add all the measurements together and inpt that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF Inside Corners | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the length of any inside corners where vinyl siding will meet. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF Window Trim | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the perimeter of any window openings that the plans indicate will include trim in Bluebeam. Add all the measurements together and input that value in the spreadsheet. |
| LF Soffit | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the perimeter of the roof. Add all the measurements together and inpt that value in the spreadsheet. |
| Soffit Width (FT) | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the profile view of an area of soffit. Pay attention to the unit indicated for this measuement. |
| SF Porch Soffit Area | Calculated by completing a takeoff of the under area of the porch that is inside of the support beams in Bluebeam. Input this value in the spreadsheet. |
| SF Soffit | Automatically calculated when LF Soffit and Soffit Width (FT) are input in the appropriate cells. |
Wall Siding Area Table
- Navigate to the Vinyl Siding Materials section of the ExtFin tab.
- Scroll to the right of that section to find the Wall Siding Area table.
- Input the SF values of each of the following walls in the table:
- Front Gable
- Left Elevation Wall
- Left Gable
- Back Wall
- Right Elevation Wall
- Right Gable
Materials Subsection
Line items in this subsection that require extra consideration outside of the process described in How to Complete Material Estimates.
Labor Subsection
This is the same process used for estimating labor costs for any other construction task using the NCE.
- Ensure that the materials that correspond to each job description are present in the line items in the Materials Subsection.
- Use the NCE to look up the CraftHrs, Unit, and Labor for the specific job and material.
- Reference any relevant information in the Header and Material Subsection to calculate the quantity of Labor required for the job.
- Ensure the Total cell has calculated the total cost for completing the job.
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