Home Depot Estimating Software

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Speshulk

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So as a "thank you" for my business, Home Depot sent me an email yesterday with a link for their estimating software. Did you know that you can wire central air for an average of $203.31? Also, it appears that I've been making a killing on the oil burners I've wired over the years. According to this program, you can wire an oil burner for an average of $152.02.

Anyone else played around with this?
 
Speshulk said:
So as a "thank you" for my business, Home Depot sent me an email yesterday with a link for their estimating software. Did you know that you can wire central air for an average of $203.31? Also, it appears that I've been making a killing on the oil burners I've wired over the years. According to this program, you can wire an oil burner for an average of $152.02.

Anyone else played around with this?
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I hope you kidding.
 
Speshulk said:
I wish I were. It's kinda amusing. One thing that does concern me a
little is what happens if you bid a job and then the owner has gotten
his hands on this program.
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then the owner can do it himself for eleventeen dollars.

can you post a link to the magic software?

i have a personal aversion to home desperate. any
company that makes commercials showing a "more building,
more doing" sort of guy wiping paint on his levis... spare me.
 
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Speshulk said:
So as a "thank you" for my business, Home Depot sent me an email yesterday with a link for their estimating software. Did you know that you can wire central air for an average of $203.31? Also, it appears that I've been making a killing on the oil burners I've wired over the years. According to this program, you can wire an oil burner for an average of $152.02.

Anyone else played around with this?
Click to expand...

What does the estimate include? Since from HD which is geared toward consumers and DIY I could see the estimate including materials only at HD's retail prices. If that is the case those numbers seem somewhat reasonable.
 
Its free and available to everyone.

I checked it out last night. It's free software for all the construction contracting trades but mainly geared to GCs. It shows an average cost for an item then allows you to put in your own price. While some averages seem low there others that are high.

Go to; http://www.superbuild.com, and sign up for it, for free. Once in start a new project, go right to electrical and select every item, when you click save you will then see the list with all the averages. I don't think the costs are realistic enough to be of use.

Rick
 
Speshulk said:
They have things listed like "Install Owner's Simple Light Fixture." $19.71
"Supply & Install Outlet for Overhead Garage Door" $67.14
"Supply & install Electrical Feed to Panel" $99.67
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Wow... I wonder if it adjusts for copper prices that seem to change weekly?

Horsegoer, don't click on that link. :p
 
It is a joke. And the joke is on us. Because it gives the exact numbers a typical GC is hoping to hear, and that re-affirms just what they want to hear- peanuts for the electrical contractors...
 
Speshulk said:
So as a "thank you" for my business, Home Depot sent me an email yesterday with a link for their estimating software. Did you know that you can wire central air for an average of $203.31? Also, it appears that I've been making a killing on the oil burners I've wired over the years. According to this program, you can wire an oil burner for an average of $152.02.

Anyone else played around with this?
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I have

...and its predecessor The HD Worksite CD...

...and IT'S predessor The National Estimator.


All 3 products are essentially the same, and as with any piece of estimating software YOU must dictate YOUR labor rate.
If you just think I can start the program up and begin estimating for fun and profit you are sadly mistaken and will most certainly lose not only your shirt but your underwear as well.

These products come pre-programmed with a very low labor rate...it's actually more of a wage.
Superbuildlaborrate.jpg


If you want to bill out wages..go right ahead.
the smart money is in determining your own labor rate using one of the many methods discussed previously here.
 
Speshulk said:
So as a "thank you" for my business, Home Depot sent me an email yesterday with a link for their estimating software. Did you know that you can wire central air for an average of $203.31? Also, it appears that I've been making a killing on the oil burners I've wired over the years. According to this program, you can wire an oil burner for an average of $152.02.

Anyone else played around with this?
Click to expand...
Wow I suppose those oil burners are just a 10 minute job right/.:blink:
 
From what Celtic posts it seems it is figured with strickly material at cost and labor at a default that includes only true wage plus burden and you need to adjust the labor to your labor and add overhead and profit.
 
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