Construction Software Review .com

• Estimating Reviews
• Job Cost/Accounting Reviews
• Project Management & Scheduling Reviews

CLEAR ESTIMATES CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATING SOFTWARE OVERVIEW

Clear Estimates Software Inc. was founded by a father and son from Orfield Remodeling in Minneapolis. They developed their own construction cost estimating software as a means of addressing the shortcomings they saw in existing software packages.

Clear Estimates 2.0, the latest version of the company's construction cost estimating software, can be broken into seven parts:

	Customer Manager -- This database stores customer information and begins all new projects.
	Project Manager -- This application calculates construction estimates based on parts entered into either a standard view or template view. The standard view allows parts to be entered one by one; in the template view, multiple items can be entered at once by selecting from a pre-established list and by changing the quantities. Data entered into both views may be exported in the Word, Excel or PDF format, according to Clear Estimates.
	Reports Manager -- This tool uses previously entered information to draft proposals, cost reports and bid requests; the boilerplate screen controls the different phases and different projects that will be displayed on a proposal. The application generates three types of proposals -- preliminary, formal and subcontractor bid request -- and then tracks project balance with its cost status screen.
	Parts Tool -- This feature manages and customizes the part database.
	Templates Tool -- This function provides custom templates.
	Options Tool -- In this screen, users can control and adjust settings.
	Update Tool -- An application that synchronizes the pricing for more than 8,000 parts with prices determined by the RemodelMAX unit cost estimating database; according to RemodelMAX, its database is updated quarterly and is customized for approximately 350 regions throughout the United States.

Multiple users can simultaneously access Clear Estimates, but a license is required for each computer. All Clear Estimates documents can be exported to Word, Excel or PDF format. Files can also be exported to QuickBooks Pro if they are converted to the Intuit Interchange Format, or IFF, that Clear Estimates has developed.

Although Clear Estimates is a client-based software solution, users will need Internet access during product registration and when using the Update Tool.

Clear Estimates is compatible only with the Windows operating systems; this, however, does include Windows Vista.