Getting Started with Forma Estimate

Note:

To access Forma Estimate, your company must have the Forma for Preconstruction Bundle subscription. This subscription includes licenses to Forma Takeoff, Forma Estimate, Forma Data Management, BuildingConnected Pro, BidBoard Pro, TradeTapp, and ProEst. In hubs with the Forma for Preconstruction Bundle, a hub administrator must assign users to a Preconstruction license. For more information about subscribing to the Forma for Preconstruction Bundle, contact your hub representative.

There are some important setup tasks to complete before getting started with Forma Estimate. You must configure Preconstruction project settings before creating an estimate. It’s recommended that an administrator setup classifications and standardized cost and line item data in your hub library before you configure project settings.

Configure Preconstruction Project Settings

Preconstruction Project Settings

Configure settings for measurement system, currency, and classifications for Preconstruction projects in Settings in Takeoff. Learn more about configuring project settings.

Measurement system and currency settings are required to start an estimate project.

Settings in Estimate

If measurement system and currency have not been set before visiting Estimate for the first time, you will be prompted to configure these settings in Estimate.

Note:

If you have used Takeoff previously for your project, these settings may have already been configured in Preconstruction > Takeoff > Settings.

To configure Preconstruction settings for Estimate on your first visit:

  1. On the Estimate page, click the Set the measurement and currency link in the center of the page. This will open a Set Project Settings modal where you can configure project measurement and currency.
  2. Set Measurement system.
    • Select either Imperial or Metric for the project measurement system.
      • Important: The measurement setting cannot be changed for line items sent from Takeoff once takeoff has been created.
  3. Set Currency.
    • Select the currency to display for your project from the drop-down menu.
      • Changing the currency display setting does not perform currency conversion.
Note: If you want to set up classifications for your project, you’ll need to visit project Settings in the Takeoff tool. Learn more at configuring Preconstruction project settings.

Set up Classifications for Estimate

Use classifications to categorize and organize takeoff and estimate data.

Estimate Project Classifications

Currently up to two classification structures can be used in an Estimate project. You can configure project settings for Preconstruction projects in Takeoff Settings. Learn more about Preconstruction project settings.

Hub Library Classifications

Set up library classifications for your hub. You'll want to set up library classification structures before creating other Preconstruction Library items like line items and costs which will use these classifications.

  1. Add Library Classifications to your hub in Hub Admin > Library > Classifications.

    • Add or import classifications at the hub level to the Classifications Library in Hub Admin, where they can be made available for your projects to use.

  2. Assign Classification Structures to make them available to your Preconstruction projects in Hub Admin > Library > Preconstruction > Settings.

    • In Preconstruction Library Settings, you can then assign up to five library classifications to your hub to make them available to your Estimate projects.

 

Set up Costs and Line Items in Preconstruction Library

Note:

It is recommended to set up library classifications at the hub level before creating other Preconstruction Library items like line items and costs which will use these classifications.

Set up costs and line item data in your hub library once and then use these library items for multiple projects in your hub to create estimates more quickly.

Manage costs and line items for your hub in Library > Preconstruction in Hub Admin. Learn more about the Preconstruction Library and adding library costs and line items.