XACTIMATE MACROS

[SOPRANOO24]

I GOING TO START A NEW JOB TOMORROW AT A BRAND NEW RESTORATION COMPANY AS AN ESTIMATOR, ONE QUESTION THEY ASKED DURING MY INTERVIEW WAS IF I USE OR USED MACROS IN XACTIMATE? NEVER HEARD OF IT,,WHAT IS A MACRO EXACTLY AND HOW DO I FIND ONE'S THAT CAN HELP ME WITH XACTIMATE 25 THE WAY THEY EXPLAINED IT SOUNDS IT WOULD MAKE MY LIFE EASIER, PLEASE SOMEONE EXPLAIN THANK YOU

[jhettich]

Macro are built in Xactimate as you write your estimates you can save sections that you repeat on a regular basis including the attachments(footnotes) the next time you have a job that you need the same line items you just select the macro that you made for that list of items and it is there no searching for the items you want and it is all the same consistancy when youy write. I would suggest though that you build them in small sections 3-4 line items at a time and you can build as many macros as you want.

[SOPRANOO24]

Thanks, ok I got it... question..if its not to hard to explain...how do I save the macros once I look up the lines I lneed for the estimate? Lets say I have all my lines for the equipment charges for a water damaged ect....I would I save it in xactimate as an macro and where would I find it then after?

[jhettich]

You would select the itms that you want by holding control and selecting the items that you want to save then right click and hit the save or save as macro. once that is done you will give that macro a name and ok> after that they should be to the right of your item selection field you will see a window that says macros or they will be in the top tabs just double click the one that you want and it puts it right into the estimate. If you have the same items for mulitiple rooms copy those items and paste into all the rooms that you want. you may have to modify the calculations of the items but it is that simple.

[SOPRANOO24]

Thanks for explaining to me......Will try it on Monday when I have to do a smoke out job, the guys cleaned the complete house..every single ceiling & wall ect..in the whole house, some rooms are basicly the same write up. I found the marco icon....


Any tips on sketching?? How to make drawing the sketch easier?
as you can tell Im pretty knew at this, I went from project manager of fire/mitigation to mitigation/emergency estimator ONLY..so I would like to get to know xactimate inside/out any tips would greatly help. Need to impress the new company/job thanks again for any tips/help

[jhettich]

when you are in sketch all you need to do is press the letter R and it will create a new room for you. also if you click on a wall in your first room you will see a blue square you can double click your blue square it will show the measurement of the other wall if you just type in the measurement that you want it will change the size of the room to what you want no dragging back and forth until you get the correct size. also you can creaate another room by clicking on the blue square and hold control drag to the size you want and it creates your next room and you can do this as many times as you need to create your rooms.

hope this helps.

[SOPRANOO24]

100% THAT HELPS THANK YOU.. ANY ADVISE/TIPS WILL HELP. LIKE I SAID I WAS ALWAYS OUT IN THE FIELD ECT AND NOW IM TRYING TO BE A ESTIMATIOR.LOL..ITS MY 1ST TIME AND 1ST COUPLE OF DAYS AND I DID ALRIGHT BECAUSE BASICALY ALL MY ROOMS WERE SQUARE AND JUST ONE OR TWO ROOMS, BUT PAST FRIDAY WHEN TO A SMOKE OUT/PUFF OUT AND THE TOP 2ND FLOOR HAD FOUR ROOMS WITH 3 BATHROOMS AND TONS OF CLOSETS AND CEILING WERE PITCHED AND IN THE MASTER BED ROOM THE CEILING WENT FROM A 12 FT HIGH PITCHED CEILING THEN IT DROPS TO A FLAT SECTION THATS 8 FT TALL ECT...WAS PRETTY CHALLENGING DIDNT FINISH IT AND WILL TRY AGAIN MONDAY BUT MONDAY THIS ESTIMATE NEED TO BE DOON BUT IM GETTING WORRIED BOUT THAT TOP FLOOR AND HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE, BUT I WILL TRY YOUR ADVISE AND SEE HOW IT WORKS FOR ME.. PLEASE ANY TIPS ADVISE PLEASE KEEP IT COMING FOR THIS NEWBI

[SOPRANOO24]

if a room has lot of cut-outs and wall that come out and then go back in ect...what tools are the best to use to make those type of walls ect?