Global Variables

Global Variables (also called Default Variables or Bid Variables) are system-wide default values that get copied to each new bid when it's created. These settings control overhead, profit, tax rates, waste percentages, and other bid-level configurations.

info

Changes to global variables affect new bids only. Existing bids preserve their original values for historical accuracy.

Variable Categories

Global variables are organized into logical groups:

Category	Variables	Purpose
Percentages	Overhead, Profit, Tax Rates, Waste, Fuel	Markup and cost factors
Labor Rates	8 role rates	Base hourly rates for labor roles
Concrete	3 concrete types	Standard concrete mix pricing
Materials	Common materials	Default material pricing
Equipment	Equipment rates	Default equipment rental rates

Accessing Global Variables

1

Navigate to Admin Panel

Go to Admin Panel from the main navigation.

2

Select Category Tab

Click on one of the tabs:

• Percentages (Tab 1)
• Labor Rates (Tab 2)
• Concrete (Tab 3)
• Materials (Tab 4) - ⚠️ Deprecated, use Pricing Database
• Equipment (Tab 5) - ⚠️ Deprecated, use Pricing Database

3

Edit Values

Click edit icon (✏️) next to a variable, modify the value, and save.

note

Materials and Equipment tabs are largely redundant with the Pricing Database. We recommend using the Pricing Database (Tab 6) for managing material and equipment rates.

Percentages Variables

Core markup and cost factor settings:

Variable	Description	Default	Applied To
Overhead %	General overhead markup	10%	Bid total (after subtotal)
Profit %	Profit margin	5%	Bid total (after overhead)
Materials Tax %	Sales tax on materials	8.25%	Material items
Equipment Tax %	Sales tax on rentals	12.25%	Equipment items
Rebar Waste %	Rebar waste factor	5%	Rebar material calculations
Fuel Charge $/day	Daily fuel cost per equipment	$50	Equipment items

Editing Percentage Variables

1

Open Percentages Tab

Navigate to Admin Panel → Percentages (Tab 1)

2

Click Edit

Click the edit icon (✏️) next to the variable you want to change.

3

Update Value

Enter the new value.

Format:

• Percentages: Enter as decimal (e.g., 0.10 for 10%)
• Currency: Enter dollar amount (e.g., 50 for $50/day)

4

Save

Click save icon (💾). The new value will be used for all new bids created after this change.

warning

Historical Preservation: Existing bids will not be affected by global variable changes. Only new bids created after the change will use the updated values.

Labor Rates Variables

Base hourly rates for 8 standard labor roles:

Role	Description	Default Rate
Executive PM	Project management	$65.00/hr
Safety Manager	Safety oversight	$42.00/hr
Labor Foreman	Crew supervision	$38.00/hr
Equipment Operator	Equipment operation	$27.00/hr
Skilled Labor	Skilled trades	$25.00/hr
Concrete Finisher	Finishing work	$24.00/hr
Unskilled Labor	General labor	$22.00/hr
Testing Labor	Testing services	$20.00/hr

note

These are base rates. The Labor module automatically calculates burdened rates which include FICA, FUTA, SUTA, and other labor burden factors.

Labor Rate Structure

Base Rate (from global variable)
  ↓
+ FICA (7.65%)
+ FUTA (0.6%)
+ SUTA (varies by state)
+ Worker's Comp (varies by classification)
  ↓
= Burdened Rate (shown in Labor module)

Concrete Variables

Default pricing for 3 standard concrete types:

Type	Description	Default Price
Slab on Grade	Slab pours	$125.00/CY
Footings	Foundation footings	$135.00/CY
Grade Beams	Structural beams	$145.00/CY

Editing Concrete Pricing

1

Open Concrete Tab

Navigate to Admin Panel → Concrete (Tab 3)

2

Edit Concrete Type

Click edit icon for the concrete type you want to update.

3

Update Fields

Modify:

• Description - Concrete type name
• Base Price - Price per cubic yard
• Unit - CY (cubic yards)

4

Save Changes

Click save. New bids will use the updated concrete pricing.

How Global Variables Work

Snapshot on Bid Creation

When a new bid is created:

🔍 Click diagram to expand

Result:

• Old bid: Still has 10% overhead (preserved)
• New bid: Has 12% overhead (updated)

Per-Bid Overrides

Estimators can override bid variables on a per-bid basis:

1

Open Bid Settings

In the bid detail page, click Bid Settings (gear icon).

2

Navigate to Variables Tab

Click the Variables tab in the settings dialog.

3

Override Variables

Edit any variable to override the default for this specific bid:

Global Default: Overhead = 10%
This Bid Override: Overhead = 15%

4

Save Override

Click Save. The override applies only to this bid.

tip

Bid-level overrides do not affect other bids or global defaults.

Global vs. Pricing Database

Understanding the difference between global variables and the pricing database:

Global Variables

Purpose: Bid-level defaults (copied to each bid)

Examples:

• Overhead percentage
• Profit percentage
• Tax rates
• Waste factors

Behavior:

• Copied when bid is created
• Can be overridden per bid
• Preserves historical values

Use when: Setting markup and cost factors that vary per bid

Pricing Database

Purpose: Company-wide rate catalog (looked up)

Examples:

• Equipment rental rates
• Material unit costs
• Labor hourly rates
• Subcontractor services

Behavior:

• Looked up when creating items
• Changes affect future items
• Single source of truth

Use when: Managing rates for equipment, materials, labor, and subcontractors

Search and Filter

The Percentages and Labor Rates tables include search functionality:

Filter	Description
Search by Name	Filter variables by name (e.g., "overhead", "profit")
Search by Value	Filter by value range

tip

Use the search bar to quickly find specific variables in large tables.

Variable Types

Global variables are stored as different data types:

Type	Format	Example
Decimal	Percentages and rates	0.10 (10%)
Integer	Whole numbers	50 ($50)
String	Text values	"Overhead"

note

When entering percentages, use decimal format: 0.10 for 10%, 0.0825 for 8.25%.

API Endpoints

Method	Endpoint	Description	Auth
GET	/api/admin/default-variables	Get all global variables	ADMIN
GET	/api/admin/default-variables/:id	Get single variable	ADMIN
PUT	/api/admin/default-variables/:id	Update variable	ADMIN
POST	/api/admin/default-variables	Create variable	ADMIN
DELETE	/api/admin/default-variables/:id	Delete variable	ADMIN
PUT	/api/admin/default-variables/bulk	Bulk update (Concrete)	ADMIN
DELETE	/api/admin/default-variables/bulk	Bulk delete (Concrete)	ADMIN

Audit Logging

All global variable changes are logged:

Action	Logged Data
Variable Created	Name, value, category
Variable Updated	Changed fields (old value → new value)
Variable Deleted	Full snapshot
Bulk Update	Item count, updated fields

View audit logs at Admin Panel → Audit Log tab.

Best Practices

👁️

Review Before Changing

Understand that global variable changes affect all new bids. Review impact before updating.

📖

Document Overrides

When overriding variables for specific bids, document the reason in bid notes.

🏷️

Consistent Naming

Use clear, descriptive names for custom variables.

📅

Regular Review

Periodically review global variables to ensure they reflect current company standards.

Common Scenarios

Changing Overhead Percentage

Scenario: Company policy changes overhead from 10% to 12%.

Steps:

1. Go to Admin Panel → Percentages
2. Edit Overhead % variable
3. Change from 0.10 to 0.12
4. Save

Result: All new bids will use 12% overhead. Existing bids keep 10%.

Adding Custom Variable

Scenario: Need to track a custom cost factor.

Steps:

1. Click "Add Variable" button
2. Enter name, value, and category
3. Save

Result: New variable available for use in bid calculations.

Per-Bid Profit Override

Scenario: One bid needs higher profit margin.

Steps:

1. Open bid → Bid Settings
2. Navigate to Variables tab
3. Override Profit % for this bid only
4. Save

Result: Only this bid uses the custom profit percentage.

Troubleshooting

Changes not reflected in existing bid

This is expected behavior. Global variable changes only affect new bids. To update an existing bid:

1. Open the bid
2. Go to Bid Settings → Variables
3. Manually update the variable

Percentage showing as wrong value

Check format:

• Correct: 0.10 (10%)
• Incorrect: 10 (which would be 1000%)

Always use decimal format for percentages.

Deprecated Tabs

warning

Materials and Equipment tabs are largely redundant with the Pricing Database.

Recommendation: Use Pricing Database (Tab 6) for managing material and equipment rates. It provides:

• Full CRUD operations
• Search and filtering
• Bulk operations
• Better organization

Next Steps

🗄️

Pricing Database

Manage company-wide pricing catalog

📄

Audit Logs

Track all global variable changes