Cost Rollup

The Cost Rollup system automatically aggregates costs from individual estimation items up through scopes to the final bid total. Understanding this flow is essential for accurate bidding and cost management.

info

Costs flow upward: Items → Scopes → Bid Total. Each level calculates automatically based on the level below it.

Cost Flow Architecture

🔍 Click diagram to expand

Level 1: Item Costs

Individual estimation items calculate their own costs:

Concrete Items

Cubic Yards × Concrete Price
+ Rebar Weight × Rebar Rate
+ Formwork Area × Formwork Rate
───────────────────────────
= Concrete Item Total Cost

Example:

Volume: 10 CY @ $135/CY = $1,350
Rebar: 500 LB @ $0.92/LB = $460
Formwork: 120 SF @ $5/SF = $600
────────────────────────────
Total: $2,410

Labor Items

Hours × Rate × (1 + Burden %)
───────────────────────────
= Labor Item Total Cost

Example:

40 hours @ $38/hr base rate
Burden: 35% (FICA, FUTA, SUTA, Worker's Comp)

40 × $38 × 1.35 = $2,052

Equipment Items

Duration × Rate
+ Delivery Fee
+ Fuel Charge (days × $50)
───────────────────────────
= Equipment Item Total Cost

Example:

Dozer: 5 days @ $931/day = $4,655
Delivery: $150
Fuel: 5 days × $50 = $250
────────────────────────────
Total: $5,055

Material Items

Quantity × Unit Price × (1 + Waste %)
───────────────────────────
= Material Item Total Cost

Example:

Rebar: 1000 LB @ $0.92/LB
Waste: 5%

1000 × $0.92 × 1.05 = $966

Subcontractor Items

Base Cost × (1 + Buffer %)
───────────────────────────
= Subcontractor Item Total

Example:

Concrete Pumping: $2,500
Buffer: 10%

$2,500 × 1.10 = $2,750

Per-Module Markup Chain

Before scope costs are summed, each cost category passes through a module markup chain that stacks four factors on top of the hard cost. This is separate from the bid-level Overhead and Profit applied at Level 3.

Hard Cost
+ Equipment Rental Insurance (equipment module only)
+ Workers Compensation (WC %)
+ Overhead %
+ Profit % (on hard cost + WC + overhead + rental insurance)
+ GL/Pollution % (on subtotal after profit)
= Module Total

Markup Variables

Each module has its own set of percentage variables stored as GlobalVariable rows on the bid (seeded from DefaultVariable platform defaults at bid creation):

Variable Name	Module	Description
`Labor_WC`	labor	Workers comp
`Labor_Overhead`	labor	Overhead
`Labor_Profit`	labor	Profit margin
`GL_Pollution_Labor`	labor	GL/Pollution insurance
`Subcontractor_WC`	subcontractor	Workers comp
`Subcontractor_Overhead`	subcontractor	Overhead
`Subcontractor_Profit`	subcontractor	Profit margin
`GL_Pollution_Subcontractor`	subcontractor	GL/Pollution insurance
`Equipment_WC`	equipment	Workers comp
`Equipment_Overhead`	equipment	Overhead
`Equipment_Profit`	equipment	Profit margin
`GL_Pollution_Equipment`	equipment	GL/Pollution insurance
`Equipment_Rental_Insurance`	equipment	Rental insurance on base rental cost only
`Materials_WC`	materials	Workers comp
`Materials_Overhead`	materials	Overhead
`Materials_Profit`	materials	Profit margin
`GL_Pollution_Materials`	materials	GL/Pollution insurance
`Misc_WC`	misc	Workers comp
`Misc_Overhead`	misc	Overhead
`Misc_Profit`	misc	Profit margin
`GL_Pollution_Misc`	misc	GL/Pollution insurance

These variables are set per-bid. Admins configure the platform defaults under Admin → Estimation Settings → Bid Factors & Fees.

Equipment Rental Insurance

The equipment module has an additional Equipment_Rental_Insurance factor that applies only to the base rental cost, not to fuel or delivery charges. The rental insurance amount is added before WC, overhead, and profit are calculated.

Base Rental Cost (e.g. $5,000)
+ Rental Insurance: $5,000 × rentalInsurance%
= Rental Base for WC/OH/Profit

Example: Labor Module

Labor Hard Cost: $2,000
WC (3%):          $60
Overhead (5%):   $100
Profit Base:    $2,160  (hard cost + WC + overhead)
Profit (8%):     $172.80
GL/Pollution Base: $2,332.80
GL/Pollution (1%): $23.33
─────────────────────────────
Labor Module Total: $2,356.13

note

The per-module markup chain applies within each scope. The bid-level Overhead and Profit at Level 3 are applied after all scope totals are summed, on the bid subtotal.

Level 2: Scope Costs

Scopes aggregate item costs by category:

Field	Calculation
`concreteCost`	Sum of all concrete item costs
`laborCost`	Sum of all labor item costs
`equipmentCost`	Sum of all equipment item costs
`materialCost`	Sum of all material item costs
`subletCost`	Sum of all sublet item costs
`miscCost`	Sum of all misc item costs
`totalCost`	(Sum of all categories) × multiplier

Scope Cost Example

Scope: "Foundation"
Multiplier: 1.0

Concrete Items: $10,000
Labor Items: $5,000
Equipment Items: $3,000
Materials Items: $2,000
Subcontractor Items: $1,500
Misc Items: $500
─────────────────────────
Subtotal: $22,000

Multiplier: 1.0
─────────────────────────
Scope Total: $22,000

Scope with Multiplier

Scope: "Driveway (Typical)"
Multiplier: 5.0

Concrete Items: $3,000
Labor Items: $1,500
Equipment Items: $800
Materials Items: $500
Subcontractor Items: $200
─────────────────────────
Subtotal: $6,000

Multiplier: 5.0
─────────────────────────
Scope Total: $30,000  ← $6,000 × 5

note

The multiplier is applied after summing all item categories, not to individual items.

Level 3: Bid Total

The bid aggregates all scope totals and applies overhead and profit:

All Scopes Total (sum of scope totals)
= Bid Subtotal

Bid Subtotal × (1 + Overhead %)
= Subtotal + Overhead

(Subtotal + Overhead) × (1 + Profit %)
= Bid Total

Bid Cost Breakdown

Field	Calculation
`concreteCost`	Sum of all scope `concreteCost`
`laborCost`	Sum of all scope `laborCost`
`equipmentCost`	Sum of all scope `equipmentCost`
`materialCost`	Sum of all scope `materialCost`
`subletCost`	Sum of all scope `subletCost`
`miscCost`	Sum of all scope `miscCost`
`subtotalCost`	Sum of all scope `totalCost`
`overheadAmount`	`subtotalCost × overheadPercent`
`profitAmount`	`(subtotalCost + overheadAmount) × profitPercent`
`totalCost`	`subtotalCost + overheadAmount + profitAmount`

Complete Bid Example

Bid: "Commercial Foundation"

Scope 1: Foundation
  Total: $22,000

Scope 2: Driveway (Typical) [5.0x]
  Total: $30,000

Scope 3: Sidewalks
  Total: $8,000
─────────────────────────
Bid Subtotal: $60,000

Overhead (10%): $6,000
─────────────────────────
Subtotal + Overhead: $66,000

Profit (5%): $3,300
─────────────────────────
Bid Total: $69,300

Tax Handling

Tax is applied at the item level based on bid configuration:

Normal (Taxable)
Tax Exempt

Materials Tax: Applied to material items

Material: 100 SF @ $2.00/SF = $200
Tax (8.25%): $16.50
────────────────────────────
Total: $216.50

Equipment Tax: Applied to equipment rentals

Rental: 5 days @ $500/day = $2,500
Tax (12.25%): $306.25
────────────────────────────
Total: $2,806.25

Auto-Calculation Triggers

Cost rollup recalculates automatically when:

Trigger	Action
Item created	Recalculate scope → bid
Item updated	Recalculate scope → bid
Item deleted	Recalculate scope → bid
Scope multiplier changed	Recalculate scope → bid
Bid variables changed	Recalculate bid total (overhead/profit)
Tax exemption toggled	Recalculate all items → scopes → bid

info

You don't need to manually trigger recalculations. The system handles it automatically.

Manual Recalculation

For edge cases or troubleshooting, you can manually trigger cost rollup:

Open Bid Detail

Navigate to the bid you want to recalculate.

Click Cost Rollup Button

Click the "Cost Rollup" button in the top-right toolbar.

View Recalculation Modal

Modal shows:

Current scope totals
Current bid total
Recalculation in progress

Verify Totals

After recalculation completes:

All scope costs updated
Bid total updated
Modal shows updated values

warning

Manual recalculation should rarely be needed. Use it only if you suspect calculation errors.

API Endpoints

Recalculate Scope

POST /api/costs/scope/:scopeId

Response:
{
  "scopeId": "uuid-123",
  "concreteCost": 10000.00,
  "laborCost": 5000.00,
  "equipmentCost": 3000.00,
  "materialCost": 2000.00,
  "subletCost": 1500.00,
  "totalCost": 22000.00
}

Recalculate Bid

POST /api/costs/bid/:bidId

Response:
{
  "bidId": "uuid-456",
  "subtotalCost": 60000.00,
  "overheadAmount": 6000.00,
  "profitAmount": 3300.00,
  "totalCost": 69300.00
}

Recalculate and Propagate

POST /api/costs/scope/:scopeId/propagate

Description: Recalculates scope costs and propagates to bid total

Full Bid Recalculation

POST /api/costs/bid/:bidId/full

Description: Recalculates ALL scopes and bid total

Viewing Cost Breakdown

Scope Card View

Each scope card shows the cost breakdown:

┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Foundation                      Edit│
├────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Concrete: $10,000                  │
│ Labor: $5,000                      │
│ Equipment: $3,000                  │
│ Materials: $2,000                  │
│ Subcontractor: $1,500              │
│ Misc: $500                         │
│                                    │
│ Scope Total: $22,000               │
└────────────────────────────────────┘

Bid Summary Card

The bid summary shows aggregate costs:

┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Bid Total                          │
├────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Concrete: $40,000                  │
│ Labor: $20,000                     │
│ Equipment: $15,000                 │
│ Materials: $10,000                 │
│ Subcontractor: $8,000              │
│ Misc: $2,000                       │
│                                    │
│ Subtotal: $95,000                  │
│ Overhead (10%): $9,500             │
│ Profit (5%): $4,750                │
│                                    │
│ Bid Total: $109,250                │
└────────────────────────────────────┘

Cost Discrepancies

Common Causes

Issue	Cause	Solution
Scope total doesn't match items	Multiplier not applied	Check scope multiplier
Bid total missing scopes	Scope not linked to bid	Verify scope-bid relationship
Overhead/profit incorrect	Wrong percentages	Check bid variables
Tax amounts wrong	Tax rates outdated	Update pricing database

Troubleshooting Steps

Verify Item Costs

Check individual items have correct:

Quantities
Unit prices
Tax rates (if applicable)

Check Scope Totals

Verify each scope:

Items sum correctly
Multiplier applied
No missing items

Review Bid Variables

Confirm bid settings:

Overhead percentage
Profit percentage
Tax exemption status

Manual Recalculation

If totals still don't match, trigger manual recalculation:

Click "Cost Rollup" button
Review updated totals

Best Practices

👁️

Review Before Submitting

Always review the bid summary before changing status to SUBMITTED. Verify all costs aggregate correctly.

🧮

Use Scope Multipliers Correctly

Ensure multipliers are set correctly for repeated areas. Incorrect multipliers can drastically affect bid totals.

🎚️

Keep Variables Updated

Regularly update global variables (overhead, profit, tax rates) to ensure accurate calculations.

💰

Check Tax Status

Verify tax exemption status matches the client's requirements. Incorrect tax status affects bid competitiveness.

Historical Preservation

note

Important: When bid variables (overhead, profit, tax rates) change globally, existing bids preserve their original values. This ensures historical accuracy.

Example:

January 2025:
- Admin sets Overhead = 10%
- User creates Bid A
- Bid A has Overhead = 10%

March 2025:
- Admin changes Overhead to 12%
- User creates Bid B
- Bid B has Overhead = 12%

Result:
- Bid A still has 10% overhead (preserved)
- Bid B has 12% overhead (new default)

Integration with Other Features

Auto-Materialization

When concrete items auto-add materials:

Concrete Item: 10 CY slab
Auto-add materials: YES

Result:
1. Concrete item added → concreteCost increases
2. Material items created → materialCost increases
3. Both aggregate to scope total
4. Scope total propagates to bid

Per Diem Calculations

When per diem is enabled:

Labor Items: $20,000
Per Diem: $50/day × 20 days × 5 workers = $5,000
─────────────────────────
Total Labor Cost: $25,000  ← Includes per diem

Next Steps

🧮

Scope Multipliers

Learn how multipliers scale costs

💰

Tax Management

Understand tax handling and exemptions

Cost Flow Architecture​

Level 1: Item Costs​

Concrete Items​

Labor Items​

Equipment Items​

Material Items​

Subcontractor Items​

Per-Module Markup Chain​

Markup Variables​

Equipment Rental Insurance​

Example: Labor Module​

Level 2: Scope Costs​

Scope Cost Example​

Scope with Multiplier​

Level 3: Bid Total​

Bid Cost Breakdown​

Complete Bid Example​

Tax Handling​

Auto-Calculation Triggers​

Manual Recalculation​

API Endpoints​

Recalculate Scope​

Recalculate Bid​

Recalculate and Propagate​

Full Bid Recalculation​

Viewing Cost Breakdown​

Scope Card View​

Bid Summary Card​

Cost Discrepancies​

Common Causes​

Troubleshooting Steps​

Best Practices​

Review Before Submitting

Use Scope Multipliers Correctly

Keep Variables Updated

Check Tax Status

Historical Preservation​

Integration with Other Features​

Auto-Materialization​

Per Diem Calculations​

Next Steps​

Scope Multipliers

Tax Management

Cost Flow Architecture

Level 1: Item Costs

Concrete Items

Labor Items

Equipment Items

Material Items

Subcontractor Items

Per-Module Markup Chain

Markup Variables

Equipment Rental Insurance

Example: Labor Module

Level 2: Scope Costs

Scope Cost Example

Scope with Multiplier

Level 3: Bid Total

Bid Cost Breakdown

Complete Bid Example

Tax Handling

Auto-Calculation Triggers

Manual Recalculation

API Endpoints

Recalculate Scope

Recalculate Bid

Recalculate and Propagate

Full Bid Recalculation

Viewing Cost Breakdown

Scope Card View

Bid Summary Card

Cost Discrepancies

Common Causes

Troubleshooting Steps

Best Practices

Historical Preservation

Integration with Other Features

Auto-Materialization

Per Diem Calculations

Next Steps