By default, the Totals Table and Section Markup operate independently -- they are two separate ways of applying your markup, and they can produce different figures. If you always want to work with section-level markup and do not want to maintain two separate sets of figures, you can enable Accumulate Sections mode.
Totals table vs section markup (default behaviour)
In the default mode:
- The totals table shows one sell-out figure based on the blanket percentages you entered on the main summary table screen.
- Section markup shows a different sell-out figure based on the per-section percentages you entered in the section markup screen.
- When you proceed to generate bills, tender documents, or a quantified schedule of rates, the software asks you which figure to use -- the Totals Table figure or the Individual Table (section markup) figure.
If you use section markup to adjust specific sections, you must select Individual Table (not Totals Table) when generating your final documents. Otherwise, your section-level adjustments will not be reflected in the output. Even though you made changes in section markup, the totals table on the main summary screen will still show the original figure.
This default behaviour works well if you normally use the totals table and only occasionally need section-level adjustments for specific jobs.
Enabling accumulate sections on a new job
- 1
When creating a new job, click Show Advanced Options on the job header screen.
- 2
Tick the Summary table accumulate sections checkbox.
- 3
Create the job as normal and proceed through your takeoff to the summary table.
How accumulate sections works
When accumulate sections is enabled, the summary table behaves differently:
- The main summary table becomes read-only -- you cannot type percentages directly into the on-cost, overhead, or profit fields on the totals table.
- All markup must be entered through the Section Markup screen. You expand each section, set your inflation and on-cost percentages, and the totals table automatically reflects the accumulated total of all your section markups.
- You can still use preset markup percentages (from the miscellaneous file) in conjunction with accumulate sections. The preset values will be applied when you enter section markup, saving you from entering them manually for each section.
- Prelims and prime costs are still entered on the main summary table -- only the markup percentages are controlled through section markup.
- When you proceed to generate bills or tender documents, the software does not ask which table to use. It uses the accumulated figure automatically, removing the risk of selecting the wrong option.
Accumulate sections is the recommended approach if you routinely price at section level. It eliminates the possibility of accidentally using the totals table figure when you intended to use your section-level adjustments.
Setting accumulate sections as the default
If you want every new project to use accumulate sections without having to tick the box each time:
- 1
Go to Tools > System Preferences.
- 2
Find the Summary table accumulates sections tick box.
- 3
Tick it and save.
This setting only applies to new projects. Existing projects that were created without accumulate sections cannot be switched after the fact. If you need section-level control on an existing project, you will need to use the default independent mode and select Individual Table when generating documents.
Next steps
- Section markup -- apply different markup to each section of your project.
- Using the summary table -- review the overall layout and cost-to-sell path.
- Presetting default markup -- preset markup percentages so they are pre-filled in section markup.
- Cost code markup -- group and mark up materials by your own cost code categories.