Add measurements to the budget
Pull a plan measurement straight into a budget line's quantity using a {Parameter} token, so the budget recalculates the moment the measurement changes.
Every takeoff you measure becomes a parameter you can drop into a budget line's quantity. Reference it once and the budget tracks the plan from then on.
Reference a measurement in a quantity
- Open your project and click the Budget tab.
- In the line you want, double-click the Quantity Formula cell (a single click only selects it).
- Pick a measurement under its plan/group in the takeoff list. If its name is unique, you can also type it inside braces — for example,
{Wall Area}. - Press Enter to finish the formula. The measured value flows into the line's Quantity automatically.
- Click Save changes to keep the formula on the budget.
Note
The Quantity Formula overrides the typed Quantity. Leave the formula blank to type a quantity by hand instead.
Build a formula from a measurement
You don't have to use the raw number — do math on it right in the cell.
- Double-click the Quantity Formula cell.
- Insert a measurement, then keep typing —
{Wall Area} * 1.1adds 10% waste. - Combine measurements and numbers freely, e.g.
{Slab Area} * {Depth} / 27when area is in square feet and depth is in feet, to calculate cubic yards.
Note
Each token remains linked to the measurement you chose. When names repeat, choose the correct source from the list. Renaming a measurement updates its label without moving the formula to another source.
Watch it recalculate
Because the line references the measurement (not a frozen number), changing the plan keeps the budget honest:
- Click the eye beside the measurement in the formula list to open its measured page in a new tab. Adjust the measurement there — add area, trim a count, or change a depth.
- Return to the Budget. Any line that referenced that measurement shows the new quantity, and its extended cost and price update with it.
This is the payoff of measuring and budgeting in one place: re-measure once, and every line that depends on it follows.
Don’t see this?
Editing a formula needs budget editing access. The eye that opens a measured page is available to internal members with file access. If a source is unavailable, resolve it rather than treating its dependent calculation as zero.