Add measurements to the budget

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

1. Open your project and click the Budget tab.
2. In the line you want, double-click the Quantity Formula cell (a single click only selects it).
3. 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}.
4. Press Enter to finish the formula. The measured value flows into the line's Quantity automatically.
5. Click Save changes to keep the formula on the budget.

Build a formula from a measurement

You don't have to use the raw number — do math on it right in the cell.

1. Double-click the Quantity Formula cell.
2. Insert a measurement, then keep typing — {Wall Area} * 1.1 adds 10% waste.
3. Combine measurements and numbers freely, e.g. {Slab Area} * {Depth} / 27 when area is in square feet and depth is in feet, to calculate cubic yards.

Round material quantities

While editing a formula, open Functions beside Variables. Choose Round up, Round down, Nearest whole number, or Decimal places to apply it to the entire formula. In an empty cell, enter a number or insert a variable inside the parentheses.

• ceil(4.2) rounds up to 5.
• floor(4.8) rounds down to 4.
• round(4.6) rounds to 5.
• roundTo(4.567, 2) gives 4.57; change the second number to choose the decimal places.

For a material kit that covers 750 square feet, use ceil({Group Qty} / 750) within a square-foot assembly. At 800 square feet, Quantity becomes 2 kits. Use the coverage per complete kit, not the coverage per gallon. Keep the line's Unit and Unit Cost in kits as well.

You can also type min(4, 8), max(4, 8), abs(-4), and sqrt(16). Function names are case-sensitive. Press Enter and save the budget when finished.

Watch it recalculate

Because the line references the measurement (not a frozen number), changing the plan keeps the budget honest:

1. 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.
2. 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.