Understanding the organization of rows in an estimate by master format is critical, especially for larger estimates that require well-defined codes ranging from levels one through four. This article provides a granular look at these levels, underlining their importance in clarity and accuracy within the estimation process.
Key Insights
- The larger the estimate, the more critical it becomes to have well-defined codes, ranging from levels one to four, for organized and accurate estimation.
- Not all items in the master format structure have a level four, but incorporating this level in an estimating spreadsheet can offer a more detailed breakdown of items, enhancing accuracy and understanding.
- Level four of the master format can also include one-time items for specific projects, even unpublishable ones, signified by a star in front of the item number, denoting changes brought into the estimate.
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Rows of an estimate are organized by MasterFormat. The larger the estimate, the more important it is to have well-defined codes ranging from Level One through Level Four. Here’s an example, similar to what we looked at earlier with three levels, but now including an example of Levels One through Four.
Notice that it adds a dot and then two more digits afterward to clearly identify a more granular level of the item. So let's take a quick look: you have concrete at Division 03 00,03 20 00 is concrete reinforcing; under that, you have reinforcement bars, and Level Four is glass fiber reinforcing. It’s considerably deeper, it’s all-inclusive, and includes everything above it in the three different levels. Also note that it is included in our estimating spreadsheet.
We showed you the dot and last two digits on each item. It’s important to understand that not all items in the MasterFormat structure have a Level Four for everything. We went ahead with Level Four in our own spreadsheet so we could clearly define how that fourth level might be used.
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So go ahead and look at your 2016 MasterFormat code list and quickly identify the Levels One through Three or Levels One through Four that we’re referring to here. Level Four can also be used for one-time items specific to a project, even though they’re not published. Notice under Earthwork, each of those item numbers has a star in front of it, referencing that some changes may have been made to that item when it was brought into the estimate.
