Your first tender
Build a reviewable estimate. “Not ready to send” means important information or approval is still missing.
1. Start with a practice BOQ
Download the small TEST ONLY Excel workbook. Its quantities are fictional and it contains no approved prices. Keep practice tenders clearly labelled.
2. Import and review
Open Tender lab → BOQ import. Choose your Excel workbook, sheet and header row. Map Item, Description, Unit and Quantity to four different columns. Preview all rows. Correct mistakes with a note; exclude headings or totals with a reason. Formula quantities require your review. Blank quantities stay unknown.
Confirm the preview and import. This starts a new unsaved tender. Review its name and pricing date, then save a revision. Save any work you want to keep before starting a different import.
3. Explain the price
For each item, record scope, measurement, method, production, labour, plant and materials. Record subcontractor costs, risk and allowances where applicable. A blank cost does not mean free. Do not enter invented supplier prices to clear a warning.
Production means work completed per crew-day. Unit rate means price per BOQ unit. A selling quotation may already include overhead and profit; adding them again can double-count.
4. Resolve questions and review
Use Checks and Evidence requests to find missing inputs. Save changes before governance actions. Reviewer and approver are separate roles. Their recorded actions must apply to the correct saved revision; editing that revision's estimate requires fresh review.
A typed name does not prove professional competence or independent acceptance. The app remains under controlled validation.
5. Download and check
The saved review report gives a readable copy of the owner's saved tender, build-ups and history. Open the downloaded HTML file to read it or use your browser's Print → Save as PDF. Unsaved changes are excluded. A review report does not authorise submission.
Backup and recovery in the account bar downloads your owned business records. Check Downloads for the dated JSON file. It looks like structured text; keep it secure and unchanged. It does not include original source documents.
If something goes wrong
- Wrong account: save your changes, then use Sign out in the account bar.
- Import held: read the specific row error. Check mapping, unit, quantity, duplicate IDs and exclusion reasons.
- Stale revision: reload the saved tender before applying your changes; do not repeatedly overwrite.
- Download requested: check Downloads. If there is no file, record the time and message before retrying.
- Backup schema warning: stop repeated export attempts and report the exact message. Do not alter your backup by hand.
For a support handover, email dwayne@civilestimate.ie with the action, approximate time, browser, saved revision and visible error. Avoid including private tender contents or login details unless specifically required through an authorised channel.