Name

Name your Labor Item.
💡You don't need to setup each crew in your company, but you'll likely want to setup each type of crew, as different crew types tend to get paid different wages.

Units

This will defaulted to Hours.

Description

Add a description
💡We suggest adding a description here to advise how many of each type of employee are included in your crew (ie. 1 Foreman, 3 Laborers).

Internal Notes

(Optional) Add internal notes only visible to internal staff. Any text added here will be displayed in the description part of job planners.

Sales Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections.
💡If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Average Wage

This is the average wage per man, per hour for this crew (not including labor burden). Click the calculator button beside the Average Wage field to pull up a list of employees from your budget. Then fill out the count column (e.g. 1 Foreman, 3 Laborers) to let LMN auto-calculate the average wage for this crew.

Overtime Factor

Overtime Factor will automatically be calculated for your crew after you add your staff in (as shown above). This calculation is based on the Overtime Hours indicated in the Field Labor tab of your budget.

After you've selected your crew, click OK.

Unbillable Factor (%)

Unbillable Factor is to cover the costs of payroll hours that aren't estimated to customers. Unbillable % typically range from 10% (for companies who include all their setup/driving hours in their estimates) to as high as 35%.

Labor Burden

This is read from your budget. It's the default % to add to employees' wages to cover payroll taxes, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance and another payroll expenses over and above their raw wage.

Overhead Markup

This number comes direct from the budget you are using and will change as you switch your default budgets. This number is how LMN needs to markup your labor costs to recover labor's share of your company's overhead.

Breakeven

This rate covers the costs of labor, plus overhead.

Use Profit Margin from Budget

This is the default setting. LMN will use the budget you've selected and pull the desired net profit margin from the budget. This is the hourly rate that's designed to help you hit the sales goal you set in your budget.

Set a Custom Profit Margin

Select this option if you want to force LMN to ignore your budget and use a custom profit margin. Please note: if you are unhappy with the Profit Margin indicated in your budget, it would be easier to adjust it in the budget then to set a Custom Profit Margin for each item in your catalog.

Set a Custom Price

Select this option if you want to force LMN to use a specific billable rate per hour. Once you customize your billing rate, LMN will automatically calculate, and show you, what your net profit margin is a that rate.

Example 1:

Mowing takes a 3 man crew 2 hours.
​Estimated hours = 6 man hours (3 people x 2 hours).

Example 2:

Building a patio will take a 4 man crew 3 days at 10hrs per day.
​Estimated hours = 120 man hours (4 people x 10 hours x 3 days).

Name

Enter a name for your equipment
​(e.g. Crew Truck - 3/4 ton, Skid Steer, Mini-Excavator, etc.)

Type

Choose either Vehicle or Equipment.

Units

Choose either Hours or Days. (Hint: we recommend you use hours for equipment that works in maintenance/service, and days for equipment that works in construction/install).

Description

(Optional) Displayed on customer proposals if equipment details are shown.

Internal notes

(Optional) Displayed on estimate job planners.

Sales Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections. If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Cost Per Hour/Cost Per Day Calculator

Depending on whether you selected Units: Hours or Units: Days above, you will see a green calculator button

beside either Cost Per Hour or Cost Per Day.
Click this calculator to continue.

Usage

(Equipment Calculator)

Forecast Billable Hrs/Yr

Enter the number of hours per year you will include on estimates this year.
​💡This number is critical for arriving at the right cost/price.

# hrs in a typical work day

Enter the number of hours in a typical work day.

Purchasing Costs

(Equipment Calculator)

Operating Costs

(Equipment Calculator)

Annual Maintenance

Total estimated costs of parts and repair per vehicle/equipment, per year.

Annual Insurance

Total cost for vehicle/equipment insurance per year.

Annual License

Total cost to license the vehicle each year (maybe $0 for equipment).

Fuel Costs

(Equipment Calculator)

Average Fuel Price

Enter the average price per gallon (or per litre) for fuel.
​💡Tip: Be pessimistic - fuel prices are more likely to rise than fall.

Average Fuel Consumed Per Day

The average number of gallons or litres consumed per day.
​💡Tip: Estimate how many gallons/litres consumed per week, then divide by 5 (or the number of working days in your week).

Hourly Cost & Daily Cost

(Equipment Calculator)

Once you've added information into each field provided, you will be left with an Hourly Cost and a Daily Cost.
⚠️ A reminder that these costs are before Overhead and Profit have been added.

✅ Ensure all fields have accurate costs in them and click OK.

Hours Per Day

Average # of estimated hours per day.

Overhead Markup

This number comes direct from the budget you are using and will change as you switch your default budgets. This number is how LMN needs to markup your labor costs to recover labor's share of your company's overhead. This may be indicated as 0% if you're using the Field Labor Hour overhead recovery method.

Breakeven

This rate covers the costs of equipment, plus overhead.

Use Profit Margin from Budget

This is the default setting. LMN will use the budget you've selected and pull the desired net profit margin from the budget. This is the rate that's designed to help you hit the sales goal you set in your budget.

Set a Custom Profit Margin

Select this option if you want to force LMN to ignore your budget and use a custom profit margin.
💡If you are unhappy with the Profit Margin indicated in your budget, it would be easier to adjust it in the budget then to set a Custom Profit Margin for each item in your catalog.

Set a Custom Price

Select this option if you want to force LMN to use a specific billable rate per hour. Once you customize your billing rate, LMN will automatically calculate, and show you, what your net profit margin is a that rate.

Material Name

Enter the name of your material here. We suggest keeping your Material names consistent so that anyone at your company can find materials quickly and easily, even years down the road. (ie. Sand - Brick Sand, Sand - Concrete Sand, Sand - Sweeping Sand, Cedar - 1" x 6" x 8', Cedar - 1" x 6" x 10', Cedar - 1" x 6" x 12', etc.).

Size

Enter your material size.

Units

Enter the units your material is purchased in (ie. Tons, Each, Pallet, etc.).

Type

Choose the material to be either a Hardscape or a Softscape item.

SKU

Ask your vendors for an item number or sku number along with the list of materials. Then when you update your material costs each year, it is easy to upload the new list with the updated prices into LMN with that corresponding ID.

Round to the Nearest

Used by Work Area Templates, this rounds the material quantity to the nearest rounding factor.

Description

A description of the material.

Internal Notes

Will be included on Job Planners.

Sales Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections. If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Unit Cost

The cost-per-unit your company pays to purchase the material.

Shipping Factor

If your vendors charge you for delivery then build that into your material pricing.

Warranty Factor

This factor is to take into consideration that some materials will die/fail and need to be replaced. This will depend on the material. Plants will have a higher warranty factor. If a material has a high warranty factor you may want to increase the profit margin as well.

Purchasing Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections. If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Overhead Markup

This number comes direct from the budget you are using and will change as you switch your default budgets. This number is how LMN needs to markup your material costs to recover labor's share of your company's overhead. This may be indicated as 0% if you're using the Field Labor Hour overhead recovery method.

Breakeven

This rate covers the costs of materials, plus overhead.

Use Profit Margin from Budget

This is the default setting. LMN will use the budget you've selected and pull the desired net profit margin from the budget. This is the rate that's designed to help you hit the sales goal you set in your budget.

Set a Custom Profit Margin

Select this option if you want to force LMN to ignore your budget and use a custom profit margin. Please note: if you are unhappy with the Profit Margin indicated in your budget, it would be easier to adjust it in the budget then to set a Custom Profit Margin for each item in your catalog.

Set a Custom Price

Select this option if you want to force LMN to use a specific billable rate. Once you customize your billing rate, LMN will automatically calculate, and show you, what your net profit margin is a that rate.

Sub Name

The name of the subcontractor or subcontractor type

Units

The units (e.g. hours, square feet, lin. ft, flat price) by which the subcontractor charges you. Enter Flat Price if the subcontractor charges you a custom price for every job, and then leave Unit Cost as $0.00.

Description

(Optional) Here you can add notes about the subcontractor that would show up on client proposals if you listed the subcontractor items (uncommon, but possible).

Internal Notes

Internal notes about the subcontractor that would only appear on Job Planner Reports.

Round to Nearest

Used by Work Area Templates, this rounds the subcontractor quantity to the nearest rounding factor.

Sales Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections. If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Unit Cost

The default cost per unit for this subcontractor (can be changed on any estimate). If the subcontractor charges you a custom flat rate specific to each job, set the Unit Cost to $0.00. This will then show up in red on estimates, reminding you that you need to update this.

Purchasing Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections. If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Overhead Markup

This number comes direct from the budget you are using and will change as you switch your default budgets. This number is how LMN needs to markup your material costs to recover labor's share of your company's overhead. This may be indicated as 0% if you're using the Field Labor Hour overhead recovery method.

Breakeven

This rate covers the costs of subs, plus overhead.

Use Profit Margin from Budget

This is the default setting. LMN will use the budget you've selected and pull the desired net profit margin from the budget. This is the rate that's designed to help you hit the sales goal you set in your budget.

Set a Custom Profit Margin

Select this option if you want to force LMN to ignore your budget and use a custom profit margin.
💡Tip: If you are unhappy with the Profit Margin indicated in your budget, it would be easier to adjust it in the budget then to set a Custom Profit Margin for each item in your catalog.

Set a Custom Price

Select this option if you want to force LMN to use a specific billable rate. Once you customize your billing rate, LMN will automatically calculate, and show you, what your net profit margin is a that rate.

Other Name

Name the item.

Units

The units (e.g. hours, square feet, lin. ft) by which you charge.

Description

(Optional) Notes about the other item that would show up on client proposals if you listed the item details on the proposal.

Internal Notes

Internal notes about the other item that would only appear on Job Planner Reports.

Round to Nearest

Used by Work Area Templates, this rounds the other item's quantity to the nearest rounding factor.

Sales Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections. If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Unit Cost

The default cost per unit for this other item (can be changed on any estimate).

Purchasing Tax

This will be pre-populated from your Default Tax selections.
⚠️ If you have not already setup your Default Taxes, we highly recommend you do this before proceeding with Estimating.

Breakeven

This rate covers the costs of subs, plus overhead.
⚠️ Remember, Other Items do not recover overhead.

Use Profit Margin from Budget

This is the default setting. LMN will use the budget you've selected and pull the desired net profit margin from the budget. This is the rate that's designed to help you hit the sales goal you set in your budget.

Set a Custom Profit Margin

Select this option if you want to force LMN to ignore your budget and use a custom profit margin.

💡Tip: if you are unhappy with the Profit Margin indicated in your budget, it would be easier to adjust it in the budget then to set a Custom Profit Margin for each item in your catalog.
In some circumstances (such as Discounts or Rounding Factors), you must set Other Item's profit margins to 0%.

Set a Custom Price

Select this option if you want to force LMN to use a specific billable rate. Once you customize your billing rate, LMN will automatically calculate, and show you, what your net profit margin is a that rate.