The single biggest upgrade to your estimating isn't a better spreadsheet — it's not starting from scratch. A rate library is a maintained set of your costs for materials, labour, and common assemblies, so every estimate is built from known numbers instead of fresh guesses.
How to structure it
- Materials — unit costs, kept current with your suppliers.
- Labour — hourly or task rates by role.
- Assemblies — pre-built combinations for work you do repeatedly (a "per square metre" or "per unit installed" rate that rolls up materials + labour).
Assemblies are where the speed comes from: quote a whole task in one line instead of rebuilding it every time.
Keep it current
A rate library is only as good as its freshness. Review rates on a schedule and update them when supplier prices move — a stale library is a discount you didn't decide to give.
The payoff: speed and consistency
Two things happen once the library exists. Estimates get dramatically faster, and — just as important — two people quoting the same job land on the same number. That consistency is what makes your pricing defensible.
Reusable rate libraries are built into EstiWright, so your numbers stay current and your quotes stay consistent.