Frequently Asked Questions

You'll need Parallels, a software program that allows you to operate Windows in a separate window on your Mac computer. And you'll need a current Windows operating system.

Both products are available from MacMall.com, you can find Parallels here: Desktop 7 for Mac ($69.99) And Windows 7 here: Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit OEM - English - Single Pack DVD. ($106.14)

Install Parallels first - then install Windows 7. Then install any of our software programs.

ARE HELP FILES AVAILABLE?

Help files are available in the software. You can also review and download the help files here: Download Fast Track Estimating Software Help Files

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WHAT COST CATEGORIES ARE USED?

Fast Track Estimating identifies four cost categories - material, labor, sub-contractor quotes and other costs. Material cost is the sum of all materials used in that assembly. Labor cost is the product of the time required for that assembly multiplied by the labor rate for the type of work being done. Both sub-contractor quotes and other costs are fixed figure amounts.

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HOW EASY IS IT TO ADD NEW MATERIALS OR A NEW ASSEMBLY?

Adding new materials or assemblies is extremely easy. The fastest method is by cloning an existing item and making the necessary changes. If you don't want to clone, it is quick and easy to add new items using a simple form.

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HOW FLEXIBLE ARE THE LABOR RATES?

The labor table has an unlimited number of labor categories available. If your labor category isn't listed, add it. If the labor rate shown doesn't match the rates you pay, change the labor rate. The labor cost in the assemblies using that labor rate is changed immediately.

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HOW EASY IS IT TO CREATE AN ESTIMATE?

Simply select assembly items from a table. If you have a previous estimate that is similar, you can copy the previous estimate and make the pertinent changes. There are also a number of basic templates already included (and you can add more) that can be quickly added to any estimate.

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HOW EASY IS IT TO CHANGE AN ESTIMATE?

Estimate items can be added or deleted quickly. If you are estimating a job with unique costs, you can easily change the cost of any cost category for that one estimate only. This makes it easy to add sub-contractor quotes to an estimate. A separate markup table allows you to specify the markup for each of the four cost elements (material, labor, sub-contractor quotes and other costs). You can override the markup level for any assembly in an estimate if needed.

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WHAT REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE?

A wide variety of reports are available in Fast Track Estimating. A sample of each report is shown below (reports open in a new window and are in pdf format, requiring the free Adobe Acrobat software to view)

Customer Reports
Price Detail, Sorted by Room Area
Price Summary, Sorted by Room Area
Price, Total with Quantity Detail, Sorted by Room Area
Price, Total Only, Sorted by Room Area
Price Detail, Sorted by Type of Work
Price Summary, Sorted by Type of Work
Price, Total with Quantity Detail, Sorted by Type of Work
Price, Total Only, Sorted by Type of Work

Estimate Reports
Full Cost and Price Detail
Cost Detail, Sorted by Room Area
Cost Summary, Sorted by Room Area
Cost Detail, Sorted by Type of Work
Cost Summary, Sorted by Type of Work
Cost Summary, Sorted by Type of Work with Totals

Material Reports
Detailed Material Purchase List, Sorted by Type of Work
Summary Material Purchase List, Sorted by Type of Work
Material Use Report, Sorted by Material Item

Labor Reports
Detailed Labor Report
Summary Labor Report

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DO YOU OFFER COST UPDATES?

Automatic updates, adjusted by a percentage to reflect different parts of the country, may not represent the cost you pay for material at your local yard. For that reason, we believe the best material cost to have in your database is the cost you pay for materials.

Fast Track Estimating ships with most materials already in the database, with a cost for each material. We recommend reviewing the material list and updating the material costs to reflect the costs you see on your invoices.

Updating the purchase price for your materials is quick and easy, and is immediately reflected in the assemblies using that material. If you wish, blanket cost increases can also be made, i.e., increase the cost of all framing materials by a given percentage. Reports are available, allowing you to quickly eyeball the purchase price loaded for material by section.

Similarly, it is easy to update labor costs quickly to reflect your labor rates, and labor cost changes are reflected immediately in assemblies.

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IF I REVIEW AN ESTIMATE CREATED A YEAR AGO, WILL THE PRICE I PRESENTED TO MY CUSTOMER STILL BE SHOWN?

Yes. Estimates are not updated (regardless of changes to assembly, material or labor costs) until you request they be updated.

Updating costs is easy. In the Estimate screen, a "Update/Standard Costs" option will update all standard costs in an estimate to reflect current costs and labor rates. If a standard cost has been overridden (i.e., a sub-contractor quote was added for a specific line item) that cost will not be updated.

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WHAT PROGRAMS ARE REQUIRED ON MY COMPUTER?

Fast Track Estimating requires Windows 2000/XP or higher. All other components required will be installed if they aren't already on your computer. You do not need Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access to operate Fast Track Estimating.

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SUPPORT FAQ's

HOW DOES FAST TRACK ESTIMATING INTERACT WITH FAST TRACK PROPOSAL WRITER?

After creating an estimate, it is possible to open Fast Track Proposal Writer, select the estimate, and pull in all relevant Work-related contract language for that estimate.

Fast Track Proposal Writer will compare the Paragraph Number in Fast Track Estimating (found at the bottom of the Assembly Detail) with the Paragraph Number in Fast Track Proposal Writer. The software walks through every assembly in the estimate to see if a Paragraph Number exists. If a Paragraph Number exists, the matching number will be found in Fast Track Proposal Writer and that language will be placed in the Work section of the contract. Then you can use the "Edit" function in FTPW to input quantities and specific details for that contract.

NOTE: If you purchased Fast Track Estimating prior to February of 2011, the database you received had some incorrect Paragraph Numbers in the assemblies. If you use any of these estimate items, you will either add the wrong paragraph language in FTPW, or not add any language to match the item. Click here to see the paragraph numbers that need to be changed in Fast Track Estimating to match your Fast Track Proposal Writer software.

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EXPLAIN THE FILES USED

There are two major databases used in the Fast Track Estimating Software.

The material and assembly databases are stored in the file named FTED.mdb (or just FTED). Estimates are stored in the file named FTEC.mdb (or just FTEC). When the program is open, you'll might also see files named FTED.ldb or FTEC.ldb. These files only exist when the program is open, when you exit Fast Track Estimating, the .ldb files will disappear.

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WHERE ARE THE DATABASES LOCATED?

It depends on your Windows operating system and whether or not you used the default file location.

In Windows 2000 and XP, the databases are normally located in the C:\Program Files\CPR\Estimating folder.

In Windows Vista and 7, the databases might appear to be located in the C:\Program Files\CPR\Estimating folder, but they aren't. Microsoft decided to not allow the ability to write data to a file in the Program Files folder, so it places the actual, active files in another location. And makes them hard to find.

They are probably hidden files, so within Windows Explorer you'll have to go to Tools - Folder Options - View, and select "Show hidden files and folders". Close Windows Explorer, then reopen it. (In Windows 7, it might be Organize - Folder and Search Options - View, and select "Show hidden files, folders or drives".)

Windows Secret: To open Windows Explorer quickly, hold down the Windows key located between the CTRL and ALT keys on your keyboard. While holding it down, press the letter E one time.

In both Vista and Windows 7, you should now be able to find both FTEC and FTED in C:\Users\WhateverYourUserNameIs\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\ and from there either in the Program Files (x86) or the Program Data folder. It should be under CPR\Estimating, and you’ll find both FTEC.mdb and FTED.mdb in the same place.

In newer installs of Fast Track Estimating, the default file location is C:\CPR\Estimating.

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HOW DO I BACKUP MY FILES?

The only files that need to be backed up are FTEC and FTED. Using the instructions above, find your files (check the date to make sure you have the correct files) and copy them on a disk or other media in case your computer fails.

If your computer fails, reinstall Fast Track Estimating from the disk, and replace the FTEC and FTED that was installed on the disk with your backed-up FTEC and FTED files.

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I MOVED THE PROGRAM TO ANOTHER COMPUTER AND IT DOESN'T WORK

You must do a complete install on your new computer first, from the disk. After doing the complete install, replace the FTEC and FTED that was installed on the disk with your previous FTEC and FTED files.

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