How can I build a builder cover sheet for cabinet packages faster than in Excel?

A builder services supplier builds a builder cover sheet faster than in Excel by pricing each plan from a saved per-builder series and exporting the cover sheet from that bid, instead of rebuilding a spreadsheet by hand for every plan. KitchenDEV Builder Programs exports one Excel cover sheet per plan, with the base house price and the price of every upgrade option sorted from cheapest to most expensive.

A builder cover sheet is the price sheet for one plan that shows what the base house costs and what each cabinet upgrade adds, for the builder to hand a homebuyer.

Why does a builder cover sheet take so long in Excel?#

A builder cover sheet takes long in Excel because the sheet is rebuilt by hand every time a plan or a price changes. A builder services supplier keeps a different multiplier for every builder at every door level, across several markets. Each plan then needs its own sheet showing the base house and every upgrade. Doing that by hand is where the margin goes.

The pricing structure is the part that repeats. How suppliers hold that structure in one place is covered in per-builder cabinet pricing by option level.

How does KitchenDEV Builder Programs produce a cover sheet?#

1. Set up the builder's series once. A series in KitchenDEV Builder Programs holds the builder's door, hardware and crown levels, a level on each door, and the builder's own pricing options. The series is assigned to the builder on a Series tab.
2. Create the bid from the series. A bid created from a series offers only the doors and options that series carries, and the first room option defaults to the lowest door level.
3. Bring in the plan. The plan can be imported from a Design Flex (formerly 2020 Design) file, with accessory items coming in as accessories, or built straight from the catalog.
4. Set the base house. On the bid's Setup tab, the cheapest option in each category is picked automatically for the base house, and a Base House price summary shows the breakdown. Plan Number, Plan Name, Market and Community go on the same tab.
5. Export the cover sheet. KitchenDEV Builder Programs downloads the cover sheet as an Excel file for the builder.

What does the cover sheet from KitchenDEV Builder Programs show?#

• Job information. Builder, Series, Plan Number, Plan Name, Market, Community, Box Count and Date rows, plus a Box Count line under the price summary.
• The base house and every upgrade. Upgrade options are sorted from cheapest to most expensive.
• Option levels. Hardware runs to five levels in settings, on the bid and in the exported Excel. Crown, light rail and drawer items are included in the cover-sheet export.
• Priced add-ons. An add-on such as soft-close doors prints as its own section and lists the lines it applies to.
• Only the sections the builder should see. Any section can be left out of the cover sheet with a toggle.

What happens to the cover sheet when a price or a plan changes?#

• Prices move across a series in one step. All margins and prices in a series in KitchenDEV Builder Programs can be scaled by a percentage at once.
• Edits to a live series ask first. Editing a series that plans already use prompts the estimator to copy the series or confirm the change should reach every plan on it.
• Labor follows the market. Changing the labor market on an existing bid recalculates the labor prices.
• Options go on many items at once. An option can be added to every item with a matching SKU from the same vendor in one step.

What sets the subscription is listed under what KitchenDEV Builder Programs pricing depends on.

What still takes work?#

• The first series. Each builder's series has to be set up, with its levels and multipliers, before any bid can be priced from it.
• Door counts in the catalog. A per-door add-on is priced from each cabinet's door count, so a catalog with door counts missing prices that add-on at nothing. Door counts can be overridden on the bid.
• Percentage upcharges. Percentage-based attributes and upcharges are not supported in KitchenDEV Builder Programs.

FAQ#