Measurement Parts & Labour
  • 04 Oct 2023
  • 6 Minutes to read
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Measurement Parts & Labour

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Article Summary

When Counts, Lengths or Areas are created on Plans, additional Parts and Labour can be quantified at the same time. Understanding Groundplan's Supported References will assist to quantify the required Parts and Labour for the Measurements.

Supporting References

Support References relate directly to elements on the Plan and can be used in conjunction with Excel-type Formula to calculate Parts and Labour. Each Formula must contain a Supported Reference/s to be accepted.

Formula follows the PMDAS Rule: Parentheses (brackets) first followed by multiplication, division, addition then subtraction. Calculations are prioritised within the brackets. More detailed information about Formulas with examples are provided in our article Using Formulas in Groundplan.

Count Supported References

formula-count-supported-reference.png

Length Supported References

How Length Support References correspond to a Plan:
formula-length-supported-reference.png

Area Supported References

How Area Support References correspond to a Plan:
formula-area-supported-reference.png

Our Industry Articles contain example Formula usage in construction, electrical, landscaping painting, plastering / insulation, plumbing and roofing.

Grouping

Common Parts and Labour listed under different Measurements within the same Stage can be Grouped together on the Quantities tab. To Group, when a Part and/or Labour is created, they must have identical Part Numbers, Descriptions, Unit of Measure including capitals, spelling, spacing and blank boxes.

Groundplan recognises that Formula may be different for each Measurement and does not need to be identical to Group the same Parts or Labour.

worksheet-grouping-items-requirements.png

⚠️Grouped on creation

Part and Labour lines will not merge if their Names / Description or Unit of Measurement are edited to match existing in the Project. See our Correcting Ungrouped Parts and/or Labour section.

Adding Parts and/or Labour to a Measurement

  1. From within a Plan, click Measurement Actions
  2. Click Parts

measurement-parts-adding-parts.png

  1. Click +Part and select Once-Off Item and/or click Labour

measurement-parts-labour-selection.png

  1. Complete the required fields and click Save
    If Once-off Items / Labour are to Group, ensure all included within the highlighted section are identical when created

measurement-parts-labour-adding-examples.png

Once-off Item example - for each counted downlight, calculate 10 metres of 1mm tps cable using count*10 with the Unit of Measure m
Labour example - is allowing for 20 minutes of Labour for each counted downlight by using count*0.3333 with hours as the Unit of Measure. See our Conversion Chart below.

measurement-parts-adding-labour-part2.png

Labour Conversion Chart (Minutes to Decimal)

Convert Labour minutes to decimal by dividing the minutes by 60 eg. 20 / 60 = 0.3333.

Labour Conversion Chart 2023_v2

Updating Parts and Labour

When Parts and/or Labour are Grouped together, updating the Part Number, Description, UOM or Pricing will update all Parts and/or Labour Grouped within the same Stage.

  1. From the Worksheet, click Measurement name
  2. Click Part Actions or Labour Actions and click edit
  3. Make the required changes, then click Save
    Updating all Parts / Labour linked to this Measurement

Correcting Ungrouped Parts and/or Labour

If items required to be Grouped within the same Stage are seen as multiple line items on the Quantities tab, there were inconsistencies when created in one or more of the Part Number, Description, Unit of Measure fields. This also includes capitals, spelling, spacing and blank boxes.

measurement-parts-non-grouping.png

To Group these two items together take the following steps:

  1. From the Quantities tab Locate the Part and/or Labour Description and click +
  2. Click Measurement Name then click Measurement
  3. Click +Part and Once off Item or +Labour
  4. To Group, re-enter correct required details to match the other Measurement Part or Labour and click Save
    Ensure the Part Number, Description and Unit of Measure are identical including capitals, spelling, spacing and blank boxes
  5. Delete the incorrect Part and/or Labour by clicking Part / Labour Actions selecting Delete and click Delete Part and/or Labour
  6. Return to Quantities tab to view the Part / Labour Grouped correctly

Below is a video example for Parts. The same principles also apply to Grouping Labour

Separate incorrectly Grouped Parts and/or Labour

Separate the Grouped items if different specifications are required. When Parts and/or Labour are Grouped together, updating the Part Number, Description, Unit of Measure or Pricing will also update all the Grouped Parts / Labour within the same Stage.

  1. From the Quantities tab Locate the Part and/or Labour Description and click +
  2. Click Measurement Name then click Measurement
  3. Click +Part and Once off Item or +Labour
  4. Create another Part and/or Labour item that is not identical to the original and click Save
  5. Delete the Grouped Part and/or Labour by clicking Part / Labour Actions selecting Delete and click Delete Part/Labour
  6. Return to Quantities tab to view the separated Part and/or Labour on another line

The video example below is for Labour but also applies to Parts as well

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I round-off my totals to a specific number (i.e. 5), instead of the nearest whole number?

Yes. Your formula will be =(ceil(count/5))*5.

In this example, you will divide your Count / Measurement with the whole number (eg, 5s). If the count is 4, then 4 / 5 = 0.80 with the ceiling 1. You will then get 5 with rounding as the result. Should the Count / Measurement exceed, 5, eg. 6, you will have 1.20and a ceiling of 2, with the formula applied will give 10. This will remain at 10 until your count reaches 11.


Is it possible to round up my total Length to its nearest whole number and add 2 meters to the Total Length as a buffer?

Yes. You can use the formula =ceil(len) + min(1,len)*2.

Len is your current total Measurement. Using ceil will round up to the next whole number.
Min (1,len) is a formula to choose which is less between 1 or the number of lengths you’ve measured.

It is there to ensure that if you did not measure anything yet, the default count value is zero 0, thus 0 x 2meters is still equal to 0. However, if you started measuring, eg. 5 meters, min(1,5) is 1, then 1 x 2meters is 2, and so 2m is going to be added to your Total Length Measurement.


How do you measure vertical and inclined Areas?

A1: To measure vertically, measure from the elevations adjusting an existing Measurement.

A2: For angled surfaces such as a roof from a 2d Plan, account for the angle/pitch by adding a Formula to the Measurement in the Worksheet.

A3: Measuring vertically and inclined Areas

  1. Within a Stage, click Measurement Actions
  2. Click Parts
  3. Click Formula field on the required part and adjust the Formula depending on the pitch. eg. =len * 1.064 (20 percent pitch)
  4. Click Save
    Formula applied is shown on the Quantities tab

Download the Roof Pitch Calculator

Download the Roof Pitch Calculator or use your own references.


Can you measure in m3?

Yes.

  1. Create an Area
  2. Click Measurement Actions and click Parts
  3. Click Part Actions and click Edit
  4. Edit the Unit of Measure to m3
  5. Click Formula field and edit to multiply (SHIFT 8 *) the area by the desired thickness, e.g. =area * 0.15
  6. Click Save

measurement-parts-faq.png


When applying a formula to a Length or Area, can you have the Formula apply to the individual lengths / areas rather than the total?

No. You will need to create another Measurement if you want to apply different Formula.


Can you import Take-off Templates with Formula for Measurements?

No.
We are continuously looking to improve our product and consider all feature requests when making product improvements.


Do you have a list of formulas that I can use in Groundplan?

Yes, see our Using Formulas in Groundplan article here with a downloadable option.

There are also industry specific articles with example uses for Formula walls, roofing, electrical materials, painting and plastering and insulation.

For complex Formula solutions, please reach out to Support for assistance. Go to: Help > Send us a Message.




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