Total Cost Summary
See every cost in your estimate rolled up by category, apply your markup, and land on the sell price you'll put to the client.
Who this is for
Builders, estimators, and subbies pricing a job. The Total Cost Summary is where you step back from the line-by-line detail in Costing Items and look at the job as a whole. It's the page you land on when you're ready to decide what markup to apply and what final figure goes into the proposal.
What this module is for
Costing Items is where you build the detailed cost breakdown. Total Cost Summary is where you review it. Every line item rolls up here by category, so you can see the true cost of the job at a glance. From here you apply markup and arrive at the sell price.
Things worth knowing upfront
Total Cost Summary is a page inside an estimate, not a standalone module. Reached through the sub-navigation across the top of an open estimate, alongside Overview, Costing Items, Plans & Takeoffs, and Produce Proposal.
It's driven entirely by Costing Items. Everything you see here is a rollup. You don't add rows directly.
If a category shows a figure you don't expect, the answer is almost always in Costing Items. Go back and check.
Totals update as Costing Items changes.
Note: Total Cost Summary is a read-out of your cost structure plus a markup layer. The cost data itself lives in Costing Items. Think of this page as the review-and-markup step.
How to get there
Click Projects in the top header.
Click Estimates in the left menu.
Click the estimate you want to review.
Click Total Cost Summary in the sub-navigation.
What you'll see
The cost structure of the whole estimate in one view. Costs are grouped by category (the same categories from Costing Items), each with its rolled-up total. A markup control lets you apply your markup, and the page shows the resulting sell price.
Cost by category — each Costing Items category with its total cost rolled up.
Markup — where you apply markup to turn cost into sell price.
Total sell price — the figure that flows through to the proposal.
Note: The exact layout, column labels, and markup controls are still being confirmed. Work from what's on screen, and let us know through the chat bubble if anything feels wrong.
Step-by-step: reviewing your estimate and applying markup
Open the estimate from the Estimates list.
Click Total Cost Summary in the sub-navigation.
Look down the list of categories. Check each rolled-up total against what you'd expect.
If anything looks off, go back to Costing Items, open that category, and review the line items.
Apply your markup (percentage or dollar figure, depending on setup).
Check the final sell price at the bottom — that's what will appear on the proposal.
Move on to Produce Proposal.
Tip: Make this the last thing you check before producing a proposal. Rolled-up totals catch missing categories and wrong rates faster than scrolling through individual line items.
Worked example: Brennan Street kitchen and bathroom reno
The builder is finishing the Brennan Street estimate. Costing Items has four categories: Demolition, Plumbing, Joinery, Tiling.
Category | Rolled-up cost |
Demolition | $4,800 |
Plumbing | $12,600 |
Joinery | $28,400 |
Tiling | $9,200 |
Total cost | $55,000 |
Joinery feels light — the client asked for two vanities plus a full kitchen, and the figure looks closer to one vanity. Back to Costing Items, Joinery category, find the second vanity is missing. Add it at $3,800. Return: Joinery is now $32,200, total cost $58,800.
Apply 20% markup:
Total cost: $58,800
Markup (20%): $14,700
Total sell price: $73,500 ex GST
Client budget was $85,000 — there's room for additional inclusions if asked.
Note: The specific way markup is applied (global percentage, per category, dollar figure, or a combination) is still being confirmed. The worked example uses a simple global percentage for illustration.
Tips
Review by category, not line-by-line. Zoom out first. If a category total looks wrong, dive back into Costing Items for that category.
Check the cost side first, markup second. Applying markup to a missing cost gives a sell price that's quietly too low.
Compare to the Client Budget. If you entered one when you created the estimate, keep it in mind.
Use it as a final check before producing a proposal. Catches errors before they reach the client.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Cause | Fix |
Category from Costing Items not showing. | Category has no line items, or was added after the page was loaded. | Confirm items exist in Costing Items. Reload Total Cost Summary. |
Category total looks wrong. | Line item quantity/rate off, or item missing. | Open Costing Items, click into the category, review line items. |
Total sell price doesn't match mental maths. | Markup applied differently than assumed (global vs per category, ex vs inc GST). | Check markup setup on the page. Reach out via chat if unclear. |
Total Cost Summary tab isn't visible. | Not inside an estimate — sub-nav only appears once an estimate is open. | Projects > Estimates, click into an estimate. |
Changed a line item, Total Cost Summary shows old figure. | Page was loaded before change was saved. | Refresh the page. |
Related articles
Costing Items — where the detailed cost breakdown is built; every line rolls up here.
Estimates — how estimates are set up and how Total Cost Summary fits.
Produce Proposal — the next step after Total Cost Summary.
Still stuck?
Reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right of Core Estimator and we'll give you a hand.