Choices
Choices in BuilderZen are used for anything that can vary on a plan.
Plans can vary at the community level (e.g., standard features: construction methods, building codes, and amenity levels) or based on customer selections (e.g., zero-priced options, standard options, non-standard options).
Using one list of "choices" for standard features and options allows estimators to build takeoff items one time, and then designate them as standard features within one community and as options in another.
This simple distinction allows the system to save users countless hours by reducing unecessary duplication and allowing plan standard features and options to vary community by community without requiring separate or duplicate plans for each way a plan is sold.
Examples
Construction Methods — a plan could be built with 8' ceilings in one community and 9' ceilings in another.
Code Requirements — one municipality may require 8" fascia while 6" fascia might be used in another.
Amenity Level — Carpet Level 1 standard might be used in one community and Carpet Level 2 in another. Also, Carpet Level 2 could be a standard option in one community but a standard feature in another.
Foundation - one area/region may require slab foundation, while another may require crawl, and another requires basement.
Options - Bonus Room, Bay Window, Upgrade to 42" Cabinets
Choices are used to group together takeoff items that are needed sometimes and not others. For example, you may have a choice called “Carpet Level 2”. In the Plan 2000, we need the following takeoff items ONLY if Carpet Level 2 is selected:
| Cost Code | Choice | Item | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet Material | Carpet Level 2 | Carpet Level 2 – SY | 200 |
| Carpet Labor | Carpet Level 2 | Carpet Labor – SY | 200 |
By building the takeoff items using a choice, we can control when this material is included. If we set the Carpet Level 2 choice as a Standard Feature, the above takeoff items would be included in the Floorplan Budget. If we set the Carpet Level 2 choice as a Standard Option, the above takeoff items would be included in a Job Budget only after the customer selected that option.
But what if there are takeoff items that should only be included when multiple different choices are selected?
This is where Choice Intersects come in. Continue reading below to find out more about Choice Intersects.
Intersects
Selecting two or more different choices sometimes requires different material than if each choice is selected alone. In Foundations, users can build intersections between two or more choices, and the material will be included in Job Budgets only if all choices in the intersection are selected.
The choice intersection is created by selecting choices that combine to bring in takeoff items that are only needed if all of the choices in the intersection are selected.
Examples:
| Option Intersection | Change |
|---|---|
| Bonus room and optional bath | Remove 1 door |
| Upgrade to 42" cabinets and optional kitchen island | Upgrade cabinets on island |
| Extend kitchen countertop and upgrade to granite countertop | Upgrade extended portion of countertop to granite |
Note
Choice intersections can also be used to remove takeoff items.
An example would be an optional kitchen island. When the kitchen island is selected, an intersection could be defined with the flooring choices to remove the takeoff item quantities for the section of flooring where the island resides.
Choice intersections are easy to think of in terms of Options, but Foundations goes one step further. Since choices can be EITHER Standard Features OR Standard Options, the same applies to the intersections.
If every choice in an intersection is a Standard Feature, the takeoff items for the intersection will appear on the Floorplan Budget Report.
If one or more of the choices is a Standard Option, the takeoff items for the intersection will appear on the Floorplan Budget for Options report.
If any of the choices are NOT Standard Features or Standard Options, then the takeoff items will not appear on any Floorplan Reports for the community.
The intersection items will ONLY come in to a job budget when all members of the intersection are in the job budget.
This concept is covered in greater detail in the next section: Choice Intersections.
Choice Categories
Choice categories are logical groupings of similar choices such as Appliances, Cabinets, Electrical, Flooring, Structural, etc.
These categories are used throughout the reports of the system, especially on the FloorPlan Budget side to show options grouped by their respective categories.
The categories are also used in the Sales module for showing choice selections by choice category.
Choice Categories are managed through the Master Data section and must be setup prior to creating choices.