Copying from Another Job
This article explains how to copy work from an existing job into the one you're estimating — both rates and items — and how to resolve codes and rates that already exist in the current job.
There are two separate flows: one for copying rates, one for copying items. They're reached from different places and offer their own conflict rules, so they're covered separately below.
Copying rates
On the Rates toolbar, click Other Jobs (its tooltip reads "Copy rates from another job"). This opens the "Copy <category> rates from another job" dialog, scoped to whichever rate category you're on.
- Pick the source job from the
From other jobdropdown. - Check the rates you want to bring over. Codes that already exist in this job are flagged so you know which ones will collide.
- Under "If the code exists:", choose how to handle those collisions —
Skip,Overwrite, orRename. - Click
Copy N into this job.
Each copied rate comes over with its full cost breakdown, not just its total — so a labor or equipment rate arrives complete, ready to use on items.
Copying items
From the Item list, use the copy-from-another-job action to open the "Copy items from another job" dialog. Pick a source job and you'll see a preview grid of its items before you commit:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
Item | The item number in the source job. |
Description | The item's description. |
Lines | How many resource lines the item has. |
Notes | Flags worth knowing before you copy — "number exists here," "N rates not in this job," or "N sub-items." |
Copying items involves two decisions, because an item can collide by number and can also depend on rates the current job doesn't have.
If the item number exists
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
Skip | Leave the existing item and don't copy the incoming one. |
Overwrite | Replace the existing item with the incoming one. |
Rename | Copy the incoming item under a new number, adding an -IMP suffix so both are kept. |
Rates this job lacks
An item you're copying may reference rates that don't exist in the current job. Choose how to handle those:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
Bring rates | Import the missing rates along with the item, so its cost breakdown stays intact. |
Manual rate | Keep the line's price as a manual rate instead of importing the underlying rate. |
Skip item | Don't copy items that depend on missing rates. |
Click Copy N into this job to finish. Copied items carry their cost breakdowns and any sub-items (which are combined into the copy), and — depending on the rule you chose — the underlying rates as well.