Check your quantities

The Quantities tab is the priced roll-up of the whole job. It answers the two questions someone actually asks: how much of everything does this job need, and what does it come to.

Parts and labour are listed separately, each with a part number, a description, the quantity, and the unit and total figures. Underneath sits the summary of cost, margin and price, and a Grand total that stays with you as you scroll.

This is the most common surprise on this page, and Tally tells you about it in a bar at the top: zero-quantity parts and labour are hidden by default.

A part that came in from a template or a price book but was never measured has a quantity of nil, and nil rows are hidden so the sheet you send is not full of zeroes. To see them, open Options and turn on Show nil parts & labour.

If a row is genuinely missing rather than nil, it was never measured. Go back to the drawing and measure it, or add it on the worksheet as an additional item.

Options controls every column. You can show or hide unit cost, unit margin and unit price, and the same three at the total level, so a sheet you send a client can show price without showing your cost.

On a job split into areas you also get area totals, and Show grand totals for the figure at the bottom. Lock breakdowns expanded keeps every row open while you check them.

Happy with the numbers? Export your takeoff.