CountBricks: How to Set Price Alerts for Residential Builds

Understanding the Importance of Price Alerts in Residential Construction

In the dynamic world of residential construction, material costs such as lumber, copper, and insulation can fluctuate significantly. These changes can impact your project margins if not monitored closely. Current installation rates for materials like lumber range from $650-$1200 per opening, depending on the region and supplier. CountBricks price alerts help you stay ahead by notifying you when costs exceed your set thresholds, allowing you to adjust estimates promptly.

How CountBricks Price Alerts Work

Monitors real-time supplier feeds and CountBricks’ national cost database.
Compares current rates against your locked-in estimate costs.
Flags any line item that breaches your chosen percentage or dollar variance.
Sends instant notifications via desktop, mobile, and voice.
Optionally auto-adjusts line item costs, updating labor, overhead, and profit mark-ups.

Setting Up Your Account for Price Alerts

Create or open the Estimate or Template you wish to monitor.
Ensure each material line includes a supplier name and SKU for accurate data matching.
Assign labor tasks with crew rates for precise downstream adjustments.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Price Alerts

Click the Price Monitoring icon in your Estimate.
Select Enable Alerts and choose between percentage or fixed dollar variance.
Enter a threshold, e.g., 5% or $150, to trigger alerts.
Select Notification Channels: Desktop, SMS, Email, or Voice.
Tick Auto-Apply Cost Change for automatic updates or leave unticked for manual review.
Save your settings. CountBricks will scan your items every 15 minutes.

Global vs. Line-Level Alerts

Global: Applies the same variance rule to all materials and labor.
Line-Level: Allows specific thresholds for high-risk commodities.

Managing Alerts with Voice Commands

Use CountBricks Voice to manage cost surveillance hands-free. For example, say “Hey CountBricks, show price alerts on the Jefferson Remodel” for a quick summary.

Best Practices for Residential Builders

Set tighter thresholds during volatile market periods.
Pair price alerts with the Lock Quote feature for fixed bid windows.
Use Template-based alerts for recurring scopes.

Case Study: Maple Grove Addition

In a recent project, Cedar Ridge Homes used CountBricks to maintain a $3,800 margin by enabling a 4% global price alert. When SPF framing costs rose by 6%, CountBricks auto-adjusted the quote, preserving profits.

Return on Investment

Average time saved per estimate: 1.5 hours
Average margin protected per project: 2.7%
Reduction in change-order disputes: 35%

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“My alert fired but the cost didn’t change.” Ensure Auto-Apply Cost Change is enabled for automatic updates.

“Alerts are too sensitive.” Adjust the variance percentage or group low-impact items under a wider threshold.

“No alerts are firing.” Verify supplier SKUs and live feed access.

Integrating Alerts with Purchasing

Approved updates automatically tag revised items in the Procurement dashboard, streamlining purchase orders and ensuring budget compliance.

Next Steps

Ready to protect your profits? Log in to CountBricks and activate price alerts on your next residential estimate. For assistance, visit CountBricks.com.