Cost-driver analysis
Which line is pushing this quote off - and by how much - answered on the same screen.
An estimate is only as trustworthy as your ability to explain it. Craftsheart compares every line of a new estimate against the same line on comparable past projects, flags meaningful deltas, and shows the comparison right where the number sits. Nothing to justify from memory.
what this does
A total is easy to defend when it's close to what similar past jobs finished at. It's harder when it's not. Driver analysis is what lets you say "materials sit 11% high, and here's exactly why" without leaving the estimate.
Flag, not fail
A flag is a heads-up, not an error. The estimator decides what to do - the engine explains why the flag came up.
Line-level, not header-level
Compared line by line: materials against materials, labour against labour. No aggregate ratios masking the real cause.
Comparison always visible
Click a flag, see the past projects it was compared against and the specific lines that informed the baseline.
a worked example
One line, one flag, one visible comparison.
Materials on a new fit-out sit 11% above comparable past projects. The engine surfaces the flag and shows the two references it was measured against.
estimate - office fit-out - 3,000 sq ft 1 flag
Materials₹ 22,40,000+ 11%
Labour₹ 14,60,000on track
Overhead₹ 3,80,000on track
Margin₹ 7,45,200on track
why materials + 11%compared against 2 similar past projects
Office fit-out - 2,800 sq ft - Q2 last yearMaterials: ₹ 19,80,000 (baseline)
Office fit-out - 3,200 sq ft - Q4 last yearMaterials: ₹ 21,10,000 (baseline)
Delta driven primarily by upgraded acoustic partitions in current scope - not present in the two reference projects.
how it fits
Part of the loop, not a bolt-on.
- Flags are produced immediately after the estimate is generated - they do not require a manual review pass.
- You can choose whether flag annotations appear in the client-facing quotation, or stay internal-only to the estimating team.
- Flags do not block the estimate - they inform it. An estimator can accept, adjust, or override with a documented rationale.
- Rationales attached to flags become part of the historical record - future comparisons take them into account.