---
title: "How To Use A \"Manual Value\" Unit Of Measure"
description: "How To Use A \"Manual Value\" Unit Of Measure"
---

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# How To Use A "Manual Value" Unit Of Measure

Most rows in your budget take their quantity from a design field, so the quantity updates whenever the design data does. Sometimes there is no design field for what you are measuring — a lump sum, a count that only applies to one line. "Manual Value" lets you type the quantity and its unit straight into the row instead.

To use a "Manual Value" unit of measure follow these steps.

Navigate to the desired estimate and select the "Budget & Inputs" tab.

Find the row you want to measure by hand and press its "UOM" dropdown. The list shows the estimate's design fields with their quantities, and "Manual Value" is pinned at the bottom.

![](https://lp.zebel.io/hs-fs/hubfs/mv-01-uom-png.png?width=1920&height=1000&name=mv-01-uom-png.png)

Select "Manual Value". The "Quantity" cell changes from a read-only figure into a box you can type in, with a unit selector beside it.

Type the quantity, then press the unit selector and choose the unit. The list is your company's value units — search it if the list is long.

![](https://lp.zebel.io/hs-fs/hubfs/mv-02-unit-png.png?width=1920&height=1000&name=mv-02-unit-png.png)

Both save as you type; there is no save button. The row now reads its quantity from what you entered rather than from a design field.

![](https://lp.zebel.io/hs-fs/hubfs/mv-03-set-png.png?width=1920&height=1000&name=mv-03-set-png.png)

NOTE, a row on a design field shows its quantity greyed out because it is inherited — "Structural Demolition" at 120 EA in the screenshot. A "Manual Value" row shows an editable box instead — "Interior Demolition" at 850 SF.

Manual Value works the same way on a cost field as it does on a detail row, so you can measure a whole cost item by hand.

Please note that a cost item measured by hand cannot be priced from your comps. Comps compare unit costs against a design field, so when a cost field is set to "Manual Value" its comp columns grey out and hovering one tells you why — "UOM is set to manual value". Detail rows carrying the manual value are unaffected.

![](https://lp.zebel.io/hs-fs/hubfs/mv-04-comps-png.png?width=1920&height=1000&name=mv-04-comps-png.png)

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