# How these assembly estimates work

This is a dated U.S.-dollar reference procurement plan, not an accepted client quote or purchase order. Destination, workload, budget, existing equipment and contractor terms have not been confirmed.

## Parts and purchasing

Each purchase line names its manufacturer part number or clearly identified configurable platform. A fixed MPN is not proof that the entire selected system has been approved by a manufacturer. Compatibility facts and open checks remain separate.

Listed prices are observations from the linked supplier page on the checked date. They may change, exclude tax/shipping, and do not reserve stock. A quote-only or unverified price is `null`, never a fabricated zero. The application labels a partial sum as a known subtotal, and lists unpriced purchases separately. Seller lead times are observations, not delivery commitments; destination-specific checkout dates are still required.

Parts are allocated to one step in a selected build. A memory kit is one purchased kit, even when it contains two modules. Repeated devices and drives use explicit quantities. Bundled screws/cables are not charged again as separate purchases. Additional service, rental, freight and installation items need a quote when not priced.

## Hands-on time and labor

Every step has a lower and upper planning allowance. These are estimating assumptions, not measured technician benchmarks or manufacturer guarantees. They assume the correct complete kit is present, trained personnel, safe access, no faults and no rework. Novices, missing parts, BIOS recovery, damaged contacts, data migration and site alterations can substantially extend the job.

Labor = hands-on elapsed minutes × crew size ÷ 60 × the entered person-hour rate. The default $125/person-hour is an editable illustration, not a claim about prevailing local rates or a contractor's offer. Electrical work remains quote-only; its indicative scheduling allowance does not price permits, wiring, outlets or repairs. A qualified installer must define and approve that scope.

Shared tool purchases are counted once per selected build, not once per lesson or computer. The “tools already owned” option excludes their acquisition cost without removing them from the required-tool list. Equipment rental, calibration and specialist lifting services may still require separate quotations.

## Waiting and calendar duration

Unattended diagnostics, battery charging, downloads and procurement are separate from hands-on labor. The planning total adds sequential step allowances; some independent activities may overlap under a real schedule. It does not predict a delivery date. Supplier delivery and contractor scheduling must be established before promising a completion date.

An allowance for an overnight validation window is not a guaranteed diagnostic pass. [Puget Systems describes memory verification that can take several hours](https://www.pugetsystems.com/included/burnin/?inc=burnin), and [its documented production workflow separates assembly, overnight memory testing and software installation](https://www.pugetsystems.com/blog/2019/04/04/Puget-Systems-Production-Process-1403/). These sources support separating the activities; the specific per-step ranges in this plan are our planning assumptions, not Puget's quoted labor times.

## Release gates

Before ordering, confirm exact workload and memory needs, stock and delivery, motherboard CPU/BIOS and memory QVL, mechanical clearances, native GPU power connector, vendor-approved rack-server configuration, exact rail/cabinet fit, mains/UPS/PDU ratings, cooling, weight, lift plan and support terms. Rack and Mac models in the browser are generic explanatory geometry, not exact SKU CAD or installation drawings. Each Mac remains an independent computer; no shared-memory or equivalent-inference-performance promise is made.