Creating Professional Estimates

Send winning estimates that help you close more jobs.

Creating a New Estimate

1. Navigate to Estimates from the main menu
2. Click New Estimate or the + button
3. Select or create a customer
4. Add your line items with descriptions and pricing
5. Set deposit requirements and validity period
6. Review and click Save as Draft or Send

Tip: Configure your default settings in Settings > Estimates (estimate prefix, validity period, deposit defaults, tax rate) before creating your first estimate.

Adding Line Items

Break down your pricing clearly:

Field	Description	Example
Description	Work or materials	"Labor - Deck installation"
Quantity	Units or hours	24
Unit	Measurement type	Hours, Sq Ft, Each
Rate	Price per unit	$65.00
Amount	Auto-calculated	$1,560.00

Best practices for line items:

• Group items by phase or category
• List materials separately from labor
• Mark optional items clearly

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Setting Deposit Requirements

To require upfront payment:

1. Open the estimate's deposit section
2. Choose a deposit type:
   • Percentage — e.g., 50% due upon acceptance
   • Flat Amount — e.g., $500 deposit required
   • None — no deposit required
3. The deposit amount displays prominently on the estimate

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Setting a Validity Period

Create urgency by setting an expiration:

1. Choose Expiration Date for a specific date
2. Or select Valid For and enter number of days (7, 14, 30)
3. Avoid "No Expiration" — material costs and availability change over time

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Adding Terms and Conditions

Include your standard terms:

• Payment terms
• Warranty information
• Scope limitations
• Change order policy

These appear at the bottom of the estimate document.

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Selecting a Customer

Choose who receives the estimate:

1. Existing Customer — Search and select from your database
2. New Customer — Create a customer record during estimate creation
3. Contact details auto-populate from the customer profile

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Understanding Estimate Statuses

Track where each estimate stands:

Status	What It Means
Draft	Saved but not sent — fully editable
Sent	Emailed to customer
Viewed	Customer opened the portal link
Approved	Customer signed and accepted
Declined	Customer rejected
Expired	Past the validity date

Note: "Viewed" status tracks when customers open the portal link. Forwarded emails or privacy-enabled email clients may not trigger this status.

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Converting an Approved Estimate to an Invoice

Once your customer approves:

1. Open the approved estimate
2. Click Convert to Invoice
3. Review the invoice — line items, taxes, and terms carry over automatically
4. Send the invoice to your customer

The invoice links back to the original estimate. If a deposit was paid, that amount is already reflected.

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Duplicating an Existing Estimate

Save time on similar projects:

1. Open an existing estimate
2. Click Duplicate
3. Update customer and project details
4. Save and send

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Best Practices

1. Respond quickly — Send estimates within 24 hours
2. Be detailed — Itemize clearly to build trust
3. Follow up — Don't wait for customers to respond
4. Set expirations — Create urgency to decide
5. Include photos — Attach visual references for clarity

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