Creating estimates and invoices from jobs

In this article, you'll learn how to create an estimate and an invoice straight from a job. Doing it from the job keeps everything in one place: the estimate is tied to that job, and the invoice bills the job's own items.

You can also make estimates and invoices on their own. For that, see How to create and send estimates and How to create and send invoices.

To open a job:

  1. In the menu, click Jobs.
  2. Click the job you want to work on.

Create an estimate from a job

An estimate is a quote. It never records a payment or changes what the job owes, so you can add as many as you like without touching the job's balance.

On a computer

  1. Open the job.
  2. Click the Estimates tab. Under the tab name you'll see how many estimates the job already has.
  3. Click Add estimate. If the job has no estimates yet, the page reads You don't have any estimates yet and the button in the middle is Add Estimate.
  4. The new estimate opens right there on the tab, linked to this job. Click Add item to build it, then Text estimate or Email estimate to send it.
Adding an estimate from a job's Estimates tab
Tip: If the job already has items and no estimates, you'll also see Quote what's already on this job. Click it to start the estimate with a copy of the job's items instead of an empty one.

Each estimate card has an Open link that takes you to the estimate's own page, with more room to work. Once the customer has approved it (and paid any deposit), Copy to job opens a new job filled in from the quote, and starting any new job for that customer offers to apply it. See Applying an approved estimate to a job.

On the phone app or a phone browser

  1. Open the job.
  2. Tap the Finance tab.
  3. Tap the + on the Estimates row, or open the row and tap Add estimate.
  4. The new estimate is created on this job and opens straight away so you can add items and send it.
Note: A job marked Done is locked. You'll see a banner saying to change the status to reopen it, and you can't add estimates until you do. Payments still work on a done job.

Create an invoice from a job

The invoice uses the job's items and totals, so there's nothing to type twice. Each job has one live invoice at a time.

On a computer

  1. Open the job.
  2. At the top right, click Create Invoice.
  3. The Collect payment panel opens and the invoice is created as a draft. Nothing goes to the customer yet.
  4. From here you can take the payment or click Send invoice to text or email the customer a link.
The Create Invoice button on a job
The Create Invoice button on a job

Once the job has an invoice, the same button reads View Invoice and opens that invoice instead of making a new one.

On the phone app or a phone browser

  1. Open the job.
  2. Tap the Finance tab.
  3. Tap Create invoice on the card at the top, under the job's total and balance.
  4. The invoice opens with the job's items. Tap Send invoice when you're ready, or Collect payment to take the money now.

When the job already has an invoice, the button reads View invoice, and the card under it says when the invoice was sent or Not sent yet.

Note: The Finance tab, and the Items, Payments and Estimates tabs on a computer, only show for people whose role can see financial data.

How the job and its invoice stay in step

  • While the invoice is still open (a draft, sent, or partly paid), it follows the job. Add, change or remove an item on the job and the invoice updates to match. Once it's paid, it's history and stays as it was.
  • If the job has already been partly paid, a new invoice bills only what's left.
  • A job that's fully paid never gets a second invoice. You'll see the invoice that settled it, or a message that there's nothing left to invoice.
  • A job with no items and no total can't be invoiced yet. Add items first.
Tip: Want to check what the customer will see before you send anything? See Previewing estimates and invoices before you send them.

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