How to create and send estimates

In this article, you'll learn how to put together an estimate for a customer and send it by email or text. The customer sees the price before anything is booked, so you're both agreeing to the same thing.

This article covers estimates you start from a customer's page. If the work is already a job, see Creating estimates and invoices from jobs.

Creating an estimate

An estimate started this way also opens a lead for the customer, with the estimate attached. The work shows in your leads before it's booked.

To start a new estimate:

1. 1.In the menu, click Clients and open the customer's page.
2. 2.Click the yellow Create new button and choose Estimate. The yellow + in the menu offers New estimate too, but only while you're on a customer's page.
3. 3.The New Estimate form opens with the customer's name, phone, email and address filled in. Check them and fix anything wrong. If you type a different name, matching customers show as you type. Pick one, or keep typing to add someone new.
4. 4.Under Billing Address, untick Same as service address if the bill goes somewhere else.
5. 5.Under Estimate Details, type a Job name if you want one. It becomes the estimate's name. Pick a Job type and Job source if you like, and add a description if it helps.
6. 6.Under Scheduled, leave Schedule it now? on No unless you've already agreed a time with the customer.
7. 7.Click Create.

If you changed the customer's name, company, phone or email on the form, the CRM asks whether to update their record too. Click Update customer to change their record, This job only to keep the change on this estimate, or Cancel to go back.

The estimate page opens so you can start adding the price.

Adding items to an estimate

The Items section lists everything you're quoting. Until you add something it says "Nothing quoted yet".

To add an item:

1. 1.Click Add item for a one-off line, or Price book to pick something you've already saved.
2. 2.In Item Name, type the item. With Price book, matching items show as you type, with their prices. Click one to fill it in.
3. 3.Set the Quantity and Price, and add a Description if it helps. Markup and Cost are there if you track them.
4. 4.Turn Taxable Item on or off.
5. 5.Click Save.

To change a line, click it and the same window opens. To take a line off, click the X at the end of its row.

Discount, tax and deposit

Under the photos you'll see the totals. Three of them are yours to set:

• •Discount: type a number, then use the switch beside it to choose $ for a fixed amount or % for a share of the subtotal.
• •Tax rate: choose one of your tax rates, or No tax. This row only shows once you've set up a tax rate. See How to set your sales tax rate.
• •Deposit: type a number and choose $ or % the same way. The amount due to book the job shows underneath.

Changes save as soon as you click away from the box.

Adding notes, photos and a name

• •Notes: under the items, write anything the customer should read with the price, like what's included or how long the price holds. The customer sees these on the estimate.
• •Photos: click Add photos, or drop pictures onto the grid. The customer sees them under the items on the estimate and its PDF. Each photo has an Add a caption box, and small buttons to move it left or right or remove it.
• •Estimate name: at the top right, click the pencil next to Estimate name to change it. If you left the name blank on the form, it reads "Estimate".

Sending an estimate

To send the estimate:

1. 1.Click Send. Once an estimate has gone out, this button reads Send Again.
2. 2.The Send estimate pane opens. Choose Via email or Via SMS.
3. 3.For email, check To, add anyone else in Cc (separate addresses with commas) and check the Subject. For a text, check the Phone number.
4. 4.Read over the Message. It's filled in from your estimate template with the customer's details, and the link to the estimate is already in it. You can change it for this send.
5. 5.If the estimate asks for a deposit, leave Credit card ticked under Let client pay the deposit with so they can pay it by card when they approve. Untick it if you'll collect the deposit some other way.
6. 6.Click Send email or Send text.

What your customer gets

• •By email, the customer gets your message with a link to the estimate, and a PDF of the estimate attached. You can turn the PDF off: see Turning off the PDF on emailed estimates.
• •By text, they get your message with the link. Texts never carry the PDF.

The link opens the estimate in your customer portal, where they can approve it or decline it. If there's a deposit and you left card payments on, they can pay it there.

When you send an estimate that's Unsent, its Status changes to Pending. See How to update estimate statuses.

On the phone app

• •On a customer's page, tap the yellow + at the top and choose New estimate. There's no form: the estimate opens straight away with the customer's details on it.
• •Tap Add item to pick from your price book, or + Custom for a one-off line. Tap a line to edit it, or the X to remove it.
• •Notes, Photos, Discount and Deposit sit under the items, with the same $ / % switch. Add photos offers Take photo or Choose from library. Tap a photo to move it earlier or later, or remove it.
• •At the bottom, tap Send to client (or Send Again) to open the same Via email / Via SMS screen. The Credit card deposit checkbox is on the desktop only.
• •Once the customer has approved, a Create job button appears beside it. See Applying an approved estimate to a job.

Related articles

• •What your customers see when you send an estimate
• •How to request deposits on estimates
• •How to update estimate statuses
• •Adding optional items to estimates
• •Creating and sending estimates on the phone app