How do I create an estimate?

Estimates allow you to create and send an approximate outline of your items or services to your client for approval before beginning the work. You or the client can then accept the estimate for approval before converting it into an invoice to start collecting payment for it.

 

If your account's language is set to English (United Kingdom), Estimates are automatically renamed to Quotes throughout your account.

 

• Create Estimates
  • Company, Client and Estimate Details
  • Items, Services, and Taxes
  • Notes, Terms, and Subtotal
  • Estimate Settings
  • Save or Send Estimates
• Accept Estimates
• Convert Estimates
• FAQs
  

 

Create Estimates

There are multiple ways to create a new estimate:

• On the Dashboard, select the Create New button, then select Estimate
• Go to the Estimates section (from the left menu), select the Create New.. button and select Estimate, or Create from Recent... 
• Go to the Clients section (from the left menu), select a client, then select the Estimates sub-tab and select the + button (this will create an estimate assigned to this client)

 

From here, you can customize your new estimate by going through each section below:

 

Company, Client and Estimate Details

Set up your estimate by choosing a client and update any details as needed with the below:

• Business - Your business information is displayed automatically based off what's in your Basic Information settings, select edit this if needed
• Billed To / Prepared For - Select Add a Client and choose or enter an existing client, or fill in the blank fields to make a new one. Once a client is selected, select it and choose between Edit Client to update their information (which will also update their client profile) or Remove Client to choose a different one
• Estimate Date - The date of your estimate, this defaults to today’s date, or you can select it and choose between entering in the new date or using the calendar picker instead
• Reference Field - Enter up to 25 characters for any additional information you need to include, like purchase orders / PO numbers, project codes or work order numbers

 

Estimate Number

• The default number for your first estimate is set to 0000001, or you can select and enter your own alphanumeric number instead. When you change your estimate number, keep in mind the following:
  • Numbers are Unique - The same estimate number cannot be used twice, regardless of whether the estimate is archived or deleted
  • Numbers Increment +1 - The estimate number you set will automatically increment +1 based on the last estimate created
    • If the estimate number reaches the limit of its increment, an extra character is added at the end so it can continue (e.g., the last created estimate is #9999, this will increment to #10000 on your next estimate)
    • If you want to avoid extra characters being added, include leading zeroes to accommodate increments (e.g., #0009999 instead of just #9999)
  • When viewing your list of estimates, you can also choose to sort your estimates by date instead of by estimate number to maintain chronological order

 

Items, Services, and Taxes

To send your clients an estimate for your goods and services, select the Add a Line button. From there, you can:

• Add an existing Item or Service - Choose from your list by entering in an existing item name. To save you time, go to your Items and Services in your settings to manage your items and services to always include a specific description, rate and/or sales tax so it’s filled out for you next time you add it to an estimate
• Create a new Item - Fill out the blank fields for Item Name, Description, Rate and Quantity (Qty), this will automatically be added to your list of items for future use
• Add Taxes - Once line items are added, select the Add Taxes link under the item’s rate and check up to two existing sales taxes to apply, or create new sales taxes instead

 

Other Actions

• Hover over the left of any line item, select hold down the three lines icon to drag and rearrange the order of your line items
  
• Hover over the right of any line item and select the trash can icon to delete that line item
  

 

Notes, Terms, and Subtotal

In the bottom of the estimate, you can add extra details, including a discount if needed: 

• Notes - Notes are unique to each estimate and will not be remembered for next time, this is useful for any comments, details and temporary information applicable to this specific client only
• Terms - Terms are remembered from the last estimate created, this is useful for terms of service, contractual obligations or payment instructions that is applicable to all clients. If you need to change your terms, ensure your updated terms are on your most recently created estimate
• Add a Discount - Reduce the estimate's total by applying an amount or percentage-based discount

 

Estimate Settings

These settings control the look of your estimate and allow you to modify client-specific settings as needed:

• For This Estimate
  • Customize Estimate Style - Change the template, logo or banner, color and font with the steps in How do I customize my logo and theme? here
• For Client
  • Currency and Language - Update your client’s currency or language with the steps in How do I change my client's currency and language here

 

Save or Send Estimates

Once the estimate looks the way you want it, you can either select:

 

Save

• If the estimate is new, this will save as a draft
• If it’s an existing estimate, it will save only the updated information, the status remains the same

 

Send... To

Select this to send the estimate by email, or generate a link to share instead:

1. In the To: field, the primary client's email is automatically checked off as a sender, along with any secondary contacts you’ve sent to on a recent invoice, estimate or proposal (review secondary contacts details here)
2. If needed, check off any additional contacts' emails to send the estimate to
3. Personalize the email to your client as needed
4. Select the Send Estimate button and you’ll be taken back to the Estimates section. The estimate will be marked as sent.

 

Accept Estimates

When you send an estimate to your client, they receive an email with a link to the estimate and a button to accept the estimate. Only the primary client can accept an estimate when viewing the estimate: 

 

To Accept an Estimate yourself, you can use the below steps:

1. Go to the Estimates section
2. Check the box off next to an estimate that has not been accepted yet
3. Select the Actions button
4. Select Accept and the estimate will now be marked as accepted.

 

Convert Estimates

Convert an estimate into an Invoice to collect payment, or convert an estimate into a project or assign it to an existing project to start tracking time towards it, with the below steps:

 

Convert to Invoice

Once the estimate has been reviewed by your client, use these steps to convert it into an invoice:

1. Go to the Estimates section
2. Select the estimate you want to convert
3. Then select the More Actions button
4. Next, select Convert to Invoice
5. Continue with editing the invoice as needed with the How Do I Create an Invoice? steps here, and select Save to save the invoice as a draft, or select Send To to email it to your client.

 

Convert to Project or Assign to Project

Once the estimate is ready, you can convert the estimate into a project or assign it to an existing project with the below steps:

1. Go to the Estimates section
2. Select the estimate you want to convert
3. Then select the More Actions button
4. If the project doesn't exist yet, select Convert to Project
   
   
   1. For the Project Type, choose between Hourly Project or Flat Rate Project
      
   2. Select the Create Project button
   3. Continue with editing the project as needed with the What Are Projects? steps here, and select Save to finish
5. If the project already exists, select Assign to Project
   
   
   1. In the Choose Project field, enter the project name or search for the project in the list, then select the project
      
   2. Select the Save button to finish and the estimate will be linked to the project, including in the project overview.

 

FAQs

How do I manage my estimates?

When viewing any specific estimate, you can select More Actions and select any of the following:

• Accept - Mark the estimate as accepted
• Send by Email - Send or resend the estimate by email
• Share via Link - Quickly create a link to share the estimate outside of email
• Convert to Invoice - Convert the estimate into an invoice to bill to a client
• Convert to Project - Convert the estimate into a project with any services on the estimate automatically assigned to the project
• Duplicate - Copy the estimate and modify as needed for the same client or for a different client
• Assign to Project - Assign the estimate to an existing project for accurate project profitability
• Print - Print the estimate
• Download PDF - Download the estimate as a PDF file, or use the browser's print option to save as a PDF, especially if text is splitting between pages
• Archive - Move the estimate into your list of archived estimates
• Delete - Delete the estimate

 

From the Estimates section, hover over any estimate to quickly perform any of these actions:

• Edit - Select the pencil icon and you’ll be taken to the edit view of the estimate where you can adjust and save afterwards
• Duplicate - Select the two papers icon to quickly copy your existing estimate and modify as needed
• Archive - Select the box iconto move the estimate to your archived estimates list
• More Actions - Select the three dots icon to access additional options like:
  • Accept - Select the checkmark icon to mark your estimate as accepted
  • Convert to Invoice - Select the invoice icon to convert your estimate into an invoice to bill to the client
  • Download PDF - Select the down arrow icon to download the estimate as a PDF file, or use the browser's print option to save as a PDF, especially if text is splitting between pages
  • Delete - Select the trash can icon to delete the estimate. You can view all deleted estimates by selecting the deleted link at the bottom of the list

 

How do I view estimate activity? How do I leave a comment for my client on the estimate?

You can use the history bar, also known as an autobiography, to view any activity on the estimate, including when your client viewed it and any comments. Select the chat button or View History button at the top of the estimate to reveal the history.

From here you can:

• Review activity
• Add a message and select Send to send it to your client as an email with the estimate link included

 

How do I unaccept an estimate?

If an estimate was mistakenly accepted, you'll need to duplicate the estimate and delete the original one. Use the below steps:

1. Go to the Estimates section
2. Check the box off next to the estimate you want to unaccept
3. Select Actions
4. Then select Duplicate
5. Save/send the duplicated estimate as needed
6. Return to the Estimates section, and check the box off next to the original estimate
7. Select Actions
8. Then select Delete to delete the original accepted estimate. If the estimate was sent by email, you can let your client know that the link to the estimate will no longer work.

  

Can I revert a converted invoice back into an estimate?

You'll need to delete the converted invoice first and then re-convert the estimate again with the below steps: 

1. Go to the Invoices section
2. Check the box off next to the converted invoice
3. Select the Actions button
4. Then select Delete
5. Go to the Estimates section
6. Check the box off next to the estimate you want to unaccept
7. Select Actions
8. Then select Duplicate
9. Save or send the duplicated estimate as needed
10. In the Estimates section, check the box off next to the original estimate
11. Select Actions
12. Then select Delete to delete the original accepted estimate.
13. You can now go back to the estimate and re-convert it.