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Creating Estimates

Last updated Apr 25, 2026

Estimates (quotes) let your clients pitch services professionally before doing the work. The creation flow is three steps and uses AI Smart Pricing to suggest accurate rates.

Step 1: Client selection

  • Existing clients — select from the dropdown; their details auto-populate (name, email, phone, billing address)
  • New clients — click Add New Client to create a record on the fly without leaving the estimate screen. Just need name and email at minimum.

Step 2: Line items & AI Smart Pricing

Add multiple line items for labor, parts, services, or materials. Each line item has a description, quantity, and unit price.

Using AI Smart Pricing

  1. Click Add Line Item
  2. Enter a description of the work — the more specific, the better (e.g. "Replace 50ft kitchen plumbing line, copper, with 2 valve installations")
  3. Click the AI Smart Pricing button
  4. The AI analyzes:
    • The job description and complexity
    • Geographic location (your business address)
    • Current market rates for similar work
  5. Suggested price appears — review and accept, or override manually

Manual pricing

Skip AI Smart Pricing entirely if you have your own price list — just enter the unit price directly. AI is a suggestion engine, not a requirement.

Step 3: Review and finalize

Totals and tax

  • Subtotal calculates automatically
  • Set a custom Tax Rate per estimate (e.g. 8.25% for California sales tax)
  • Total updates as you add or edit line items

Notes and terms

Add personalized notes or payment terms in the footer:

  • "50% deposit required to schedule work"
  • "Estimate valid for 30 days"
  • "Materials prices subject to change at supplier"

Anything you'd normally hand-write on a paper invoice — put it here once and it persists.

Recurring option

Toggle Make Recurring to auto-generate this estimate weekly, monthly, or yearly. Useful for:

  • Maintenance contracts — quarterly tune-ups
  • Retainers — monthly agency fees
  • Subscription services — recurring delivery fees

Sending the estimate

  1. Click Send — the estimate is emailed to the client's email on file
  2. The email includes a link to view the estimate in their browser (no account needed)
  3. The client can Accept or Reject from the link
  4. You get notified of the response
  5. If accepted, you can convert the estimate to an invoice with one click (covered next page)

Estimate statuses

  • Draft — saved but not yet sent
  • Sent — emailed to the client, awaiting response
  • Accepted — client approved; ready to convert to invoice
  • Rejected — client declined; archive or revise and resend
  • Expired — no response within the validity window (configurable)

Tips

  • Use AI Smart Pricing for unfamiliar work — and override when you have local knowledge
  • Always include "estimate valid for X days" in the notes — protects against material price swings
  • Send a follow-up after 3 days of no response — the system makes this easy via the resend button