To begin, open the Job Record for which you want to create an estimate. You can do so from the Schedule or Jobs tab in the left-side menu.

If your estimate is not linked to an existing job, you can also create an estimate by entering a customer record then selecting Actions > Create Estimate, or from the Estimates tab in the left-side menu, then selecting Create Estimate.

Once on the job record, select Actions then Create Estimate.

You will now add details to your estimate. If created via a job record, the customer and linked job will be auto-populated. If created from a customer record or the Estimates tab, you may need to link the related customer and/or job.

The estimate expiration date is set as a default in Company Settings, but you can click into the Expiration Date field to change it.

Now, you'll need to add your line items. Select the Add Item button and start typing the name of a line item to add it to your estimate. When you see the item you want, click on it.

Fill in any missing info, then click Add to Estimate and Add Next Item if you have additional line items to include or Add to Estimate if this is your last line item.

To add a line item that is not already saved in the system, click Create New Line Item.

Enter the item name, type, SKU (if applicable), unit cost, unit price and description. Decide whether to track inventory on this item, and click Save Item then Add Item. This will save the item in your item list and add it to the current estimate.

After adding your line items, you can click the eye icon on the right to choose whether that line item is visible to the customer or not, the pen icon to edit the item, or the trash icon to delete the item.

Once you're finished adding line items, you can add notes, attach files, and/or add a contract. To add Estimate Notes, simply start typing in the box, it will automatically save when you save the estimate. These notes will be shown near the top of the estimate PDF. To include internal notes not visible to your customers, use the Internal Notes tab.

To attach files or photos, click on the files field and upload your desired files.

To attach a contract, click on the contracts field and select your desired contract. To learn more about contracts or to set a default contract, click here.

Next, you can review your subtotal, add a discount or surcharge, and edit the tax rate as necessary.

Once your estimate is complete, click Save Estimate. You'll then be taken to the estimate record. Click Edit if you want to change anything. 

When you're ready, click View Estimate to generate a preview of the estimate.

From here, you can send the estimate to your customer, as well as customize the appearance of your estimate. To learn more, visit the other articles in the Sales Collection.