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Create and Send an Estimate Manually

All plansBeginnerVideo, 2:38Updated August 7, 2026

Go to Estimates, click New Estimate, pick the contact and service location, and add line items from your price book or type them in. Click Send to email it; your client opens a link where they can approve and sign, or decline with feedback.

A fast, professional estimate is often the difference between winning the job and losing it to whoever quoted first. Here is the full flow from blank screen to "estimate sent".

Create the estimate

Go to Estimates and click New Estimate. Pick the Contact (a client or a lead) and, for clients, the Service Location; the primary property is preselected. Click Create Estimate and the editor opens. New estimates start as Unsent.

Add line items

In Line Items, click Add Item to open the item picker. It has four tabs:

  • Browse: your price book by category.
  • Search: find items by name, SKU, or description. No match? Create a new item on the spot.
  • Custom: type a one-off line without saving it to the price book.
  • Packages: drop a whole pre-built bundle onto the estimate, items, quantities, and prices included. Set packages up on the Price Book page.

Under Additional Information you can switch on Require Deposit (as a Percentage or Fixed Amount), add notes, and set Terms. A discount can be applied to the whole estimate, and the Valid Until date controls expiry.

Tip

Creating the estimate from a job that has a PO Number? It is copied over automatically. View or edit it in the estimate's Client Details section; changes there apply to that estimate only.

Send it

Click Send. The Send Estimate modal confirms the Email Address and a prefilled Message you can edit. Click Send and the status moves to Sent.

Note

New companies verify a phone number by text before emailing documents. A banner walks you through it: request the code, type it in, done. It is a one-time step, then you send freely.

What your client sees

The email links to a clean web page showing the estimate with Approve Estimate, Decline Estimate, Print, Download PDF, and Share actions. Approving opens a Sign Document step where they enter their name and Type Signature or Draw Signature, then Sign and Approve. If a deposit is required, they are prompted to pay it right after approving. Declining asks for optional feedback so you learn why.

StatusMeaning
UnsentCreated, the client has not received it
SentEmailed to the client
ApprovedClient approved and signed
DeclinedClient declined, optionally with feedback
ConvertedTurned into an invoice

An approved estimate is automatically converted to an invoice, so the paperwork keeps pace with the handshake.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Create the estimate

    Go to Estimates, click New Estimate, select a contact (a client or a lead) and the Service Location, then click Create Estimate.

  2. 2

    Add line items

    Click Add Item and pull items from your price book via Browse or Search, drop in a whole bundle from Packages, or type a one-off under Custom.

  3. 3

    Set deposit, notes, and terms

    Under Additional Information, switch on Require Deposit and choose Percentage or Fixed Amount if you want money up front. Add notes and terms.

  4. 4

    Send it

    Click Send, confirm the Email Address, tweak the prefilled message if you like, and click Send. The status moves to Sent.

See it in action

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The email links to a web page with Approve Estimate and Decline Estimate buttons. Approving opens a Sign Document step where they type or draw a signature, then the estimate is marked Approved.
The built-in send flow is email. Your client can also use the Share action on their estimate page to pass the link along.
The status changes to Declined and the client can leave optional feedback explaining why, which shows on the estimate.
After the Valid Until date, the client's page shows that the estimate has expired. If the client asks for more time, an Extension Requested banner appears on the estimate; one click extends the date by 7 days and notifies them.
Creating and editing requires the Manage Estimates permission; sending requires Send Estimates. Admins and managers have both by default.

This article answers:

  • How do I create an estimate?
  • How do I send a quote to a client?
  • Can clients approve estimates online?
  • How do I add price book items to an estimate?
  • What do estimate statuses mean?

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