Jobs, estimates, and invoices explained
An estimate is the quote your client approves, a job is the work itself with its visits and files, and an invoice is the bill that collects payment. They link together: an approved estimate becomes an invoice (automatically by default, or in one click), and a job holds one estimate, one invoice, and any number of visits and files, so money and work always stay connected.
Three records carry a piece of work from "how much would it cost?" to "paid in full". Each has one role:
| Record | Its job | The client sees it? |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | The quote: proposed line items and price, sent for approval | Yes, they approve or decline it online |
| Job | The work: schedule, visits, crew, files, checklists, completion reports | Only what you share (reports, portal) |
| Invoice | The bill: what is owed, sent for payment | Yes, they view and pay it online |
How they link together
The typical path: a lead asks for a price, you send an estimate, the client approves it online, it becomes an invoice (automatically, unless you turned that off), and a job carries the actual work with its visits and crew.
None of the links are mandatory: you can invoice without an estimate, run a job without either, or quote without ever creating a job. But the job is the container: it holds one estimate, one invoice, and any number of visits, files, and checklists, and its Finance tab shows exactly where the money stands, so nobody hunts through lists to answer "did we bill this?".
A job's PO Number, when the client issued one, is copied onto estimates and invoices created from that job automatically.
Link an invoice or estimate to a job later
An invoice created on its own shows a No job attached banner. To put it on a job:
- Open the invoice and click Link to job on the banner. The same action is in the invoice's menu, and as Create or link in the bar across the top of the page.
- In Link Invoice to Job, pick the job under Select Job and click Link to Job. No job yet? Click Create a new job instead.
For an estimate, open the client's Finance tab and click Create or link beside the estimate. Linking does not convert it: it stays an estimate until it is approved or converted.
The list only offers that client's jobs with no invoice and no estimate yet, because a job holds one of each. Once linked, the job shows on the invoice with Change job (move the invoice to another of the client's jobs) and Unlink job (take it off the job; the job's visits, report, and checklists stay where they are). All three need permission to manage jobs.
Estimate statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Unsent | Drafted, the client has not received it |
| Sent | Emailed to the client, awaiting their decision |
| Approved | The client accepted, no invoice yet (only when automatic invoicing on approval is off; otherwise it moves straight to Converted) |
| Declined | The client said no, with optional feedback |
| Converted | Turned into an invoice; this estimate's billing lives there now |
Invoice statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Unsent | Drafted, the client has not received it |
| Sent | Emailed, awaiting payment |
| Partially Paid | Some money in, balance still owing |
| Paid | Balance is zero, everyone is happy |
| Overdue | Past the due date with a balance owing (automatic) |
| Void | Cancelled; it can no longer be paid and no longer counts toward what is owed |
Job statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Created, work not started |
| In Progress | Work underway |
| Completed | Done, with an optional completion report |
| Cancelled | Called off |
Visits carry their own schedule statuses on the calendar; the job's status is the summary of the whole engagement.
Where the money math lives
Line items, taxes, discounts, and deposits are calculated identically on estimates and invoices, so a converted estimate never changes price on the way to becoming a bill. A deposit set on an estimate carries to its invoice, where the client pays it, and that payment reduces the balance due.
Frequently Asked Questions
This article answers:
- What is the difference between a job, an estimate, and an invoice?
- Do I need a job to create an invoice?
- What do the estimate statuses mean?
- What do the invoice statuses mean?
- How do estimates, jobs, and invoices connect to each other?
- How do I link an existing invoice or estimate to a job?
- Why is my job missing from the Link to job list?