Global Estimates

These estimates operate independently of any specific Work Event and enable users to create estimates on-the-fly for their customers.  This allows rapid response to customer requests for any type of work estimate.   Follow these steps to create an estimate:

  1. From the navigation menu, select Estimates.  
    1. Any previously created Global Estimates are listed here.
    2. You may use the Select Filters option to search for an estimate.
  2. Click the Create Estimate button in the upper right.
  3. Customer: Select the customer for whom you are creating the estimate.
  4. Price Items: Select the appropriate items in the drop down from your Price Item list.
    1. Item: The name of the item you are including in the estimate.  The price shown is controlled by either your QuickBooks integration or your manually configured Price Items list.
    2. Quantity: The quantity of that item to include in the estimate.
    3. Taxable?: If you are integrated to your QuickBooks account, the taxable box will reflect the taxable nature of this item.  If you are not connected to your QuickBooks account, click this box if this line item is subject to sales tax.
  5. Add More Price Items: Click this button and repeat the above steps to add more lines and items to the estimate.
  6. Miscellaneous Items: If you need to add items to your estimate that are not in your Price Items list, you may add them here on-the-fly.  Otherwise, skip to step 8.
    1. Item: This is the category of the item you are adding.  If you are integrated to your QuickBooks account and have configured the miscellaneous items per the setup steps, select the appropriate item type here.  If not integrated to QuickBooks, you will select the item type here that you setup in the Settings >> Price Item Types area.
    2. Description: Enter a free-form text description of the item you are adding to the estimate.
    3. Price: Enter the unit price of the item you are adding.
    4. Quantity: Enter the quantity of the item you are adding.
    5. Taxable?: If you are integrated to your QuickBooks account, the taxable box will reflect the taxable nature of this item based on the Item Type selected.  If you are not connected to your QuickBooks account, click this box if this line item is subject to sales tax.
  7. Add Miscellaneous Items: Click this button and repeat the above steps to add more miscellaneous lines and items to the estimate.
  8. Estimate Name: Enter a name for this estimate.  This name will be shown in the list of estimates and make retrieval later easier.
  9. Recurring: If you are creating an estimate for a recurring work item (e.g., a monthly landscape service), check this box and set the recurring schedule:
    1. Number of months: Enter the number of months you will perform this service.
    2. Start service date: Enter that date you will first perform this work.
    3. First payment date: Enter the date you will first charge the customer for this work.
  10. Service description: Enter a description of the work you are estimating for your customer.  This text will be included in the estimate.  NOTE: If you selected Recurring above, then the recurring schedule is included in code in the box and will reflect the schedule you set when you send the estimate.  Add any additional text before or after the code.
  11. Show items to end customer: Check this box if you would like to include all the line items in the estimate and not just the total amount.
  12. Discount Type: If you are including a discount, indicate here what type of discount it is.
    1. If you chose Flat, enter a flat $ discount in the Flat discount field.
    2. If you chose Percent, enter the % discount in the Discount Percent field.
  13. Sales Tax Percent: If you are integrated to your QuickBooks account, the sales tax percent is pulled in here, otherwise, enter the sales tax percent for the location that applies to this estimate.
  14. Apply after tax discount: If you want the discount entered above (if any) applied after sales taxes are calculated, check this box.
  15. Customer name: This field displays the name of the customer you selected in step 3.   You may edit it here.
  16. Customer email: This field displays the email of the customer you selected in step 3.   You may edit it here.
  17. Click Create.

You have created the estimate and are taken to the review page.  From here you have several options to manage the estimate.

  1. Duplicate: Click this button to duplicate the estimate (so estimate 27218 will be duplicated to 27218.1)
  2. Delete: Click this button to delete the estimate.  If the customer has approved the estimate, it cannot be deleted.
  3. Edit: Click this button to edit the estimate.  If the customer has approved the estimate, it cannot be edited.  If you want to modify the estimate to provide another option to the customer, duplicate it first and then edit that one.
  4. Send to Customer: Click this button to email the estimate to the customer.  This is an optional step if the customer wants to see/approve the estimate before you send an invoice.  They will receive an email with a link to click that will open the estimate in their browser.  They may sign it and approve it right there and your estimate status will move to approved.
  5. Create Invoice: Click this button to convert the estimate to an invoice for the customer (whether it is approved or not).