Estimate Template

How do I write an estimate?

Put your business details at the top and the client under Prepared for. List each part of the job as its own line, materials and labor apart, with a quantity and price. Add tax if you charge it, set a valid-until date, and note what the price includes and leaves out. Then download the PDF and send it.

1. Type your business at the top and the client under Prepared for.
2. Add a line for each material and each block of labor.
3. Press + Tax, type the rate, and untick taxed under lines you do not tax.
4. Check the Valid until date and fill in the Scope of work.
5. Press Download PDF.

What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?

Cambridge Dictionary describes an estimate as a statement of the likely cost of a job, and a quotation as the price someone says they will charge for it. So an estimate is your best guess and may change, while a quote is a price you stand behind. Pick the heading that matches what you promise.

Whichever word you use, say what could change the price in Terms, for example hidden damage found once work starts, or materials that cost more than expected. That sentence prevents more arguments than the number itself.

How do I price materials and labor separately?

Give each its own line. Materials usually go in as one line per item or as a single total, and labor as hours times your hourly rate. Lines have a Taxed box, so you can charge tax on materials only where labor is not taxed. The total updates as you type.

Here is the example repair job, calculated by the tool:

Whether labor is taxed depends on where you work and what the job is, so check with your state or local tax office.

How long is an estimate valid?

As long as you say. The estimate sets a valid-until date 30 days after the issue date, and you can change it to any day. A short window protects you when prices move. After that date, send a fresh estimate rather than honoring an old price you can no longer meet. The date prints near the top of the page.

How do I turn an accepted estimate into an invoice?

Press Save a copy under More options to keep the estimate as a small .json file. Open the invoice generator, press Open a copy there and pick that file. The client, items, tax and notes come across, and the document becomes an invoice with the next invoice number, payment terms and a due date.

Go to the Invoice Generator. If the client asked for a prepayment before the work, a proforma invoice is the usual document for that.