What an estimate contains
Each estimate has four core parts:- Basic info — Client, project name, description, and current status
- Line items — Individual costs organized into categories
- Cost profile — The markup and pricing rules applied to the estimate total
- Attachments — Supporting documents, photos, and reference files
Creating an estimate
1
Open the Estimates list
Go to Estimating > Estimates in the sidebar, then click New Estimate.
2
Set the client and project
Select an existing client from the dropdown, or type a new name to create one on the fly. Enter a project name and an optional description.
3
Add line items
Click Add Line Item to add your first row. Enter a description, quantity, unit, and unit cost — the line total calculates automatically.
4
Group by category
Click Add Category to create groups like “Demolition”, “Framing”, or “Electrical”. Drag line items between categories to reorganize your estimate.
Using the materials catalog
When you type in a line item description field, Contractor Co-Pilot searches your materials catalog and surfaces matching items as you type. Select a suggestion to auto-fill the unit, unit cost, and supplier. You can override any of these values after selecting — the suggestion is a starting point, not a lock.Estimate statuses
Estimates move through a defined set of statuses as they progress through your workflow.Status flow
The typical progression moves through these stages in order:- Draft — You’re building and refining the estimate
- In Review — Your internal team reviews it
- Approved or Rejected — Internal decision made (rejected estimates return to Draft for revision)
- Sent to Client — Client receives the estimate
- Client Approved or Client Rejected — Client makes their decision
- Won or Lost — Final outcome recorded
Expired estimates can be reset to Draft to restart the cycle — for example, if a client comes back after a lapsed validity period.
Templates
Estimate templates let you pre-build line items and categories for project types you bid repeatedly.- Go to Organization > Templates and click New Template
- Add your standard line items, categories, and any default values
- When creating a new estimate, click Use Template to pre-fill the estimate with those items
Duplicating an estimate
To use an existing estimate as the basis for a new one:- Open the estimate you want to copy
- Click the … menu (top right)
- Select Duplicate
- Edit the copy — client, project name, and line items — for your new project
Exporting to PDF
Click Export or Download PDF from the estimate detail page to generate a print-ready PDF. Use this for sharing offline, attaching to emails, or filing physical copies.For a branded, client-facing document with your logo and terms, convert the estimate to a proposal first. See Send professional proposals to clients.
Pipeline view
The Sales > Pipeline board shows all your estimates organized by stage in a Kanban layout. From there you can:- See the full state of your sales pipeline at a glance
- Drag estimates between status columns to update them
- Filter by client, date range, or estimate amount
- Track your overall win rate
Next steps
Digital takeoffs
Measure quantities from blueprints and push them directly into an estimate.
Proposals
Convert an approved estimate into a branded proposal for your client.
Sales pipeline
Track all open opportunities in a Kanban board from draft to close.
Cost profiles
Set up markup and pricing rules that apply to your estimates.