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User guide › Winning work › Chapter 8

Estimates and costing

An estimate is your own cost sheet: what the job will cost you in material and labour, and the margin you want on top. The customer never sees it. When the numbers are right, you turn the estimate into a quotation the customer does see.

The screens

Estimates

Your own cost sheets, worked out before you quote.

  1. The cards: how many estimates there are, how many are approved, their value, and the margin across all of them (selling price less cost).
  2. The list, with search and filters: All, Draft, Sent, Approved, Rejected and Quotation made.
  3. New estimate starts a cost sheet: material, labour and other costs on each line, with the price you will charge.
Where in the menu
Pre-sales > Estimates
Who can open it
Company Admin, Sales, Project Manager, Accounts, Viewer
Plan
Every plan
Open it in the sample workspace

Read about this screen: What is the difference between an estimate and a quotation? · How do I build an estimate with my costs and margin?

Making an estimate

A new cost sheet: your costs on each line, and the price you will charge.

  1. Estimate for: what the estimate is for, the only thing you must fill in.
  2. Customer and project, if it is for one; the date; the tax percentage; and the site address.
  3. Press Save, and the costing lines (material, labour and other costs, with your margin) are added on the next screen.
Where in the menu
Pre-sales > Estimates
Who can open it
Company Admin, Sales, Project Manager, Accounts, Viewer
Plan
Every plan
Open it in the sample workspace

How to

How to

How do I build an estimate with my costs and margin?

Open Estimates > New estimate, then add each line with its quantity, cost per unit and markup. The selling price and margin are worked out for you.

Where in the menu
Pre-sales > Estimates
Who can open it
Company Admin, Sales, Project Manager, Accounts, Viewer
Plan
Every plan

On screen: Estimates

  1. Open Estimates and press New estimate. Choose the customer, project, date and tax %.
  2. On the next screen press Add line for each item of work:
  • Section (Civil, Woodwork, Electrical) groups the lines.
  • Unit and Quantity.
  • Material, Labour and Other cost per unit: your real costs.
  • Markup %: fills the selling price if you leave it blank. Or type the selling price per unit yourself.
  1. The top shows Your cost, Selling, Profit and Customer pays (after tax and charges). Each line shows its own margin.
  2. Press Mark approved once it is agreed internally, then Make quotation.

The Estimates list shows the blended margin across live estimates: selling less cost.

Read next

Good to know

Explained

What is the difference between an estimate and a quotation?

An estimate is your internal cost sheet: material, labour and other cost per line, with your markup and margin. A quotation is what the customer sees. Make the quotation from the estimate when it is ready.

Where in the menu
Pre-sales > Estimates
Who can open it
Company Admin, Sales, Project Manager, Accounts, Viewer
Plan
Every plan
Where in the menu
Pre-sales > Quotations
Who can open it
Company Admin, Sales, Project Manager, Accounts, Viewer
Plan
Every plan

On screen: Estimates

  • Estimate: private to your team. Each line has its own material, labour and other cost per unit, a markup %, and the selling price. The top shows your cost, selling, profit and what the customer pays after tax. Use it to work out a price for bigger turnkey or interior jobs.
  • Quotation: the customer's document, with your branding, terms and drawings.

When the estimate is right, press Make quotation. The lines are copied into a new quotation at the selling prices; your costs stay private.

Quick jobs priced from your rate card can skip the estimate and go straight to a quotation.

Read next

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