Estimates and Quotes

system · March 3, 2026, 3:47am

Estimates help you win more business by giving customers clear, professional quotes before work begins. Exoserva makes it easy to create estimates, send them for approval, and convert approved estimates directly into jobs. This guide covers the full estimate workflow from creation to conversion, including approval tracking and follow-up strategies.

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Before You Begin

An active Exoserva account with Owner or Manager role
At least one customer in your account (see “Managing Customers” guide)
Recommended: Price book configured for consistent pricing (see “Setting Up Your Price Book” guide)

Step 1: Navigate to the Estimates Page

Click “Estimates” in the left sidebar under the Financials section. The Estimates page opens with a summary stats bar at the top and a data table below. The stats bar displays four inline stat badges: Total (blue, showing total estimate count with trend indicator), Approved (green, showing approved count and conversion trend), Pending (yellow, showing sent estimates awaiting response), and Value (purple, showing total monetary value of all estimates). Each badge includes a small trend arrow (up or down) comparing the current period to the previous one.

The data table shows all estimates with sortable columns for estimate number (monospace font), customer name, title, date, total amount, and status. Status badges are color-coded using the StatusBadge component: grey for Draft, blue for Sent, green for Approved, red for Declined, and amber for Expired.

Tip: Click any stat badge to filter the table to that status. For example, clicking the yellow “Pending” badge shows only sent estimates awaiting customer response – useful for your daily follow-up routine.

Warning: The data table can hold many rows. Use the search bar and status filters to narrow results before scrolling. Sorting by date (newest first) is usually the most practical default view.

Step 2: Create a New Estimate

Click the “New Estimate” button (or equivalent action button) in the top-right area of the page toolbar. The estimate creation form opens in a modal or inline layout similar to the invoice form, but designed specifically for pre-work pricing. An estimate number is generated automatically following your numbering sequence (displayed in monospace font, e.g., “EST-00042”). Enter a Title for the estimate that describes the scope of work (e.g., “Kitchen Remodel - Cabinet Installation and Plumbing”).

You can customize the estimate number prefix in Settings under Company Info if you prefer a different format for your business.

Tip: Use the auto-save draft feature – Exoserva automatically saves your estimate as a draft as you work, indicated by a “Draft saved” indicator in the toolbar. You can close and return to an in-progress estimate without losing your work.

Step 3: Add Customer and Line Items

Select the customer from the customer dropdown at the top of the form. Start typing a name and the combobox auto-suggests matching customers from your database. Once selected, the customer name, address, and contact details auto-populate from their profile.

Then add line items by clicking the “Add Item” button. Each line item row contains: a Description field (text), a Quantity field (number), and a Unit Price field (currency). The row total calculates automatically as Quantity times Unit Price and displays on the right side. Pull items from your price book by clicking the price book icon next to the description field – this opens a searchable price book picker with pre-configured items and their standard prices, ensuring consistent pricing across all estimates.

Tip: Include detailed descriptions in each line item. Customers are more likely to approve estimates when they understand exactly what they are paying for and what work is included in each line. For example, instead of “Plumbing work - $500,” write “Replace kitchen sink faucet (Moen Model 7594) including shutoff valves and supply lines - $500.”

Warning: Line item totals update in real time as you change quantities or prices. Always verify the grand total at the bottom before sending, especially after editing multiple rows.

Step 4: Set Validity Period and Terms

In the estimate details section, set an Expiration Date using the date picker to define how long the quote is valid. The days-until-expiry counter appears next to the date, showing how many days remain before the estimate expires (displayed in amber when approaching expiry). Add any terms, conditions, or scope notes in the Notes field at the bottom of the form. You can also attach files such as photos of the work area, specification sheets, or proposal documents by clicking the attachment icon in the toolbar.

Tip: A 30-day validity period is standard for most field service businesses. For seasonal work like HVAC installations where material costs fluctuate, consider shorter validity windows (14 days) to protect your margins against supply chain price changes.

Warning: Estimates without an expiration date remain open indefinitely. This can lead to customers accepting old quotes with outdated pricing months later. Always set a validity period – the date picker makes this a single-click action.

Step 5: Preview and Send the Estimate

Before sending, use the preview functionality to see how the estimate will appear to the customer. Verify the customer details, line items, totals, and any attached notes or terms. The toolbar provides multiple delivery options: a Print button (opens a print-friendly version in a new window), an Email button (opens a dialog to compose and send the estimate directly to the customer), and an Export dropdown with options for PDF, CSV, Excel, and JSON formats.

When everything looks correct, click “Send Estimate” to email it to the customer with a link to view, approve, or decline online. The estimate status changes from “Draft” (grey badge) to “Sent” (blue badge) immediately after sending.

Tip: Attach supporting documents like project photos or equipment specifications to your estimate before sending. Proposals with visual context have higher approval rates because customers can see the scope of work firsthand and understand the value of what you are providing.

Warning: Once sent, the estimate is visible to the customer through their online portal link. Double-check all pricing, descriptions, and customer details before clicking Send – while you can resend a corrected version, the customer may have already seen the original.

Step 6: Track Approval Status

Monitor estimates from the data table on the Estimates page. The Status column shows real-time status badges for each estimate. Sent estimates display tracking information: when a customer opens the email, views the estimate, and takes action. When a customer approves or declines, the status badge updates immediately from “Sent” (blue) to “Approved” (green) or “Declined” (red), and you receive a notification through your configured notification channels.

The table also shows a Days Pending indicator for sent estimates, helping you identify which quotes have been sitting unanswered the longest. Rows with urgent aging are highlighted with a subtle background tint to draw your attention.

Tip: Set up automated follow-up reminders in Settings to automatically nudge customers who have not responded within a configurable number of days. A gentle reminder on day three and day seven dramatically improves your estimate-to-job conversion rate – many customers simply forget to respond, not because they are not interested.

Step 7: Handle Declined or Expired Estimates

For declined estimates, click the row to open the estimate detail modal. Review any reason the customer provided for declining. You can create a revised estimate by clicking “Duplicate and Edit” to copy all line items into a new estimate with adjusted pricing or scope. The original estimate remains in the system with its “Declined” (red) status for your records.

Expired estimates (amber badge) can be re-sent with an updated validity period by clicking “Resend” and selecting a new expiration date in the dialog that appears. The estimate status changes back to “Sent” with the new expiration date.

Tip: Compare your estimate-to-invoice conversion rate over time using the trend indicators on the stat badges. If you are seeing high decline rates, review your pricing against competitors or consider adding more detail to your line item descriptions. The “Days Pending” metric helps identify your optimal follow-up timing.

Warning: Expired estimates are still visible to customers if they have the original link. Before resending, verify that your pricing is still current and materials are still available at the quoted cost.

Step 8: Convert an Approved Estimate to a Job

When a customer approves an estimate, click the row to open the estimate detail modal. You will see the “Approved” (green) status badge and a prominent “Convert to Job” button. Click this button to create a new job pre-filled with all estimate details including customer information, line items, pricing, and notes. A conversion confirmation dialog may appear – review the details and confirm.

The new job is created in Draft status so you can assign a technician, set a schedule date and time slot, and make any adjustments before dispatching. The estimate detail page shows a link to the resulting job, and the estimate status changes to “Converted” with a direct link to the job for easy cross-referencing.

Tip: After converting, navigate to the job page and immediately assign a technician and schedule date. Customers who approved an estimate are ready to proceed – the faster you schedule the work, the less likely they are to change their mind or find an alternative provider.

Warning: Once converted, the estimate is marked as “Converted” and cannot be modified or converted again. The link between the estimate and the resulting job is preserved permanently for audit purposes. Make sure all details are correct and the customer has confirmed the scope before converting.

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve completed this guide, check out:

Need help? Post in the Tech Support category or contact support@exoserva.com.