Creating an Estimate

Overview

Estimates are quotes you send to customers before starting work. They outline what you'll do and how much it will cost, giving customers a chance to approve before you begin. Once approved, estimates can be converted directly into invoices, scheduled jobs, or recurring service agreements. After sending an estimate, BlueClerk prompts you to create a ticket or schedule a job to complete the work.

IMPORTANT: Draft estimates stay DRAFT when saved - When you click "Save" on a DRAFT estimate, it remains as DRAFT and does NOT auto-promote to SENT. This gives you full control over when your estimate becomes visible to customers. The estimate stays in draft mode until you explicitly mark it as sent.

IMPORTANT: Line item edits now save immediately - When you edit line item quantities or prices, BlueClerk waits for those changes to save before recalculating totals. This prevents the "type a number, click Save, total shows $0" race condition that caused stale estimates to be created with incorrect totals.

NEW: Inline Ticket Creation - When you click "Create Ticket" or "Schedule Job" from an estimate, the ticket dialog opens right on the page instead of navigating away. The dialog automatically pre-fills the customer, property, and all line items from the estimate (filtered to items with itemId) so you can quickly convert the estimate into trackable work. Customer type determines which ID gets passed:

• Homeowner customers: Pass customerHomeownerId
• Builder/Business customers: Pass customerId (the customer company ID)

NEW: Convert Options Available Earlier - You can now convert estimates to invoices or tickets as soon as they're marked SENT, not just after approval. This gives you flexibility to start work or create invoices earlier in the process.

NEW: Duplicate Button - Click the duplicate icon in the top action bar to clone an estimate instantly. The duplicate is created as a DRAFT with a new estimate number, copying all line items and customer info from the original.

NEW: Manual Follow-Up Creation - After marking an estimate as CONVERTED (to invoice or job), you can now manually create follow-up tasks directly from the estimate detail page. Use the "Add Follow-Up" button in the action bar to schedule callbacks, quote revisions, or other next steps without leaving the estimate view.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Creating an Estimate

1. Click "Finance" in the sidebar
2. Select "New Estimate" from the flyout menu
3. Select a customer - Search existing customers or create a new one
4. Choose the property - Select which property this estimate is for
5. Add line items - Services, materials, or products you'll provide
6. Set pricing - Enter quantities, unit prices, and any discounts
7. Add notes (optional) - Internal notes or terms for the customer
8. Save the estimate - It's now created as DRAFT

Adding Line Items

Each line item should include:

• Item name - What you're providing (links to your catalog if available)
• Description - Additional details about the item
• Quantity - How many units
• Unit price - Cost per unit
• Total - Automatically calculated (quantity × unit price)

You can:

• Reorder items - Drag and drop to change line item order
• Remove items - Click the trash icon to delete a line
• Add photos - Attach product images to show customers what they're getting

Setting Estimate Details

Additional fields you can configure:

• Estimate date - When the estimate was created (defaults to today)
• Valid until - How long pricing is valid (optional expiration date)
• Discount - Percentage or flat amount off the subtotal
• Tax rate - Sales tax percentage (pulled from company settings by default)
• Deposit amount - Upfront payment required to start work (optional)

Terms and Notes

• Customer notes - Visible to the customer on the estimate
• Internal notes - Only visible to you and your team
• Payment terms - Net 30, Due on receipt, etc.
• Scope details - Work description, exclusions, assumptions

Sending an Estimate

Email to Customer

1. Open the estimate you want to send
2. Click "Send" or the send/email icon
3. Confirm recipient email - Pre-filled from customer record
4. Add a personal message (optional)
5. Toggle "Request Approve & Sign" if you want customer signature (ON by default for estimates)
6. Click "Send Estimate"

The customer receives:

• Email with estimate details and your message
• Link to view the full estimate online
• "Approve & Sign" button if signature was requested
• Secure link to pay deposit if one is required

Mark as Sent Manually

If you send the estimate outside of BlueClerk (printed copy, separate email, etc.):

1. Open the estimate
2. Click "Mark Sent" in the header
3. The status changes to SENT

This keeps your records accurate even when you use other delivery methods.

Converting Estimates

Convert to Invoice

Once a customer approves an estimate (or you're ready to bill):

1. Open the approved estimate
2. Click "Convert to Invoice" (available when status is SENT or APPROVED)
3. BlueClerk creates a new invoice with:
   • All line items copied over
   • Customer and property info pre-filled
   • Same totals and tax calculations
4. Review and send the invoice to collect payment

Convert to Ticket or Job

To create trackable work from an estimate:

1. Open the estimate
2. Click "Create Ticket" or "Schedule Job" (available when status is SENT or APPROVED)
3. The ticket dialog opens inline with:
   • Customer and property pre-selected
   • Line items from estimate copied over (items with itemId only)
   • Description pre-filled if provided
4. Set additional details like priority, assigned tech, or due date
5. Click "Create" - Ticket or job is created instantly
6. The estimate is linked to the new ticket/job for tracking

Create Recurring Service

For maintenance contracts or regular service:

1. Open the approved estimate
2. Click "Create Recurring Invoice"
3. Set frequency - Weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly
4. Choose start date - When the first invoice should be generated
5. Toggle auto-send - Whether invoices should be marked sent automatically
6. BlueClerk generates invoices automatically on your schedule

Estimate Statuses

Draft

• Initial state when you create an estimate
• Not visible to customers yet
• You can edit freely without version tracking
• Stays DRAFT until you mark it sent

Sent

• Customer has been notified and can view the estimate
• You can still edit, but changes are visible to the customer
• Waiting for customer response
• Can be converted to invoice or ticket

Viewed

• Customer opened the estimate link
• Lets you know they received and reviewed it
• Good time to follow up

Approved

• Customer accepted the estimate (via signature or "Approve" button)
• Ready to convert to invoice or start work
• Becomes part of the job record

Declined

• Customer rejected the estimate
• You can revise and resend as a new estimate
• Archived for your records

Expired

• Estimate passed its "Valid Until" date
• Customer can no longer accept it without revision
• You can extend the date or create a new estimate

Converted

• Estimate was converted to invoice, job, or recurring service
• Links to the created record for tracking
• Archived but still accessible for reference

Duplicating Estimates

Clone an Estimate

To quickly create a similar estimate for another customer or project:

1. Open the estimate you want to duplicate
2. Click the duplicate icon in the top action bar (two overlapping squares)
3. BlueClerk creates a new DRAFT estimate with:
   • New estimate number assigned automatically
   • All line items copied with same prices and quantities
   • Customer info copied from the original
   • Status reset to DRAFT 4