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Create and send estimates

by Intuit•25• Updated a day ago

Learn how to set up estimates in QuickBooks Online.

Create an estimate when you want to give your customer a quote, bid, or proposal for work you plan to do. The form looks similar to an invoice, but instead of charging your customer, you’re giving them info about your proposal and what they can expect to pay. Then, when the work is done and you're ready to invoice your customer, you can convert the estimate to an invoice so you don't have to enter it twice.

Create and customise an estimate

You can customise an estimate to display only specific information to your customer. 

Create an estimate

  1. Select + New or + Create.
  2. Select Estimate.
  3. Select Add customer. Then select a customer from the â–Ľ dropdown. Or, to add a new customer, select + Add new, enter the customer info, and select Save.
  4. Select the ▼ dropdown in the Product/service field and add the products or services to the estimate. Or, to add a new product or service, select + Add new, enter the info for your product or service and select Save and close. 
  5. If you saved a rate for your product or service, it automatically displays in the Amount column. Add or adjust the quantity or amount as needed. 
  6. The default status of a new estimate is “Pending”. If you need to edit the status, select ⚙ Manage, then select the Pending ▼ dropdown and select a different status.
  7. To customise the estimate, select âš™ Manage. Then select the dropdown â–Ľ on the section you need to customise to expand the details. Choose what info displays on your form, then turn the switches on or off in each section.
    Note: As you make changes, a preview displays on the form.
  8. When you're ready, select Save.
  9. To email the estimate to your customer, select Review and send. Then edit the email message, if necessary, and select Send estimate.
  1. Select + New or + Create.
  2. Select Estimate.
  3. Select a customer from the Customer Dropdown arrow icon. dropdown Or, to add a new customer, select + Add new, enter the customer info, and select Save.
  4. Make sure all of their info is correct, especially their email address.
  5. Review the Estimate date, Expiration date, and any other fields if any.
  6. For each line item on the invoice, select a product or service from the Product/Service Dropdown arrow icon. dropdown. To add additional line items, select Add lines.
  7. Enter the quantity (Qty) and Rate, if needed.
  8. To customise the info or design of your invoices:
    1. Select Customise.
    2. Select another template, or follow the steps to create a New style or Edit current.
  9. Select Save and close. If you want to send it, select Save and send, then follow the prompts on the screen.

Update an estimate's status

QuickBooks Online automatically updates an estimate's status if a customer accepts or declines it directly from their email. You can also manually update the status to keep your records accurate.

  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Customer Hub, then select Estimates (Take me there).
  2. Find the estimate.
  3. In the Action column, select the dropdown â–Ľ and then Update Status.
  4. Select Accepted or another status. Then select Ok.

Convert an estimate to an invoice

Estimates are non-posting transactions and do not affect your books until they are converted to an invoice.

  1.  Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Customer Hub, then select Estimates (Take me there).
  2.  Find the estimate.
  3.  In the Action column, select the dropdown ▼ and then select Convert to invoice.
  4. Select the option from the How much do you want to invoice? window, then select Create invoice.
  5.  Make any necessary edits to the invoice.
  6.  If you need to customise any invoice fields, select ⚙ Manage and select the dropdown ▼ on the section you need to customise. Then turn the switches on or off to change what displays on the invoice. As you make changes, a preview displays on the form.
    Note: If you're on the old estimate layout, select Customise to customise the info or design of your invoices. Then select another template, or follow the steps to create a New style or Edit current.
  7. When you're ready, select Save to save the invoice, or select Review and send to email the invoice to your customer.
    Note: If you're on the old estimate layout, select Save and send, then follow the next steps to to email the invoice to your customer.

Review and report on estimates

Run reports to see the status of all your proposals and identify which have been converted to invoices.

View list

  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Customer Hub, then select Estimates (Take me there).
  2. Find your estimate.
    Tip: You can sort by date, no., customer, amount, or status column headers.

Run report

You can also run a report to get more details:

  1. Go to Reports Icon image of the Reports menu. and select Standard reports (Take me there).
  2. Look for and open the Estimates by Customer report.
  3. Select your date range.

This gives you the customer name, the estimate number, the status, and invoice number if it's been converted.

Delete or decline an estimate

If your customer decides they don't want you to do the work, it's better to change the estimate status to Declined rather than delete it. (See Update an estimate's status.) This keeps a record of the estimate on your accounts for good bookkeeping.

To delete an estimate created by mistake

  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Customer Hub, then select Estimates (Take me there).
  2. Find the estimate.
  3. In the Action column, select the dropdown â–Ľ and then select Delete.
  4. Select Delete to confirm.