How to create and send estimates in QuickBooks Online

[0:00] An estimate allows you to give your customer an estimate or proposal for work you plan to do. Let's go over how to create an estimate in QuickBooks Online, your customization options, and how to email it to your customer for review. Then we'll show you where to check on the status of your estimate and convert it to an invoice when you are ready to bill your customer.

[0:22] To start, select Create and then Estimate. You can edit your company info and logo if needed. Select your customer. If you don't see them, you can add them here. You'll see your customer's address and email if you've already added them to QuickBooks. If not, fill them in. Click Manage and navigate to Customization to customize fields in your estimate.

[0:43] In your estimate, you have a few more options under Discounts and Fees as well. Adjust the look of your estimate by going to Design and updating the color and font of your estimate to something that suits your company's design. Note that if you've created templates using our previous estimating experience, you can select those here. But some functions may not be available when using these.

[1:08] Under Scheduling, you can print or send the estimate later. Next, select Product or service and enter your proposal for this estimate. If you need to add a new product or service, you can do that here. Add or adjust the quantity and rate as needed for this estimate. You can also add any notes you want displayed on the estimate or attach photos that provide more information about the project.

[1:34] When everything looks good, you can email your estimate or share a link. We'll select Review and send for this example. You'll see the email your customer will receive, which includes a link where they can Review and approve your estimate online. When you're ready, select Send estimate.

[1:52] In the Customer Hub list under the Estimates tab, you'll be able to see when your customer has viewed, accepted, or declined the estimate. If you've received a word-of-mouth commitment, then you can manually mark your estimate as accepted. You can also turn your estimate into an invoice by selecting Convert to invoice.

[2:13] You can decide to invoice for the whole amount or just a percentage for progress invoicing. If you select this option, there is a video at the end to show you how to do this. Let's select the whole amount. fill in the invoice based on the estimate, including products or services used.

[2:34] If you need to change any of the quantities or rates, or even add more products and services on this invoice, you can do that. Now you're ready to create estimates and convert them to invoices in QuickBooks Online.