Data Mapping of Estimates

I can see the confusion you have about the mapping of estimates in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), @pandregg. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and I'm here to help clarify the situation.

Please know that when setting up an item in QuickBooks, you have the option to assign a specific rate to an item. If you include this item in an estimate, the assigned rate will determine how it appears when you run the Job Estimates vs. Actuals Detail report in QBDT.

On the other hand, if an item does not have a rate in the setup, QuickBooks will be unable to calculate its contribution to the total estimated cost automatically. That said, you'll want to manually input a rate on your estimate for it to be considered in the reporting.

Furthermore, once your estimate proposal is approved, you can easily convert it into an invoice, ensuring a smooth transition from estimating costs to billing your customer.

You can ask them to select Pay Now in the email to pay online. Alternatively, you can also process the payment for them and match it to their invoice.

If there's anything else I can help you about estimates in QBDT, you can always click the Reply button for a follow-up. I'll make sure to respond. Take care.

Thanks for the reply but there's a deeper issue going on with my data.  I had an estimate that had no value in the QTY column for some items.  For items that had no value in the QTY column those columns didn't appear on the EST vs. ACT report.  I added a 1 to the QTY column on the estimate and the TOTAL value appeared in the EST column on the report.  BUT....I have another estimate where I've used the SAME items and did NOT have a 1 in the QTY column on the estimate BUT the TOTAL value appeared in the EST column on the report.  Why would the report data appear correctly for some estimates but not for others when the same items are used?  Additionally, for the estimate where the values appeared on EST column in the report, there were some items that didn't appear...they came up as zeros.  I deleted the item from the estimate, readded it and now it appears on the report.  There's definitely something funky going on....

Based on the information provided, it appears that the issue may be associated with your data files, Pandregg.

Let's use the verify and rebuild tools in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) to address why some items with or without quantity in your estimates appear in your Job Estimates vs Actual Detail Reports.

The verify tool locates the problems in a company file, and then the rebuild tool fixes them. To start the process, check your company file data using the verify tools. Kindly follow the steps provided below:

1. Go to Window, then choose Close All.
2. Go to File, then pick Utilities.
3. Select Verify Data. If you see:

• QuickBooks detected no problems with your data — your data is secure.
• If you see an error message – you can search on our QBDT support site to learn how to fix it.
• If your data has lost integrity – damaged data was found in your company file, and we have to rebuild it.

Furthermore, if you have to rebuild the data in your company file, here's a step-by-step guidelines on how to execute it:

1. Go to File, then select Utilities.
2. Click on Rebuild Data.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions, then press OK.
4. Select the place where you want your backup file to be saved, then tap OK.
5. Enter a new name in the File name. Click Save.

Additionally, you can refer to this article for more details on fixing your company data files: Verify and Rebuild Data in QuickBooks Desktop.

Moreover, I have gathered these articles for you to use in generating reports according to your business needs and preferences:

• Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop
• Customize company and financial reports
• Create, access, and modify memorized reports

If any technical issue arises, know that the Community is available to assist you 24/7, Pandregg. Keep safe!