Estimates
The Estimates screen is where you price up work and get it approved before it becomes a job. It shows every estimate for your workspace, where each one stands, and the total pipeline you have open. This guide walks through reading the list, filtering by status, opening an estimate, sending it for approval, what approval does, getting the proposal PDF, and archiving.
The pipeline at a glance
Section titled “The pipeline at a glance”The top of the screen is a four-card summary of where your estimating stands:
- Total Estimates — how many estimates you have open.
- Pipeline Value — the combined dollar value of those estimates.
- Draft + Ready — the ones still being prepared or ready to send.
- Approved — the ones the customer has approved.
Read them together to see how much work is in the pipeline and how far along it is.
Filtering by status
Section titled “Filtering by status”Below the summary is a row of status pills — All, Draft, Ready, Sent, Approved, Rejected — each showing a count. Choose a pill to filter the list to just those estimates; the counts stay put so you always see the full picture while a filter is active. The status of every estimate is shown as a labelled badge, so it reads the same whether or not you can tell the colors apart.
By default the list shows your active estimates. Use Archived Estimates to bring archived ones into view, and Back to Active to return. Archived estimates stay preserved for history; archiving just keeps them out of the working list.
The estimate list
Section titled “The estimate list”The table below the pills is one row per estimate with:
- Estimate — the estimate number, linking through to the full estimate.
- Customer — who the estimate is for.
- Status — where it stands: Draft, Ready, Sent, Approved, Rejected, Converted, Expired, shown as a labelled badge.
- Total — the estimate amount.
- Updated — when it last changed.
- Actions — a View link to the full estimate, and Edit while the estimate is still a draft or ready (estimates lock once they are sent).
Reading an estimate
Section titled “Reading an estimate”Open an estimate from its View link. The detail screen shows:
- The four-card breakdown: Status, Base Cost, Subtotal, and Markup Value — so you can see your cost, your price, and the margin between them.
- Customer Approval Delivery — the customer’s approval link, ready to copy or reopen (covered below).
- Scope of Work and Customer — the work described and who it is for.
- Line Items — each line with its description, quantity, unit, base cost, upcharge, sell unit price, and line total.
- Approval Notes, Rejection Reason, and Converted Job — whichever apply once the customer has responded.
If the customer has signed, a Signed banner shows who approved it. From the header you can Download Proposal PDF (covered below) or go Back to the list.
Creating and editing an estimate
Section titled “Creating and editing an estimate”Choose + New Estimate to start one, or Edit on a draft or ready estimate to change it. An estimate carries the Estimate Information (number, expiration, tax rate, default upcharge), the Customer Information, the Scope of Work, and the Line Items — each line a description, quantity, unit, base cost, and upcharge, which roll up into the sell price and the totals. Choose Save Estimate (or Save Changes) to record it. Estimates can be edited while they are a draft or ready; once sent for approval, they lock so the customer always sees what they were sent.
Sending for customer approval
Section titled “Sending for customer approval”When an estimate is ready, send it to the customer for approval. The customer gets a link to a secure page where they can review the estimate, draw their signature, and approve it — or reject it with a reason. No account is needed on their side. The Customer Approval Delivery card on the detail screen keeps that approval link available so you can copy it or open it to resend at any time.
What approval does
Section titled “What approval does”When the customer approves an estimate, QELM automatically converts it into a job — the scope, customer, and pricing carry straight across so you do not re-key anything. Approval does not create an invoice; billing happens later, from the Invoices screen, once the work warrants it. The estimate’s status moves to Converted and the detail screen shows a Converted Job card linking through to the job. If the customer rejects instead, the estimate is marked Rejected with their reason recorded so you can follow up.
Downloading the proposal PDF
Section titled “Downloading the proposal PDF”Download Proposal PDF on the detail screen opens a clean, printable proposal — the same document your customer sees when they review the estimate. Use it to print, save, or email the proposal. The PDF carries your workspace’s logo and details.
Archiving
Section titled “Archiving”When an estimate is finished with, archiving moves it out of the active list while keeping it preserved for your records. An archived estimate can be restored at any time from the archived view. Archiving never deletes anything — it just tidies the working view.
A note on what you see
Section titled “A note on what you see”The Estimates screen shows only your own workspace’s estimates, and the figures reflect what your team has entered. If the list looks empty, it usually just means nothing has been estimated yet; it fills in as you create estimates. For how a job flows through QELM after an estimate is approved, see the Guides overview.