This article goes over what makes up an Estimate in BuildBook.
Overview
Estimates can be found in the Opportunities section of your BuildBook Account. Once you select an existing (or create a new) Opportunity, you'll see an Estimate tab, where you can create an Estimate for the Opportunity.
At the top of the Estimate is the current version number, status, and who it was last edited by.
Versions give you the ability to create multiple Estimates for a client.
You can change anything within the Estimate to reflect a small change or even change the Estimate entirely. Once you're ready to share the Estimate with the client, click on "Publish this Version" and then "Preview and Share."
Note: You can only Preview and Share the most current version of the Estimate. If you have multiple versions of one estimate that you want to share, consider publishing the Estimate and then using Preview and Share to copy a Public Link or save the Estimate as a PDF. If you need to send out an earlier version of your Estimate, go to that version, then click on Make a New Version. This will create a current version of that older Estimate for you to share.
When the Estimate is approved or declined by the client, you'll notice that the status will change from Published to Approved or Declined.
Estimate Sections
Each section can be toggled on or off to reflect what you'd like the client to see in the Proposal.
Cover Image & Team Info
Cover Image & Team Info
The Cover Image & Team info is a great way for you to present a sleek, personalized Proposal to your client.
The cover image can be a default image like your company logo or one that is specific to the client, such as a design rendering for their project. This space also allows you to edit the title of the estimate, add information about your company in the About section, and include any Team Members working on the eventual Project.
Items in this area can be set as Estimate Defaults in the Estimate Settings so that you don't need to add this information to every Estimate. You can see more about adjusting defaults here.
Scope of Work
Scope of Work
The Scope of Work section provides important information for clients and team members such as the type of work that will be conducted, estimated project timelines, and what's included/not included. A detailed Scope of Work will keep everyone on the same page and can be added to the Estimate Defaults.
Estimate
Estimate
This portion of the Estimate will include the services and associated costs. There are three options to add costs to the Estimate which can be viewed when beginning your Estimate:
Import from Price Book
Copy from another Estimate
Start from scratch
Learn more about each type and how to create an Estimate.
Payment Schedule
Payment Schedule
The payment schedule is a great tool to see a quick view of what payments will be due from clients.
Simply add a payment via the Payment Schedule by clicking on "+ Payment Milestone."
The Payment Milestone consists of the Title of the Payment, a choice to choose a Due Date, a Calculation Type (either Fixed or Percent), the amount, and whether the payment is Unpaid, Pending, or Paid.
A Fixed Fee Calculation Type is for fixed fee contracts. A Percent of Estimate is for Cost Plus Percentage, which will automatically calculate a percentage of the Estimate total. There are also fields for Details and Payment Instructions, which you can use to further communicate payment expectations to your client.
Contract
Contract
The final piece of the Estimate is the Contract. You can simply copy and paste your current contract into the Estimate Default Settings and use it for all Estimates. This should include all pertinent legal information including Terms and Conditions. You can save your Contract in the Estimates default or add the information manually.
Approval
Approval
The Approval section can be toggled on so that you can send the proposal for eSignature approval from your client. If for some reason you won't be sending this for approval or sharing it with a client, you can toggle this off.
Once you're ready to share your Estimate, here's an overview of the steps you want to take and what you can choose to share.
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