Why Workspace Setup Matters
A properly configured workspace is the foundation of every accurate estimate. Without the right defaults in place, you risk inconsistencies across projects, tax calculation errors, and time lost re-entering the same information over and over.
With QuickEstimate, setting up your workspace takes just a few minutes—but the time it saves across every future estimate is significant. From company branding to default labor rates, getting your workspace right ensures every estimate you produce is consistent, professional, and ready to share with clients.
Step-by-Step Workspace Setup
Follow these four simple steps to configure your QuickEstimate workspace. Each step builds on the previous one, ensuring your estimates are accurate and consistent from day one.
Add Company Details
Start by entering your business information. This data appears on every estimate and report you generate, giving your documents a professional, branded appearance.
- Enter your full business name as it should appear on estimates
- Add your contact information including phone, email, and address
- Upload your company logo for branded PDF reports
- Include your business registration or license number if required
- Add a default footer note or terms that appear on every estimate
Taking a few minutes to complete your company profile eliminates the need to manually add these details to every estimate. It also ensures your documents look polished and consistent when shared with clients.
Set Your Timezone
QuickEstimate detects your timezone automatically from your browser when you sign up, so estimate timestamps, proposal activity, and time-tracking entries line up with your local clock from day one.
- Your timezone is detected automatically the moment you create your account
- Review or change it any time from Business Settings
Getting your timezone right from the start keeps timestamps on your estimates, proposals, and time entries accurate without any manual correction later.
Configure Tax Settings
Accurate tax handling is critical for compliant estimates and invoices. QuickEstimate lets you define your tax rules once and apply them automatically across all your projects.
- Select your applicable tax type (GST, VAT, Sales Tax, etc.)
- Enter the tax percentage rate that applies to your work
- Configure whether tax applies to materials, labor, equipment, or all categories
- Set up multiple tax rates if your projects span different tax bands
- Choose whether tax is shown as inclusive or exclusive in estimate totals
Incorrect tax configuration is one of the most common causes of estimate disputes. Setting it up correctly in your workspace ensures every project automatically uses the right tax rules without manual intervention.
Set Default Values
Default values are the biggest time-savers in QuickEstimate. By pre-loading your standard rates and costs, you can build estimates faster without starting from scratch every time.
- Set default hourly labor rates for each trade or role you commonly use
- Pre-load standard material costs for items you regularly include in estimates
- Define a default profit margin percentage applied to new estimates
- Set a default contingency buffer (e.g. 10%) added automatically to totals
- Configure default equipment rental rates for frequently used machinery
Default values don't lock you in — you can always override them on individual estimates. But having accurate defaults means a new estimate is already 80% complete the moment you create it, dramatically reducing your setup time per project.
Why a Properly Configured Workspace Makes a Difference
Skipping workspace setup might seem like a time-saver upfront, but it leads to avoidable problems on every estimate you create. A configured workspace delivers:
- Fewer errors — tax rates and defaults are always applied correctly
- Faster estimates — defaults mean less manual data entry per project
- Consistent outputs — every estimate looks and calculates the same way
- Professional documents — branded PDFs with your logo and company details
- Easier reviews — standardised structure makes comparing estimates simple
Think of workspace setup as a one-time investment that pays dividends on every estimate you produce going forward.
Pro Tips for Workspace Setup
Getting your workspace configured well from the start sets you up for smoother estimating across every project. Here are key practices to keep your workspace in top shape:
Keep Rates Updated Regularly
Material costs and labor rates change over time. Review and update your default values at least quarterly to ensure your estimates always reflect current market pricing.
Create Reusable Templates
Once your workspace is set up, save common project types as templates. This lets you spin up new estimates in seconds rather than rebuilding the same structure every time.
Standardise Pricing Across Projects
Use consistent default rates across your team to ensure all estimates reflect the same pricing baseline. This prevents discrepancies when multiple people create estimates.
Double-Check Tax Configuration
Before generating your first client-facing estimate, verify your tax settings are correct. A misconfigured tax rate on your first estimate can cause issues that ripple across multiple projects.
Upload a High-Quality Logo
Your logo appears on every PDF estimate you share with clients. Use a high-resolution version (PNG with transparent background recommended) for a polished, professional result.
Set a Sensible Default Margin
Configure a default profit margin that reflects your typical target. You can always adjust it per project, but having the right default ensures new estimates start at the right profitability level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most users complete their full workspace setup in under 10 minutes. Adding company details and configuring tax settings takes just a few minutes, and you can build out your default rates gradually as you use the platform.
Yes. Your workspace settings can be updated at any time. Changes to defaults apply to new estimates going forward — existing estimates are not retroactively changed, so your historical records remain accurate.
Yes. QuickEstimate supports multiple tax configurations. You can define different rates for different cost categories or project types, and select the appropriate tax setting when creating each estimate.
No. Default values are simply starting points. Every rate, cost, and setting on an individual estimate can be overridden without affecting your workspace defaults. They exist to save time, not to restrict flexibility.
Ready to Start Estimating?
With your workspace configured, you're ready to create your first professional estimate.