๐Ÿ“ฃ New: Professional PDF proposals now include client e-approval tracking. See what's new โ†’
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Step-by-Step Walkthrough

From blank project
to winning proposal
in under 10 minutes

No training required. No complex setup. QuickEstimate guides you through a structured 6-step workflow that protects your margins at every single stage.

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12,000+ contractors use this exact workflow daily.
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Under 10 minutes to master

Most contractors create their first profitable estimate within 10 minutes of signing up. No manual needed.

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Set overhead once, protected forever

Enter your company running costs one time. QuickEstimate applies them to every single estimate automatically.

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One click to professional PDF

From a completed estimate to a polished, branded client proposal in one click โ€” no formatting required.

โœ…

Know when clients approve

Real-time open and approval tracking โ€” no more "did they get it?" calls to clients.

1
Step 1 of 6
โฑ๏ธ ~60 seconds

Create Your Project in Under a Minute

Name the project, add your client details, set the location and job type โ€” QuickEstimate sets up a structured estimate shell, ready for your costs.

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Project name, client & reference number

Every estimate is tagged and searchable โ€” find any past project in seconds from your dashboard.

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Location & job type

Tag by state, city, and trade type for reporting and analytics across your business.

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Or start from a saved template

Returning to a similar job? Start from any past estimate as a template โ€” costs and structure pre-filled.

Next: Add Costs โ†’
New Project โ€” QuickEstimate
Project Details
Project Name Office Renovation โ€” Denver CO
Client Name Harper & Associates
State Colorado
Job Type Commercial
Reference # QE-2241
๐Ÿ“ Or start from a template
Create Project โ†’
2
Step 2 of 6
โฑ๏ธ 3โ€“5 minutes

Add Every Cost โ€” Nothing Left Out

Enter materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractor costs with full line-item detail. QuickEstimate structures everything so nothing falls through the cracks.

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Materials by line item

Add each material with name, quantity, unit, and price. Access your saved materials library for speed.

๐Ÿ‘ท

Labor by rate ร— hours

Set hourly rate and estimated hours per trade โ€” or enter a lump sum for each phase of work.

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Equipment & subcontractors

Add equipment hire by day/week. Add subcontractor quotes per trade โ€” compare multiple bids before locking in.

Next: Set Overhead โ†’
Cost Entry โ€” Office Renovation #2241
๐Ÿงฑ Materials
Hardwood Flooring (320 mยฒ)$18,240
Windows, Doors, Fittings$15,040
Paint, Primers, Hardware$9,520
๐Ÿ‘ท Labor
Carpenter (180 hrs ร— $82)$14,760
Electrician (60 hrs ร— $95)$5,700
General Labor$10,740
๐Ÿšœ Equipment / ๐Ÿ”ง Subs
Scaffold Hire (14 days)$8,500
Plumbing Sub (locked in)$14,000
Direct Cost Subtotal $96,500
3
Step 3 of 6
โฑ๏ธ Already done (set once)

Overhead Applied โ€” Automatically

Your company overhead rate was set once in your company settings. It now applies to every estimate you create โ€” without you lifting a finger. Never undercharge for your running costs again.

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12-category overhead breakdown

Facility, admin, insurance, vehicles, tech, legal โ€” all accounted for in your single overhead %.

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Locked and protected

Your overhead rate is firm โ€” it can't be accidentally removed from any estimate in your account.

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Adjustable per project if needed

For unusual projects you can manually override the overhead rate on a case-by-case basis.

Next: Set Profit Margin โ†’
Overhead โ€” Auto Applied
Direct Cost Subtotal$96,500
โš™๏ธ Overhead Rate (Auto) 18.0%
Applied from company settings ยท 12 categories tracked
Overhead Added +$17,370
Cost + Overhead $113,870
โœ… Overhead locked โ€” cannot be removed
4
Step 4 of 6
โฑ๏ธ ~30 seconds

Set Your Profit Margin โ€” See It Instantly

Type in the profit margin you need. QuickEstimate calculates the final quote amount instantly and shows you a live margin health indicator โ€” green means you're good to go.

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Set your target % or a fixed amount

Enter profit as a percentage of total cost, or as a fixed dollar amount โ€” whichever makes sense for this job.

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Live margin health โ€” green / amber / red

A colour-coded gauge shows your margin vs. your minimum threshold in real time as you adjust the number.

โš ๏ธ

Hard block if below minimum

If your margin falls below your minimum acceptable rate, QuickEstimate blocks sending until you review it.

Next: Generate Estimate โ†’
Profit Margin โ€” Office Renovation #2241
Cost + Overhead$113,870
๐Ÿ“ˆ Profit Margin 22%
15%
40%
Min: 15%โ–ฒ Current: 22%Target: 25%
Profit Added +$25,168
๐Ÿ’ฐ Total Client Quote $139,038
โœ… Margin target met โ€” safe to send
5
Step 5 of 6
โฑ๏ธ ~10 seconds

One Click โ€” Professional Branded Proposal

Hit generate. QuickEstimate produces a polished, branded PDF proposal in seconds โ€” your logo, your colors, your name at the top. The most professional document your client will receive from any contractor.

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4 layout styles โ€” Classic, Modern, Minimal, Executive

Choose the style that matches your brand. Premium plans can set custom brand colors throughout the PDF.

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ

Your logo on every page

Upload your logo once โ€” it appears on headers, footers, and the optional cover page automatically.

๐Ÿ“ค

Send via QuickEstimate or download PDF

Send directly through the platform (with open tracking) or download the PDF to send via your own email.

Next: Track & Close โ†’
Generated Proposal โ€” QE-2241.pdf
Your Company Name ยท EST. 2018
Office Renovation
Denver, Colorado
Client
Harper & Associates
Ref
QE-2241
Date
Feb 18, 2026
Materials$42,800
Labor$31,200
Equipment$8,500
Subcontractors$14,000
Total Project Investment $139,038
โœ… Approve
๐Ÿ’ฌ Comment
6
Step 6 of 6
๐ŸŽฏ The payoff

Track Opens, Get Approval, Close the Job

The moment your client receives the proposal, QuickEstimate tracks everything. You'll know when they open it, how long they read it, and the second they hit approve โ€” without making a single follow-up call.

๐Ÿ‘๏ธ

Real-time open & view tracking

See the exact timestamp of every open, plus how many times the client returned to review the proposal.

โœ…

One-click client approval

Clients approve directly from the proposal link. You get notified the second it happens โ€” no chasing needed.

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Revisions & comments handled cleanly

Clients can comment on specific line items. You revise, re-send, and all versions are archived automatically.

๐Ÿš€ Start Free Trial โ€” Try the Full Workflow
Proposal Tracker โ€” QE-2241
๐Ÿ“ค Sentโœ“ Delivered
๐Ÿ‘๏ธ First OpenedToday 2:14 PM
๐Ÿ” Times Reviewed3 times
โฑ๏ธ Time Spent4 min 32 sec
๐Ÿ’ฌ Client Note"Looks great โ€” query on flooring spec"
๐Ÿ”„ Versionv2 โ€” Revised today
โœ… Approval Status Approved 3:02 PM
๐ŸŽ‰ Job Won!
Proposal QE-2241 approved at 3:02 PM ยท $139,038
๐ŸŽฎ Interactive

Walk Through It Step by Step

Click each step to explore what happens at every stage of the QuickEstimate workflow.

The 6-Step Workflow

From zero to a professional, margin-protected proposal โ€” in under 10 minutes.

1
Step 1 of 6
Create Your Project

Name the project, add the client, set job type and location. Takes under 60 seconds โ€” or start from a saved template for even faster setup.

โฑ๏ธ Takes about 60 seconds
โœ“Project name & client details โ€” tagged for easy searching from your dashboard.
โœ“Location & job type โ€” for reporting and analytics across all your projects.
โœ“Reference number โ€” auto-generated or custom โ€” tracks the estimate through approval.
โœ“Start from a template โ€” reuse any past estimate as a starting point.
2
Step 2 of 6
Add All Your Costs

Enter materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractors with full line-item detail. Use your saved materials library to add common items in seconds.

โฑ๏ธ Takes 3โ€“5 minutes
โœ“Materials โ€” quantity, unit, price per unit. Access your saved materials library.
โœ“Labor โ€” hourly rate ร— hours per trade, or lump sum per phase.
โœ“Equipment โ€” owned or rented, by day, week, or full-job rate.
โœ“Subcontractors โ€” add multiple quotes per trade, compare, lock in the winner.
3
Step 3 of 6
Overhead Auto-Applied

Your company running cost rate is already locked in from your settings. It applies automatically to every estimate โ€” this step is already done for you.

โœ… Already done from your company settings
โœ“Overhead % set once โ€” calculated from 12 real expense categories in your business.
โœ“Auto-applied to every estimate โ€” never another job underpriced for running costs.
โœ“Locked โ€” can't be accidentally removed. Adjustable per-project if genuinely needed.
โœ“Visible on every estimate โ€” clients see a professional line for "Company Overhead" in the breakdown.
4
Step 4 of 6
Set Your Profit Margin

Enter the profit margin you need. See the total quote amount update instantly and confirm your margin health is green before moving forward.

โฑ๏ธ Takes about 30 seconds
โœ“Set as % or fixed $ โ€” whichever works best for this type of job.
โœ“Live total update โ€” the client quote figure updates in real time as you adjust.
โœ“Health indicator: green / amber / red โ€” clear signal before you send anything.
โœ“Hard block if below minimum โ€” QuickEstimate won't let you send a dangerously thin estimate.
5
Step 5 of 6
Generate the Proposal

One click generates a polished, branded PDF proposal in seconds. Choose your layout, confirm branding, and send โ€” or download and send via your own email.

โฑ๏ธ Under 10 seconds
โœ“4 professional layouts โ€” Classic, Modern, Minimal, Executive.
โœ“Your logo on every page โ€” uploaded once, appears on every proposal automatically.
โœ“Optional cover page โ€” with project name, client name, date, and your company statement.
โœ“Send via QuickEstimate โ€” with full open & approval tracking built in.
6
Step 6 of 6
Track & Close the Deal

From the moment the client receives your proposal, you have complete visibility. Know when they open it, what they think, and when they approve โ€” without a single follow-up call.

๐ŸŽ‰ The payoff โ€” zero chasing
โœ“Real-time open tracking โ€” see exact time of every open and how many times they returned.
โœ“One-click approval โ€” client approves from the link, you're notified instantly.
โœ“Inline comments โ€” clients comment on specific lines, you revise and re-send cleanly.
โœ“Full version archive โ€” every revision stored with timestamp and change log.
โ“ Quick Questions

Common Questions About the Workflow

Your first estimate will take 8โ€“12 minutes including setup. Once your overhead rate is saved and your materials library is built, repeat estimates for similar jobs typically take 3โ€“5 minutes from start to sent proposal.
No โ€” that's one of the biggest time-savers QuickEstimate offers. You enter your company running costs once in company settings. After that, your overhead % is automatically applied to every estimate you create, forever. You never touch it again unless your costs change.
Clients can leave comments on specific line items directly from the proposal link โ€” no email needed. You'll see their feedback in the tracker, make your revisions in the estimate, and re-generate an updated proposal in seconds. All versions are archived with timestamps.
Yes. You can send proposals through the QuickEstimate platform (which gives you full open tracking and approval features), or you can download the PDF and send it via your own email. Note that downloading and sending manually means you won't get real-time tracking data.
Absolutely โ€” this is one of the biggest time-savers for repeat job types. When creating a new project, select "Start from template" and choose any past estimate. All costs and structure are pre-filled โ€” just adjust quantities and prices for the new job.
QuickEstimate shows a red margin health indicator and prevents you from sending the estimate until you review it. You can either adjust your pricing, reduce your scope, or manually override the block with a written justification โ€” ensuring no underpriced quote leaves your account by accident.

Ready to run your first estimate?

Full access to every feature โ€” 14-day free trial, no credit card needed.