Other Estimating Options

Premier Contractor Edition can make your estimating process fast and easy in many different ways.

• Create multiple estimates
• Duplicate estimates
• Memorize estimates
• Create invoices from estimates
• Create a progress invoice

Contractor Edition allows you to create multiple estimates per job. This can be particularly helpful if you want to do "what-if" scenarios for a single job, such as if a prospective customer wants you to quote a job with and without a particular option.

• Create and save the estimates the way you normally would.
• If you have multiple estimates for a job and your customer has accepted one of the estimates, you might want to make the unaccepted estimates inactive. When you make an estimate inactive QuickBooks keeps a record of it, but does not use the estimate numbers in reports. To make an estimate inactive:
  1. Display the Estimates by Job report to find the estimate you want to make inactive. From the Reports menu, choose Jobs & Time, then choose Estimates by Job.
  2. In the report, scroll to the estimate you want to make inactive.
  3. Double-click anywhere on the line for that estimate in the report.
  4. QuickBooks displays the estimate.
  5. Click to clear the Estimate Active checkbox.
  6. Click Save & Close.

You can also create duplicate estimates. If you want to use the estimate from a past job as the starting point for a new job, QuickBooks can duplicate the prior estimate. To duplicate an estimate you've created:

1. Display the estimate.
   
   
2. From the Edit menu, choose Duplicate Estimate.
   
   
3. A new Create Estimate window is displayed containing the identical information as the original. Only the estimate number will change. Duplicated estimates are marked as Active and retain the date of the last recorded transaction.

And you can memorize estimates in Contractor Edition. If you have a lot of jobs that are very similar, you can create a default estimate and memorize it. Then you can reuse it when starting new estimates. To memorize an estimate:

1. From the Customers menu, choose Create Estimates.
   
   
2. Fill in the line items that you want to appear on the memorized estimate.
   
   
3. QuickBooks automatically memorizes an estimate without a Customer:Job name. Likewise, if the information in other fields changes with each estimate you prepare, leave them blank when you memorize the form. For example, you can enter items, but not quantities.
   
   
4. From the Edit menu, choose Memorize Estimate.
   
   
5. Enter a name that will help you recognize this estimate when you look for it on the Memorized Transaction list.
   
   
6. Make sure that the How Often field says Never and leave the other fields in the Memorize Transaction window empty.
   
   
7. Click OK to memorize the estimate.

Also note that you can easily create invoices from estimates. Enter your estimate using the Create Estimates window. Then, you can automatically convert that into an invoice using the "Create Invoice" button on the top of the Estimate window. To create an invoice from an estimate:

1. Open the estimate on which you want to base the invoice.
   
   
2. Click Create Invoice in the Create Estimates window.
   
   
3. Click OK on the message informing you that the entire estimate has been copied.
   
   
4. If necessary, edit the invoice.
   
   
5. Click Save & Close.

To create a progress invoice from an estimate:

1. Make sure progress invoicing is active in the Preferences window under Jobs & Estimates.
2. Open an estimate you have created.
   1. From the Lists menu, choose Customer:Job List.
   2. Locate the customer for whom you want to create a progress invoice, and then click once to select the name.
   3. Click the Reports drop-down list, and then select QuickReport.
   4. Double-click the estimate listed on the report to open the form. (If you do not see the estimate on the QuickReport, you may need to adjust the date range to include the date of the estimate.)
   
   
3. Click the Create Invoice icon at the top of the Create Estimates window.
   
   
4. In the Create Progress Invoice Based On Estimate window, click the appropriate option button, and then click OK.
   1. If you select the option button for Create invoice for selected items or for a different percentage of each item, the Specify Invoice Amounts for Items on Estimate window opens.
      1. Enter the amounts or percentages you want included on the invoice.
      2. Click OK.
   2. If you need assistance, click the How Do I? button at the top of the window.