Estimates

Estimates are the starting point for most jobs. Create a detailed estimate with line items, sections, photos, and markup, then send it to your client for review and approval.

#Creating an Estimate

To create a new estimate, click Estimates in the sidebar, then New Estimate. You can also use the quick action button on the Dashboard.

Basic fields

#Estimate Numbering

Estimates use the format PREFIX-NNNN (e.g., EST-0001, EST-0002). The prefix is set in Settings > Business and the number auto-increments with each new estimate. You can customize the prefix to match your business — for example, "BID" or "QTE".

#Line Items

Line items are the core of every estimate. Each line item represents a piece of work, a material, or a service you're providing.

Line item fields

Each line item has a description (required), plus optional fields for quantity, unit price, unit of measure (e.g., sq ft, hours, each), and a taxable toggle.

You can also attach up to 6 photos per line item — useful for reference images or site photos.

Notes on line items

Each line item has an optional notes field. These notes are internal only — they are never shown to the client on the estimate, PDF, or share page. Use them to jot down reminders or details for your own reference.

Cost price and markup

Each line item has optional cost price and markup % fields. Enter your actual cost, set the markup percentage, and Jobkore calculates the unit price for you. Both fields are internal only — the client never sees your cost or markup percentage.

Adding from Catalog

If you have saved items in your Catalog, you can add them to an estimate in bulk. Click Add from Catalog to open the catalog modal, where you can filter by category, select multiple items, and add them all at once. Each item's description, price, unit, and other fields are pre-filled from the catalog.

#Sections

Sections let you group line items under named headings. For example, a kitchen renovation estimate might have sections for "Demo", "Plumbing", "Electrical", and "Finishing".

Each section displays its own subtotal, making it easy for clients to understand the cost breakdown by phase or trade. You can drag and drop line items between sections to reorganize your estimate.

#Discount

You can apply a discount to the estimate in two ways:

• Flat amount — a fixed dollar amount subtracted from the subtotal
• Percentage — a percentage of the subtotal

The discount is applied before tax, so the client sees the reduced amount before any tax is calculated.

#Deposit

If you require a deposit before starting work, you can add one to your estimate. Deposits can be set as a flat amount or a percentage of the final total. The deposit amount is displayed on the estimate as informational — it tells the client what to pay upfront but does not affect the total.

#Overall Markup

In addition to per-item markup, you can set an overall document-level markup percentage. This markup is automatically rolled into each line item's rate on the client-facing view — your client sees the final price per item, and the markup percentage is never shown separately on the estimate, PDF, or share page.

#Display Settings

You control what columns your client sees on the estimate. Toggle these on or off depending on your preference:

• Rate column — show or hide the unit price column
• Quantity & tax columns — show or hide quantity and tax indicators
• Per-item totals — show or hide the total for each line item

These settings only affect what the client sees. You always see the full detail in the editor.

#Tax, Notes, and Terms

Tax rate

The tax rate defaults to the rate set in Settings > Business. You can override it on any individual estimate. Tax is calculated only on line items marked as taxable.

Notes

Add notes to the bottom of the estimate. Notes have a formatting toolbar with Bold, Italic, Bulleted List, Numbered List, Undo, and Redo. You can toggle between the editor and a preview to see how your notes will look to the client. You can also click Improve with Hank to have Hank AI polish your notes for a more professional tone.

Terms and conditions

Your default terms are pre-filled from Settings > Documents. You can edit them on a per-estimate basis without changing the default. Terms support the same formatting toolbar as notes.

#Payments and Fees

Several settings control how online payments work on the estimate:

• Online payments — enable or disable the ability for clients to pay the deposit online via the share page
• Payment methods — choose which payment methods to accept: card only, ACH (bank transfer) only, or both
• Stripe fee coverage — when enabled, the processing fee is added to the total so you receive the full amount

#Signatures and Attachments

Contractor signature

You can add your own signature to the estimate. This signature appears on the PDF and share page to show the client that you've personally reviewed and approved the estimate.

Attachments

Attach files to your estimate (up to 10 files). Default attachments from Settings > Documents are automatically included. You can also add up to 20 photos to the estimate overall, plus up to 6 photos per line item.

#Estimate Statuses

Every estimate has a status that tracks where it is in the approval process:

You can only edit an estimate while it is in Draft or Sent status. Once accepted, the estimate is locked. If changes are needed after acceptance, use a Change Order.

#Estimate Detail Page

The estimate detail page shows all information about a single estimate, including the header, client details, line items, totals, photos, notes, terms, payment terms, attachments, and client signature (if collected).

Action bar

The action bar at the top provides all available actions for the current estimate. The available actions depend on the estimate's status:

• Edit — open the estimate in the editor (Draft and Sent only)
• Accept — manually mark the estimate as accepted
• New Change Order — create a change order for this estimate (Accepted only)
• Create Invoice — convert the accepted estimate into an invoice (Accepted only)
• Send — email the estimate to the client
• Share — get a shareable link to the estimate
• Download PDF — download the estimate as a PDF
• Duplicate — create a copy of the estimate as a new draft
• Decline — mark the estimate as declined
• Delete — permanently delete the estimate

Change Orders card

On accepted estimates, a Change Orders card appears showing all change orders associated with this estimate, along with the revised contract value. See Change Orders for details.

Related Invoices card

If invoices have been created from this estimate, they are listed in a Related Invoices card with their status and amount.

#Converting to an Invoice

Once an estimate is accepted, you can convert it to an invoice by clicking Create Invoice on the detail page. The new invoice inherits all fields from the estimate — line items, sections, discount, deposit, markup, notes, terms, and attachments — so you don't have to re-enter anything. You can still edit the invoice before sending it.

#Duplicating Estimates

Click Duplicate on any estimate to create a new draft copy. The duplicate includes all line items, sections, and settings from the original, with "(Copy)" appended to the title. This is useful when you have a similar job for a different client or want to create a revised version.