Help CenterEstimates & Proposals

Creating an Estimate

Master the estimate creation process from start to send.

Estimate vs. Proposal

In HeyJack, we use these terms interchangeably:

  • Estimate - The internal document with pricing
  • Proposal - What the customer sees (same content, branded presentation)

Estimate Statuses

  • Draft - Work in progress, not sent yet
  • Review - Needs approval before sending (if over threshold)
  • Sent - Delivered to customer, waiting for response
  • Viewed - Customer has opened it
  • Accepted - Customer signed/approved
  • Declined - Customer said no
  • Expired - Validity period ended

Building Your Estimate

From Pricebook (Fastest):

  1. Search for items by name or category
  2. Click to add (quantity defaults to 1)
  3. Adjust quantities inline
  4. Prices pull from your pricebook automatically

Custom Line Items:

  • Click "Add Custom Item"
  • Enter description, quantity, and price
  • Optionally save to pricebook for future use

Pricing Options

HeyJack supports flexible pricing:

  • Unit price × quantity - Standard line item
  • Flat rate - Single price regardless of quantity
  • Labor (hourly) - Estimated hours × rate
  • Optional items - Customer can choose to include or not

Discounts

Apply discounts at the line item or estimate level:

  • Percentage off - e.g., 10% discount
  • Fixed amount - e.g., $100 off
  • Hidden line item - Add a negative amount item

Tip: Name your discount (e.g., "Senior Discount") so customers understand the value.

Good/Better/Best Options

Increase close rates by offering multiple options:

  1. Create your base estimate
  2. Click "Add Option"
  3. Create variations (different equipment, service levels)
  4. Customer sees all options and picks one

On average, 30% of customers choose the middle or higher option.

Scope & Exclusions

Always be clear about what's included and what's not:

  • Add a "Scope of Work" section describing the work
  • List exclusions explicitly (permits, drywall repair, etc.)
  • Note any assumptions (access provided, utilities on, etc.)

Clear scope reduces disputes and change orders.

Saving & Auto-Save

Estimates auto-save every 30 seconds while you're editing. You can also:

  • Click "Save" manually at any time
  • Save as "Draft" and come back later
  • Duplicate an existing estimate as a starting point

Still have questions? We're here to help.

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