# Create and send a quote

> Make a quote (estimate) from your price list or custom lines, with optional add-ons, a discount or promo code, tax, a deposit, a valid-until date and how often recurring work repeats, then email it, text it or copy its link so the client can approve it online.

A quote (estimate) lists the work and its price. You build it from your price list or your own lines, send it by email or text, and the client opens it in the Client Hub, picks any add-ons and approves it online. It works the same in every trade: a lawn treatment, a gutter job, a parking lot, a roof.

## Who can do it

Owners, admins, office staff and estimators can open **Quotes**. Making, changing and sending quotes takes a role that includes **Quotes and sales**, which office staff and estimators have unless you've changed their role. Crews never see quotes or their prices. See [What each role can see and do](https://crewtavo.com/docs/team/roles-and-permissions/).

## Start a quote

1. Open **Quotes** and choose **New quote**. You can also choose **New quote** on a client's page, or **Quote** in the sidebar's **Create** menu.
2. If you have quote templates, pick one under **Start from**, or leave it on **A blank quote**. See [Quote templates](#quote-templates).
3. Pick the **Client** (or type a name and choose **Create "…" as a new client**) and the **Property**.
4. Give it a **Title**, like "Driveway replacement". The client sees it.
5. Choose **Create quote**.

The quote opens as a **Draft**, taxed at the **Sales tax (%)** in **Settings → Company**, and good for the number of days in **Quotes valid for (days)** there (30 unless you change it). See [Set your business details, tax and defaults](https://crewtavo.com/docs/getting-started/company-settings/).

To quote a request you already have, choose **Create quote** on the request instead. The client, property, measurement and files come with it. See [Take a request and book an assessment](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/requests/).

## Add what you're quoting

Under the lines:

- **Add from price list** opens a search of your services ("Search your services"). Pick one and it goes on with its name, description, unit, price, cost and whether it's taxed. Set up your services in [Set up your price list](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/price-list/).
- **Custom item** adds a "New item" line, open and ready to type in, for anything that isn't on your price list.

Each line shows its **Qty**, **Unit**, **Price** and **Total**, and the quote's totals work themselves out as you go.

### Change a line

Click a line to open it. Each field saves as you leave it, and **Done** closes the line.

- **Item name**, **Qty**, **Unit** and **Price** (each unit's price).
- The description under the name: "Description the client will see (optional)".
- **Optional (client chooses)**: makes it an add-on the client can tick in the Client Hub. It starts unticked, so it shows **Not included** and doesn't count in the total until they pick it. Use it for upgrades and extras, like "Add aeration" or "Gutter guards".
- **Taxable**: untick it for a line you don't charge tax on. It shows **No tax**.
- **Unit cost**: what the line costs you, for the profit estimate. Only people whose role includes **Job costs and profit** see it.

The **⋯** menu on each line has **Edit**, **Move up**, **Move down**, **Duplicate** and **Remove**. Removed a line by mistake? Choose **Undo** on the message that pops up.

### Fill quantities from a measurement

If you measured the property on the map, the **Drawings** card in the side column lists the drawing. Choose **Fill quantities** and every line whose service has a formula gets its quantity from the drawing: the lawn's square feet, a roof's squares, the feet of fence. For mulch, gravel or asphalt, put the **Depth (inches)** in first. The **Measure** button on the card opens the map for this quote. See [Measure a yard or a roof](https://crewtavo.com/docs/measuring/measure-yards-and-roofs/#put-a-drawing-on-a-quote-or-invoice).

## Set the totals

The card beside the lines has the money:

- **Discount**: a dollar amount off the whole quote.
- **Add promo code**: type the code and choose **Apply**. Crewtavo checks the code's rules and takes it off. **Remove** takes it back off. If the client entered a code on your booking form, the quote says "The client entered … when they booked." with an **Apply** button: it's not applied until you choose it. Codes are made in Marketing: see [Marketing: campaigns and promo codes](https://crewtavo.com/docs/clients/marketing/#promo-codes).
- **Tax**: the rate for this quote. It starts at your sales tax; change it here for a job in another town. For a client marked **Tax exempt** (in **Edit client** on their page, under **Invoices**), it says **Tax exempt**, at 0%, with no rate to change. Marking a client exempt takes the tax off their drafts; quotes already sent keep theirs.
- **Deposit required**: what you ask the client to pay up front, as a dollar amount (**$**) or a percent of the total (**%**). A percent follows the total as lines change and as the client picks options and add-ons. It's shown to them as **Deposit to book**. It can't be more than the total. For billing it once they say yes, see [When the client says yes](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/when-a-quote-is-approved/#take-the-deposit).
- **Valid until**: the last day the price holds. Clear it for a quote that doesn't expire.
- **How often**: **One time**, or how recurring work repeats. See below.

## Quote recurring work

For work that repeats, like weekly mowing, quote the price of one visit and say how often:

1. Beside **How often**, which says **One time** to start, choose **Repeat**.
2. In **How often**, choose **Repeats** and fill in the schedule, the same as on a recurring job: **Repeats every** a number of days (up to 30), weeks (up to 8) or months (up to 12); **On** (the days of the week, or for monthly work **A date** or **A weekday**, like the last Friday); **First visit**; **Ends** (**Never**, **On a date** or **After a number of visits**); and **Season**. See [Set up a recurring service](https://crewtavo.com/docs/jobs/jobs-and-recurring-service/#set-up-a-recurring-service).
3. Choose **Save**.

The quote's total now reads **Total per visit**, with how often under it ("Every 2 weeks, Tuesday, April to October"). The client sees the same in the Client Hub and on the printed estimate, and when you send it without a message of your own, the email or text says "Here's your quote ($55.00 per visit)". When they approve, they tick "I approve this quote for $55.00 per visit, every 2 weeks, Tuesday, April to October…".

To change it, click the schedule beside **How often**. Choose **One time** and **Save** to make it a one-time quote again. Change orders don't have **How often**.

When you convert the quote, it becomes a recurring job billed after each visit, with its visits scheduled. See [When the client says yes](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/when-a-quote-is-approved/#convert-the-quote-to-a-job). **Copy as new draft** keeps how often.

:::tip[Autopay for recurring work]
If you take [autopay](https://crewtavo.com/docs/billing/autopay/), a quote with a line priced per visit (its **Unit** is "visit", like mowing on the starter price list) lets the client choose **Approve and set up autopay**, so each visit is charged to their card from the start.
:::

## Write a message to the client

**Message to client** prints above the lines, in the Client Hub and on the PDF: a thank-you, what you recommend and why. "Thanks for having us out. Here's what we recommend…" is the idea.

**Polish with AI** rewrites what you've typed to read more smoothly, and saves it ("Message polished. Review it before sending."). Read it over before you send. It's there once your business has added a Claude key under **Apps → Claude**, or the server has one: see [Ask a question](https://crewtavo.com/docs/team/knowledge-base/#ask-a-question).

## Check it before you send it

- **Lines** and **Paper**, above the lines, switch between the lines you edit and the estimate as it prints, on your template.
- **Preview as client**, in the **⋯** menu at the top, opens the quote as the client will see it in the Client Hub, with "Preview: this is what your client sees." Nothing you do there approves it or sends anything, and the link stops working after a day.
- **Print or save PDF**, in the same menu, prints the estimate pages, or saves them as a PDF from your browser's print window.
- **Document style**: with more than one document style, pick which one this quote prints on. See [Make your estimates and invoices look like your business](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/estimate-templates/).
- **Contract** lists the contract sections that print with this quote, and lets you add more for this job. See [Write your contract terms](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/contract-terms/).
- **Profit estimate** shows once the lines have costs: **Price before tax**, **Estimated cost** and **Profit**, with its percent. It's for you, never the client.

## Send the quote

1. Choose **Send quote** at the top. (It's greyed out until the quote has a line.)
2. Pick how:
   - **Email**: check **To** (the client's email), the **Subject** ("Quote #12 from …"), and add a **Message** if you like. Choose **Send email**.
   - **Text**: check the **Mobile number**, add a **Message** if you like, and choose **Send text**.
   - **Copy link**: copies the client's link for you to paste into any message, like a text from your own phone. Choose **Copy link**. It marks the quote as sent, too.
3. You'll see "Emailed to …" or "Texted to …", with the **Client link** to copy and a **Preview** button. Choose **Done**.

The quote is now **Awaiting response**, with "Sent … Waiting for … to respond." at the top. The email or text and its link are logged on the client's timeline.

If you don't write a message, the client gets: "Thanks for the opportunity. Here's your quote ($…). You can review the details, choose any options and approve it online:" and the link. "The link is added automatically", so don't paste it into your message.

:::note
Email and texting have to be set up first. Until they are, the window says "Email isn't turned on yet. Use “Copy link” and send it yourself." (or the same for texting). See [Send email from Crewtavo](https://crewtavo.com/docs/connections/email/) and [Text clients with Twilio](https://crewtavo.com/docs/connections/texting-with-twilio/).
:::

Your starter automations email the client a reminder if they haven't answered three days after you send it ("Follow up on quotes after 3 days"). See [Automate reminders and follow-ups](https://crewtavo.com/docs/clients/automations/).

### Change it after you send it

You can keep changing a quote that's awaiting a response, or one the client asked to change. The client's link always shows it as it is now. Choose **Resend** to send them a fresh email or text about it. If they're in the middle of approving when the price changes, they're asked to look it over again, so they never approve a price they didn't see.

Once it's approved, a quote is locked. For a new version, choose **Copy as new draft** in the **⋯** menu: it copies the lines (and any options) into a new draft quote.

## Follow your quotes

The tabs on **Quotes**:

| Tab | What's in it |
| --- | --- |
| **Open** | Drafts, quotes awaiting a response, ones with changes requested, and approved ones not yet a job. |
| **Draft** | Not sent yet. |
| **Awaiting response** | Sent, waiting for the client. |
| **Changes requested** | The client asked for changes. |
| **Approved** | The client said yes. Next, make it a job. |
| **Converted or lost** | Made into a job, marked lost, or archived. |
| **Quote templates** | Saved quotes that new quotes start from. See below. |

Search by the title, the client or the quote's number. The **Sent** column says how long ago each one went out (or **Not sent**), and the bottom of the list adds up the quotes on that tab. For a board of every open quote by stage, with what's going stale, use the [Sales board](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/sales-board/).

**History**, at the bottom of the quote's side column, lists what's happened to it, like when it was sent and approved.

## Quote templates

For work you quote again and again, like a spring cleanup, save a quote as a template:

1. On the quote, choose **⋯**, then **Save as template**.
2. Give it a **Template name** and choose **Save template**. Its lines, options, contract sections and message go with it. The client and dates stay on the quote.

Your templates are on the **Quote templates** tab. Open one to change it, the same as a quote. It's never sent. To use it, choose **New quote from it**, or pick it under **Start from** in **New quote**. **Delete template**, in its **⋯** menu, removes it; quotes made from it stay as they are.

## When a quote expires

Nothing changes on its own when the **Valid until** date passes: the quote stays where it is, and you can still convert it.

- In the office, a sent quote past its date says "This quote has expired; update the date before resending."
- In the Client Hub, the quote says "Was good until …", its **Valid until** date turns red, and the client sees "This quote's valid-until date has passed. You can still approve it, and … will confirm the price."

To give them more time, change **Valid until** and choose **Resend**. If the price has changed, update the lines first.

## Your trade's extras

- **Good, Better and Best options** side by side: [Offer Good, Better and Best options](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/good-better-best-options/).
- **Roofs** priced from the aerial, with a price range first: [Get a roof estimate out from the aerial](https://crewtavo.com/docs/measuring/roofing-estimates/).
- **Parking lots and driveways** from a takeoff: [Bid a paving job from the aerial](https://crewtavo.com/docs/measuring/paving-takeoffs/).
- **Measuring** any property for quantities: [Measure a yard or a roof](https://crewtavo.com/docs/measuring/measure-yards-and-roofs/).

## If something's off

**Send quote is greyed out.** Add a line first: "Add a line item first."

**"Add a valid email address for this client first."** The client has no email, or it's mistyped. Fix it on their page, or send it by **Text** or **Copy link**.

**I can't edit the lines.** The quote is approved, converted, lost or archived, or your role doesn't include **Quotes and sales**. A lost or archived quote can be brought back with **Reopen as draft** in the **⋯** menu.

**The add-on doesn't count in the total.** That's on purpose: an optional line only counts once the client ticks it (or you do, by unticking **Optional (client chooses)**).

Next: [When the client says yes](https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/when-a-quote-is-approved/).

Source: https://crewtavo.com/docs/sales/quotes/ (last updated 2026-11-04)