Free estimate maker, send it in minutes.

A clear estimate takes a few minutes with Billsato's free estimate maker. Here is how it works.

1. 1

   Add your business details. Enter your business name, address, phone and email, and your license number if your trade needs one. Upload your logo and it prints at the top of the estimate.

2. 2

   Add the customer and the job. Enter the customer's name and the address of the job. Use “Add field” for anything else they'll want to see, such as a project name or a site address.

3. 3

   Itemize labor and materials. List each part of the job on its own line: labor by the hour or as a fixed price, materials by quantity, and fees such as permits or disposal. Each line and the total are calculated for you.

4. 4

   Set how long the estimate is valid. The second date on the estimate is “Valid until”. Thirty days is common; choose less if your material prices move quickly.

5. 5

   Add your terms. Use the notes for what the estimate covers and what it doesn't, the deposit you need, and how changes will be priced.

6. 6

   Download the PDF. Check the live preview and download a print-ready PDF to email or print. When the customer accepts and the work is done, switch the document to Invoice and download it again.

An estimate is your best calculation of what a job will cost, given to the customer before the work starts. It lists the labor, materials and fees you expect, with a total, so the customer can decide whether to go ahead.

An estimate is not a bill and, in most cases, not a fixed price: the final cost can change if the job turns out to be different from what you could see. Say so on the estimate, and say how you'll handle changes. If you're giving a price you'll stick to, call it a quote instead.

A good estimate answers the customer's questions before they ask them:

• Your business details: Name, address, phone, email and, where your trade requires it, your license or registration number.

• The customer and the job site: Who the estimate is for and where the work will be done.

• An estimate number and date: So you can both refer to it later, and match it to the invoice.

• Itemized labor and materials: Each part of the job on its own line. Customers trust a broken-down estimate far more than a single figure.

• Fees and allowances: Permits, disposal, travel, equipment rental, and allowances for items the customer hasn't chosen yet, such as fixtures.

• Tax and total: Show tax separately where it applies, and the estimated total.

• Valid-until date: Prices change. A date protects you from being held to an old price months later.

• Scope and exclusions: What's included, what isn't, and how extra work will be priced.

• Deposit and payment terms: How much you need up front, and when the rest is due.

The words are often used loosely, but customers and courts tend to read them like this:

• Estimate: An approximate price before the work. It can change if the job turns out differently, within reason.

• Quote: A fixed price for a defined job. If the customer accepts it, that's the price. Use the free quote maker for this.

• Bid: A price submitted to compete for a job, usually against other contractors, often on a set specification.

• Invoice: The request for payment after the work is done. Billsato turns your estimate into one: switch the document to Invoice.

• Visit before you price: Price from what you've seen, not from a phone description. Note any assumptions on the estimate.

• Break it down: Separate labor, materials and fees. A single lump sum invites haggling; a clear breakdown shows the work involved.

• Explain the options: Offer a standard and a premium line where it makes sense, and let the customer choose.

• Send it quickly: The first clear estimate a customer receives often wins. Send it the same day if you can.

• Follow up: Call or email a few days later. Many estimates are accepted after a follow-up, not before.

When the customer accepts, keep the estimate number on file. When the job is finished, open the same document, switch it to Invoice at the top of the preview, update anything that changed, and download the invoice. The lines carry over, so you only adjust what's different, and the totals recalculate.

Billsato Pro keeps estimates and invoices together: send an estimate, mark it accepted, and turn it into an invoice with its own number in one click. It's free for 7 days, then $10 a month.