To create an estimate in QuickBooks Online, enter your customer’s details, products or services, and pricing to outline project costs before work begins. Estimates give clients clarity about what they’ll pay and help you streamline your billing once the job is approved.
To get started, you need to open the Estimates tool in QuickBooks Online.
This is the starting point for building a professional and accurate estimate that can later be converted into an invoice once approved by your customer.
In the Customer dropdown, choose the client you’re creating the estimate for. If they’re a new customer:
Example: If you’re an electrical contractor preparing an estimate for “GreenTech Builders,” select or add them here. The customer’s details will automatically appear on the estimate, ensuring consistency across future invoices and receipts.
Add the Estimate Date, which is the day you’re creating the document, and include an Expiration Date to set a time frame for how long the estimate is valid.
Tip: Many businesses set a 30-day expiration window to account for pricing changes or project scope adjustments.
In the Product/Service section, list all the items or services you’re quoting for. You can select them from your existing product catalog or add new ones.
For each line item, include:
Example:
QuickBooks will automatically total all line items, including applicable taxes or discounts.
Depending on your business and region, you might need to apply sales tax. To do this:
You can also add discounts or extra charges:
Tip: Always verify your tax rates are up to date, especially if you operate in multiple states or regions.
QuickBooks allows you to personalize your estimate templates to reflect your brand.
This small touch reinforces professionalism and clarity.
Before sending, carefully review every section for accuracy. Double-check:
Once you’ve verified all details, click Save and send or Save and close.
After sending the estimate, you can monitor its progress directly within QuickBooks.
Each estimate shows one of the following statuses:
To update a status manually, open the estimate and select the correct option from the Status dropdown.
Example Workflow:
When your customer approves the estimate, converting it into an invoice is simple.
This integration ensures you don’t need to re-enter any data, maintaining accuracy and saving time.
If you want to make the process even smoother, integrate your QuickBooks account with DepositFix. With DepositFix, you can automatically convert accepted estimates into invoices, accept payments securely through ACH, debit, or credit cards, and sync all transaction data instantly. It’s a powerful way to make your estimate-to-payment process effortless, accurate, and fully automated, so you can focus more on delivering great service instead of managing billing manually.
To convert an estimate to an invoice in QuickBooks Online, open the estimate, click “Create Invoice,” review details, and send it to your customer.
To create a progress invoice in QuickBooks Online, turn on progress invoicing, build invoices from estimates, and bill customers by project phase or completion.
To create invoices in QuickBooks, enter customer info, add services, set rates, and send online. Clear, itemized invoices speed up payment collection.
Discover the hidden automation in your payment, billing and invoicing workflows. Talk to our experts for a free assement!