Create and Send Quotes

Learn the full quote workflow from creating a new quote to sending it to your customer, including adding line items, setting pricing, previewing the proposal, and tracking status.

Written by Chloe NguyenUpdated over a month ago10 min readBeginner

What this guide covers

This guide walks you through the complete quote workflow in JobsiteOn. You will learn how to create a new quote, add line items from your pricebook or manually, set pricing and terms, preview the proposal document, send it to your customer via email, and track the quote through its lifecycle. By the end, you will be able to deliver professional proposals to your customers with confidence.

Before you begin

You need an active JobsiteOn workspace with at least one contact record.
Confirm you have access to the Quotes section in the sidebar navigation.
If you plan to add items from your pricebook, set up your services and parts in the Pricebook section first.
Review your branding settings at /settings/branding to confirm your logo, brand color, and document layout preferences are configured. These settings determine how your proposal PDF looks.

Understanding the quotes list

When you navigate to /quotes, you see a list of all quotes in your workspace. Each row shows the quote number, contact name, total amount, current status, and creation date.

Filtering and sorting

Use the Status filter to view quotes by stage (Draft, Sent, Viewed, Accepted, Declined).
Click column headers to sort by quote number, amount, or date.
Use the search bar to find quotes by number or contact name.

Status indicators

Each quote in the list displays a colored status badge:

Draft (Gray) — Not yet sent to the customer.
Sent (Blue) — Delivered to the customer's email.
Viewed (Purple) — The customer has opened the quote link.
Accepted (Green) — The customer has approved the quote.
Declined (Red) — The customer has declined the quote.

Step 1: Create a new quote

Click the New Quote button at the top right of the quotes list, or navigate directly to /quotes/new.
The quote builder opens with the following sections.

Link a contact

Select the customer this quote is for. The contact's name, email, and address appear on the proposal document. If the contact does not exist yet, create one inline from the dropdown.

Link a property

Choose the service property where the work will be performed. The property address appears on the proposal and helps your team identify the job location.

Set the quote title or scope

Enter a descriptive title or scope summary that appears at the top of the proposal. This helps the customer understand what the quote covers at a glance. Example: "Complete Bathroom Renovation" or "Annual Landscape Maintenance Plan."

Step 2: Add line items

Line items are the individual services, parts, or charges that make up your quote.

Adding from your pricebook

Click Add from Pricebook in the line items section.
Browse or search your pricebook catalog.
Click an item to add it to the quote.
The item's name, description, and default price populate automatically.
Adjust the quantity as needed.

For detailed guidance on working with pricebook items, see Add Line Items from Your Pricebook.

Adding custom line items

Click Add Line Item to create a blank row.
Enter the item name, description, quantity, and unit price.
Custom line items are useful for one-off charges that are not in your pricebook.

Adjusting pricing

For each line item, you can:

Change the quantity to reflect the amount of work.
Update the unit price if you need to override the pricebook default.
Add a discount at the line item level (percentage or fixed amount).
Mark an item as optional so the customer can choose whether to include it.

Setting tax

Configure tax at the quote level. JobsiteOn calculates tax based on your workspace tax settings and applies it to the subtotal.

Reviewing totals

The quote builder shows a running total at the bottom:

Subtotal — Sum of all line item amounts.
Discount — Any quote-level discount applied.
Tax — Calculated tax amount.
Total — Final amount the customer will see.

Step 3: Set quote terms

Expiration date

Set an expiration date to create urgency. After this date, the customer link shows the quote as expired. Common terms are 14 or 30 days from the quote date.

Notes and terms

Add any additional notes, terms, or conditions that appear on the proposal document. Examples include:

Payment terms (deposit required, net 30).
Warranty information.
Scope exclusions (what is NOT included).
Start date estimates.

Step 4: Save the quote

Click Save to save the quote as a draft. You are redirected to the quote detail page at /quotes/[slug]. From here you can:

Continue editing the quote.
Preview the proposal document.
Send the quote to the customer.

Draft quotes are not visible to the customer until you send them.

Step 5: Preview the proposal

Before sending, preview how the proposal will appear to your customer.

On the quote detail page, the generated proposal PDF is embedded on the left side of the screen.
Review the proposal for accuracy:
- Company logo and branding are correct.
- Contact and property details are accurate.
- Line items, quantities, and prices are right.
- Tax, discounts, and totals are calculated correctly.
- Notes and terms are present and complete.
If anything needs adjustment, go back to edit mode and make changes, then save and preview again.

Branding on the proposal

The proposal PDF uses your workspace branding settings:

Company logo from /settings/branding.
Brand color applied to document accents.
Document palette colors (text, muted, line, paper).
Custom document labels for title, reference number, date, and validity fields.
Header and footer toggles for company name and registration number.

Step 6: Send the quote

On the quote detail page at /quotes/[slug], click the Send button.
Confirm the recipient email address. It defaults to the linked contact's email.
Configure send options:
- Attach PDF — Include the proposal PDF as an email attachment.
- Send a Bcc to myself — Receive a copy of the sent email.
- Notify customer via SMS — Send a text notification alongside the email.
- Preview SMS — Review the SMS content before sending.
Click Send to deliver the quote.

What happens when you send

The quote status changes from Draft to Sent.
An email is delivered to the customer with the proposal content and optional PDF attachment.
The email uses your branding (logo and accent color) in the header.
A public link is generated at /q/[token] where the customer can view the proposal online.
The sent email appears in your Inbox sent threads with attachment metadata.
If SMS notification is enabled, a text message is sent to the customer's phone number.

Step 7: Track quote status

After sending, monitor the quote status from the quotes list or the quote detail page.

Sent — The email was delivered. Waiting for the customer to respond.
Viewed — The customer opened the quote link. They are reviewing your proposal.
Accepted — The customer approved the quote. You can now convert it to a job.
Declined — The customer declined. Follow up to understand their concerns.

For a deeper look at status tracking, see Track Quote Status.

Customer portal experience

When the customer clicks the link in their email:

They see the full proposal at /q/[token].
They can download the PDF by clicking Download PDF.
They can accept or decline the quote using the action buttons.
You receive a notification when they take action.

Tips

Save drafts early and often. You can return to edit a draft quote at any time before sending.
Use pricebook items for consistency. Pricebook items ensure standard pricing across all quotes and reduce errors from manual entry.
Set expiration dates. An expiration date creates urgency and prevents stale quotes from cluttering your list.
Review branding before your first quote. Your proposal is a customer-facing document. Make sure your logo, colors, and company details look professional.
Follow up on Viewed quotes. When a quote changes to Viewed status, the customer is actively considering it. This is a good time to follow up with a call or message.
Use optional line items strategically. Offer upgrade options as optional items so the customer can choose their preferred scope without needing a separate quote.

Troubleshooting

The proposal PDF is missing my logo

Confirm your logo is uploaded at /settings/branding. If no logo is configured, the proposal renders with a text-only header. Upload a logo and resend the quote.

The customer did not receive the email

Check the recipient email address on the quote detail page. Verify it matches the customer's actual email. Review your Inbox sent threads to confirm the email was sent. If the email was sent but not received, the customer should check their spam folder.

Line item prices do not match my pricebook

Pricebook prices are copied at the time the item is added to the quote. If you update pricebook prices later, existing quotes are not affected. Edit the line item on the quote to update the price manually.

The quote total looks wrong

Review each line item quantity, unit price, and any discounts. Check the tax configuration at the quote level. Recalculate and compare against your expected total.

I cannot send the quote

Confirm the quote has a linked contact with an email address. Quotes without a recipient email cannot be sent.

FAQ

Can I edit a quote after sending it?

Yes. You can edit a sent quote and resend it. The customer receives the updated version, and the previous send is retained in your history.

Can I duplicate a quote?

Yes. Use the duplicate action on the quote detail page to create a copy with the same line items. Update the contact, property, and details as needed.

What happens if the customer clicks the link after the expiration date?

The customer sees the expired proposal but cannot accept it. You will need to update the expiration date and resend if you want them to proceed.

Can I send a quote to multiple recipients?

The primary send goes to the linked contact's email. Use the Bcc option to send yourself a copy, or forward the email manually to additional recipients.

How do I convert an accepted quote to a job?

See Convert a Quote to a Job for the full conversion process.

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