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EstimatesSending Estimates

Sending Estimates to Clients

Once your estimate is ready, send it to your client for review and approval. Clients can view the estimate online, ask questions, and sign to approve the work.

What You’ll Learn

  • Sending estimates via email
  • Understanding the client experience
  • Tracking estimate status
  • Handling client signatures
  • Converting approved estimates to invoices

Sending an Estimate

Before You Send

Make sure your estimate includes:

  • All line items with accurate pricing
  • Scope of work (recommended)
  • Terms and conditions (recommended)
  • Deposit amount if you require one
  • Linked to a project with a client (for auto-filled email)

How to Send

  1. Open the estimate you want to send
  2. Click the Send to Client button in the header
  3. A dialog appears with the client’s email
    • If linked to a project with a client, the email auto-fills
    • Otherwise, enter the client’s email address
  4. Click Send to Client
  5. The estimate status changes to Sent

Your client receives an email with a link to view and sign the estimate online.

What Clients See

When clients click the email link, they see:

  • Your company name and logo
  • Project description and location
  • Scope of work (if you added it)
  • Line items with pricing (unless hidden in display options)
  • Subtotals, markup, discounts, and final total
  • Terms and conditions
  • Deposit amount (if set)
  • A signature area to approve

The estimate is mobile-friendly, so clients can review and sign from any device.

Estimate Status Flow

Your estimates move through these statuses:

Draft → Sent → Approved → Invoice Created

Draft

  • You’re still working on the estimate
  • Not visible to clients
  • You can edit freely

Sent

  • Client has received the estimate link
  • Waiting for their review and signature
  • You can still make edits and resend

Approved

  • Client has signed the estimate
  • Work can begin
  • An invoice is automatically created

Resending Estimates

Made changes and need to send again?

  1. Open the sent estimate
  2. Make your changes
  3. Click Resend to Client
  4. The client receives a new email with the updated estimate

Each resend generates a fresh link for security.

Tracking Estimates

From the Estimates Page

The Estimates page shows:

  • Total Estimates - How many you have
  • Total Value - Combined value of all estimates
  • Sent - How many are awaiting response
  • Approved - How many are ready to invoice

Use the status tabs to filter:

  • All - See everything
  • Draft - Estimates in progress
  • Sent - Waiting for client response
  • Approved - Ready to start work

Estimate Notifications

You’ll receive notifications when:

  • A client views your estimate
  • A client signs your estimate
  • An estimate is fully approved

Check the notification bell in the top navigation or your email.

Client Signatures

How Clients Sign

  1. Client opens the estimate link from their email
  2. Reviews all details, scope, and pricing
  3. Selects or deselects any optional items you’ve offered
  4. Scrolls to the signature section
  5. Draws or types their signature
  6. Enters their name
  7. Clicks Sign & Approve

Once signed, the estimate is immediately approved and an invoice is automatically created.

Viewing Signatures

On the estimate page, the Signatures section shows:

  • Client signature image
  • Client name
  • Date and time signed

What Happens After Signing

When your client signs:

  1. You’ll receive a notification
  2. The estimate status changes to Approved
  3. Tallie automatically creates an invoice (deposit or standard, depending on your settings)

Previewing Estimates

Want to see what your client will see?

  1. Click Preview in the header
  2. A new tab opens with the client view
  3. Review for any issues before sending

Preview links are temporary and expire after one hour.

Exporting as PDF

Need a PDF copy?

  1. Click Export PDF in the header menu
  2. A PDF downloads to your device
  3. Share via email, print, or save for records

PDFs include all estimate details in a professional format.

What Happens When an Estimate is Approved

When your client signs the estimate, it’s immediately approved and Tallie automatically creates an invoice for you:

If You Configured a Deposit

  • A deposit invoice is created with the number format DEP-000001
  • The invoice amount is your deposit (either the percentage or fixed amount you set)
  • Send this invoice to collect payment before starting work
  • When you complete the project, a final invoice is created for the remaining balance

If No Deposit Was Set

  • A standard invoice is created with the number format INV-000001
  • The invoice includes the full estimate amount
  • Ready to send whenever you’re ready to collect

What’s Included on the Invoice

The auto-created invoice includes:

  • All approved line items (with any optional items the client selected)
  • Pricing with markup built in (clients see clean totals, not a markup line)
  • The service address from your estimate
  • Any discounts and tax settings you configured
  • Your terms and conditions

Working with Auto-Created Invoices

Since invoices are automatically created when estimates are approved, you typically don’t need to do anything extra. Just:

  1. Go to the Invoices page
  2. Find your new invoice (it will be in Draft status)
  3. Review the details
  4. Click Send to Client when ready

If you need to create an additional invoice manually (rare):

  1. Open an approved estimate
  2. Click Create Invoice in the menu
  3. You’re taken to the new invoice
  4. Review and send to your client

The invoice includes:

  • All line items from the estimate (markup built in)
  • Client information
  • Project link
  • Total amount

Each sent estimate has a unique public link. For security:

  • Links are unique to each client
  • Resending creates a new link
  • Old links become invalid
  • Links require no login for clients

If you need to revoke access, resend the estimate to generate a new link.

Tips for Getting Estimates Approved

  1. Follow up - If you haven’t heard back in a few days, reach out
  2. Be available - Respond quickly to client questions
  3. Be detailed - Clear scope helps clients feel confident
  4. Be professional - Your estimate reflects your business
  5. Set expectations - Include terms about timeline and payment

Next Steps

After your estimate is approved:

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