Creating an Estimate

If you use QuickBooks Pro or Premier, you can create estimates that provide preliminary planning information for each of your jobs. The forms QuickBooks provides for your estimates look very similar to invoice forms. Fill out an estimate, showing the anticipated time, items, and expenses you plan to allocate to this job. Estimates are saved, referred to, revised, and (ultimately) used to create invoices as the job is completed.

Select Create Estimates from the Customers menu.

TIMESAVER

You can also open the Create Estimates window by clicking the Estimates icon on the Home page. Or, you can click the New Transactions option at the top of the Customer Center and choose Estimates.

Indicate the customer and, if applicable, the job for which you are preparing an estimate in the Customer:Job field.

Verify that the correct date appears on the form.

Enter all the items and expenses that relate to this estimate.

Select a save option to complete the estimate.

Did You Know?

Estimate amounts do not affect your financial statements. Unlike the act of entering an invoice in QuickBooks, the creation of an estimate does not affect your company's balance sheet or income statement.