Create an estimate

An estimate is a priced offer: a customer, line items and a valid-until date. Every new estimate starts as a Draft and stays fully editable until you send it.

Start a new estimate

On the web, open Estimates in the sidebar and choose New Estimate. In the Zaras app, open the Work tab, switch to Estimates and tap New estimate.

• Pick the customer first (Select a client on the web, Choose or add customer in the app). Customer and service address are fixed once the estimate exists.
• Under Estimate details, give it a Title and, if you like, a Description. Write with AI drafts the description from the title and the line items so far (Rewrite with AI in the app once one exists); edit whatever it writes.
• Add the work under Line items. Add line item gives you a row for the name, Qty, Unit price and whether it is Taxable. Your cost feeds your profit figures and is never shown to customers.
• To pull in saved items, use the Price book button (Browse price book on the web): search, filter Singles or Bundles, fill a cart and add everything at once. Typing an item name suggests price book matches, and Save to price book keeps a new row for next time.
• Mark a line item Optional to offer it as an add-on. Add-ons sit outside the Estimate total (the form also shows Total with all options), and the customer picks the ones they want when they accept.
• Switch on Set expiration date (Set an expiration date in the app) and choose Valid until. On the web the date starts 30 days out. After that date the estimate expires and the customer can no longer accept it.
• In Scheduling, choose Schedule appointment to book an on-site estimate visit and pick Assigned technicians, or leave Schedule later.
• Under Notes, Add message to client is shown to the customer, Add contract / disclaimer prints on the document, and Add internal notes stays with your team.

Save it as a draft

On the web, Save draft stores the estimate without sending it; Save & send does both in one step. In the Zaras app, tap Create estimate. Either way the estimate opens as a Draft.

What you can change after sending

Once an estimate is Sent, its money is locked: line items, pricing, tax, customer, estimate number and service address cannot change. The notice reads Estimate is sent; create a revision to change line items on the web and Estimate sent — create a revision to change line items or pricing in the app, and that is the answer: Create revision copies the estimate into a new draft and marks the old one Superseded. Title, description, valid-until, sales rep, schedule and technicians, message to client, contract text and internal notes stay editable in both apps.

After a decision only the words stay open: an Accepted, Declined or Expired estimate keeps its title, description, message to client, contract text and internal notes editable and nothing else. A Superseded estimate cannot be edited at all.

Permissions

Creating and editing estimates needs the estimates permission, which owners, admins and technicians hold by default. If New Estimate is missing for you, ask an owner or admin to grant it to your role.