How to Enter Estimates in Quickbooks Pro

If your business requires you to create an estimate for a job quote, Quickbooks Pro makes the process simple and easy. An estimate is used to determine the approximate cost of an item or service, before the job is done and the invoice generated. Estimates are particularly useful if you are creating a custom item for a customer or are offering specific services that need to be itemized before the actual transaction takes place.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Quickbooks Pro

Activating the Estimate Feature

1. Click on "Preferences" from the File menu on the text bar at the top of the program.

2. Click on the "Jobs and Estimates" icon in the sidebar of the "Preferences" window.

3. Click on the "Company Preferences" tab and click on the radio button next to "Yes" under the "Do You Create Estimates?" section.

4. Click "OK." Quickbooks will close for the change to take effect.

Creating an Estimate

5. Locate the Estimate icon on the top icon bar in Quickbooks Pro. If the icon isn't visible, click on "Activities" using the Text menu. Next, click "Other Activities" and find the "Create Estimate" option.

6. Fill out the customer information. If this is a returning customer, you will only need to select the name from the drop down list and the remainder of the fields will auto-complete.

7. Enter the appropriate information into the "Item," "Description," "Quantity," "Cost," "Amount," "Markup" and "Total" fields on the template.

8. Add a customer message to the bottom of the "Estimate," if desired.

9. Click "Print" if you want a paper copy of the estimate, and then click "OK" to save the estimate to your accounting system.

10. Reopen the estimate after the customer has agreed to the terms of the estimated costs. Click on "Create Invoice" at the bottom of the screen to automatically create an invoice for your customer and enter the information into your Accounts Receivable account.