How to send a proposal and get it signed

What this is

A proposal is the page your customer reads and signs. You do not type it up. FieldStone builds it from the budget you already made, so the two can never disagree.

The customer sees one price for each part of the job and one total. They never see your labor, your materials or your markup. This page shows you how to shape the proposal, send it, answer a change request and get it signed.

Step by step

1. 1

   Open the Proposal tab

   Open an estimate in Estimates and press the Proposal tab. The page is already written. It is built from your budget: one line and one price for each division. Each price already has your overhead, contingency and markup inside it, so the customer only ever sees the finished number.
   Prepared forOdalys Brennan27 Larkspur Lane

   Contract amount$401,900

   Scope and price

   Site work and foundation$58,400

   Framing$96,300

   Roofing$31,200

   Plumbing and electrical$74,500

   Interior finishes$141,500

   Total$401,900
2. 2

   Shape the page

   The column on the right changes how the page reads. Turn on Scope under each division to print what each part covers. Round to tidies the prices: Exact, $100, $500 or $1k. It always rounds up, so the customer is never quoted less than your budget. Starts within sets how many weeks after signing the work begins. Under Terms, tick the ones you want on the page, or press the plus to add a term for this job only.
   Page

   Scope under each division

   Round toExact$100$500$1k

   Starts within3weeks

   Terms

   Payment schedule

   Changes

   Not included

   Driveway poured lastthis job
3. 3

   Look for a price below cost

   You can press any price on the page and type a different one. If a division ends up priced lower than it is expected to cost you, FieldStone writes Below cost beside it, and lists it again above the send button. Fix it, or leave it if you mean it. Every price you changed is listed under Differs from budget, and the small arrow there puts it back.
   Framing$96,300

   RoofingBelow cost$27,000

   Interior finishes$141,500

   Differs from budget

   Roofing$31,200$27,000
4. 4

   Download the PDF, then send it

   Press Download PDF to read the proposal the way your customer will. When it looks right, press Send to and their first name. FieldStone asks first. It tells you the amount, that it goes by email, or by text when there is no email on file, and that the budget locks until you revise. Press the send button and a short message tells you which way it went.
   Rev 1Draft

   Send to OdalysBy email, or a text when there’s no email

   Send Rev 1 to Odalys Brennan?They get $401,900 by email, or by text when there’s no email on file. The budget locks until you revise.

   CancelSend $401,900

   Sent Rev 1 to Odalys by email
5. 5

   What your customer sees

   They open a link on their phone. No account, no password. The page shows the scope, the price and the terms. Under it are three choices. They can type their name, sign with a finger if they like, and press Accept this estimate. They can press Ask for a change and write what they want different. Or they can press No thanks. Back on your side, the proposal shows when it was sent and whether they opened it.
   Total$401,900

   Your nameOdalys BrennanSignature (optional)

   Accept this estimate

   Ask for a changeNo thanks
6. 6

   Answer a change request

   What they wrote comes back onto the Proposal tab in a blue box. Press Revise. FieldStone asks first, because the link they have stops working until you send the new one. Say yes and Rev 2 starts as a draft. Rev 1 is kept exactly as it was sent. The budget unlocks, so you can change the numbers. If you need a new price from a subcontractor, see sub bids. Then send Rev 2 the same way.
   Rev 1Sent

   Odalys asked“Can we swap the shingles for a metal roof?”

   Sent 2 days ago · openedRevise

   Start Rev 2?Rev 1’s link stops working for Odalys until you send Rev 2. Rev 1 is kept as it was sent.

   CancelStart Rev 2
7. 7

   When they sign

   Won gets a green tick on the stage line at the top, and the proposal is marked Signed with the name they typed. That page is now frozen as they signed it. A green line appears: “Signed. Make it a job to start the work.” Press Make it a job. The signed proposal goes onto the job and everyone on the estimate is assigned to it. Next, read how to plan the job.
   Request

   Budget

   Proposal

   Won

   Sub bids

   Signed. Make it a job to start the work.Make it a job

   Signed by Odalys Brennan. This page is frozen as they signed it.
8. 8

   If it goes nowhere

   Press the three dots at the top of the estimate, then Mark lost. Pick a reason or type your own, so you remember why later. The estimate now says Lost, with the reason beside it. Changed their mind? Press Reopen and it comes straight back.
   Mark Odalys Brennan lost?

   Went with another bidPrice too highNot doing it this yearNo answer

   CancelMark lost

   Lost · Price too highReopen