Send a Quote

Build a draft quote from your price book, send it to the customer, and record a yes from the portal or the phone.

Updated September 4, 2026

A quote is a customer-facing proposal. Internally the record is an estimate; every button and email you see says Quote. Statuses: Draft, Sent, Approved, Declined, Expired, Void. The quotes list hides Void unless Status includes it. On Hold is an opt-in Status chip for sent quotes whose follow-up is paused — Sent still includes those rows.

You need a customer and a site first. If you do not have those yet, add them. Starting from a lead instead? Convert & Quote on the lead does both steps and opens this form with the customer and lead already picked; sending moves the lead to Quoted (Work leads on the pipeline).

You need a customer and a site first. If you do not have those yet, add them. Starting from a lead instead? Convert & Quote on the lead does both steps and opens this form with the customer and lead already picked; sending moves the lead to Quoted (Work leads on the pipeline).

  1. Start a draft

    Open Sales and BillingQuotes and click New Quote. If you have templates, you can start from one; otherwise the form is blank and seeded from the work type. Click Create Draft Quote.

  2. Pick the work, customer, and sites

    Choose the work type, the customer, and the site (or sites). Line items usually load from that work type's quote template. Amounts come from Sales and BillingPricing unless you edit them.

  3. Set an expiry (optional)

    Accept Quote by (optional) stops last season's price from being accepted months later.

  4. Send it

    On the quote, leave Notify customer (respects company notification settings) checked and click Send To Customer. Sending generates a PDF and emails a link. The customer can review options and sign electronically.

  5. Or record a yes in the office

    If they approve by phone or on paper, click Record Acceptance. Methods are Paper signature, Mail, Phone, and In person. That is the same approval path as the portal — not a side door.

  6. Office notes and On Hold (optional)

    Internal Notes on the quote are office only — not on the PDF or portal. Saving them does not change the customer link. To pause automatic follow-up while leaving the link live, click Put Quote On Hold on a Sent quote (a date, or Keep On Hold Indefinitely). Remove From Hold resumes follow-up. That is not Mark Sent (Internal).

Save a template once

When a quote looks right, use Save as Template on its Actions menu, or build one under SettingsQuote Templates. Future quotes for that work type take about a minute.

Verify it worked

The quote status is Sent (or Approved if they already signed). The customer received email, or you have a Record Acceptance note with a method and date.

Once the customer opens the link, the quote shows Viewed once (then Viewed N times · last … · not yet signed); until then it reads Not viewed by the customer yet. A refresh within a minute does not count as another view. With the Sales Pipeline add-on, a Follow-up sequence card on the quote shows the automated follow-ups — see Automated quote and lead follow-ups.

What to do next

When the quote is approved, OpsVara can create a service contract automatically. What happens after a quote is approved explains that step.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the button say Mark Sent (Internal)?

Uncheck Notify customer (respects company notification settings) on the draft. The quote still moves to Sent, but no email goes out and the portal hides it until you Share With Customer. That stops follow-up. To pause follow-up while leaving the customer link live, send it normally then use Put Quote On Hold.

How do I pause follow-up without hiding the quote?

On a Sent quote, click Put Quote On Hold. Pick a date or Keep On Hold Indefinitely. Status stays Sent. Remove From Hold resumes follow-up.

Where do I put notes the customer should not see?

Internal Notes on the quote (detail, New Quote, or Edit Quote). They never appear on the PDF or portal. Saving notes on a sent quote does not change the customer link.

The customer said yes on the phone. Do they still have to click the link?

No. Use Record Acceptance and pick Phone (or Paper signature, Mail, or In person). That follows the same approval path and keeps the audit trail.

I voided a quote and it disappeared from the list.

Status starts with Void unchecked. Check Void on the Status filter (Office mobile — tap Void). Header Search and the quote URL still open it. List search still respects Status.

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