How to send an estimate
An estimate in Pillar is priced from your price book, sent as a link your customer can approve and sign online, and turned into a job the moment they say yes. This walks the whole path, from the first line item to the job on the calendar.
Start the estimate
Where to clickEstimatesNew EstimateCustomer
Press Estimates in the left sidebar, then press New Estimate at the top right of the list. The form opens on New Estimate.
Pick the Customer at the top of the form, which is the one field you cannot skip. Valid Until is optional and falls back to 30 days out when you leave it blank.
Price it from your price book
Where to clickNew EstimateSelect from CatalogCreate Estimate
Under Line Items, press Select from Catalog to pull a service out of your price book at the price you set there. Add Line Item gives you a blank row to type instead.
Items you price by the square foot ask for Sq Ft and Rate/sq ft rather than Qty and Unit Price, and the row does the multiplication.
Tax Rate (%) fills itself from the customer address while Auto-calculate from address is ticked, and typing over it switches that off. Add anything the customer should read under Notes, then press Create Estimate.
Offer good, better, best
Where to clickAdminPrice Bookthe pencil on an itemEnable Pricing Options
Tiered pricing belongs to the price book item, not to one estimate. Press Admin at the bottom of the left sidebar, pick Price Book, press the pencil on the item, and scroll to Pricing Options (Good/Better/Best).
Flip Enable Pricing Options, press Add Option for each tier, and give it a Name (Internal) such as Good, Better, or Best plus a Display Name the customer will read.
Price Type takes Fixed Price, % of Base Price, or % Markup on Cost, so a tier can follow the item price or follow your cost. Tick Recommended on the one you want to steer toward, press Save Options, then Update Item.
A technician quoting at the door opens Catalog on their phone, under More, and the item opens on Choose Your Option with a RECOMMENDED badge on your pick. They press Select, then Add to Cart, and Create Quote in the cart writes the estimate with that tier on the line.
Send it for approval
Where to clickEstimatesopen the estimateSend to ClientSend Estimate
Open the estimate from the Estimates list and press Send to Client in the row of buttons at the top. The confirmation names the address it is going to, and says so plainly when the customer has no email on file.
Your customer gets an email with a link to view and approve the estimate. Nothing about the estimate changes yet, and the status stays Pending until they answer.
The link opens Estimate Review & Approval with the line items, the total, and your notes. They type Your Full Name, sign on the pad, and press Approve Estimate or Reject Estimate.
Approving flips the estimate to Approved, stores the signature on it, and tells your team. Signing is required until you switch off Require Signature for Estimate Approval under Admin, then Company Settings.
Turn the yes into a job
Where to clickEstimatesopen the approved estimateConvert to JobCreate Job
Open the approved estimate and press Convert to Job. Pillar reads the line items and lists what it will book under Appointments to be Created.
Initial Schedule (Optional) offers Now, Tomorrow, and Next Week, and shows the earliest slot each technician has, so one press books the visit and assigns them. Press Create Job and you land on the job.
The estimate now reads Converted to Job and carries a View Job button. Bill it from the job's Invoices card with Create Invoice, which fills the invoice in from the same line items.
Common questions
Can I change an estimate after I have sent it?
Yes, while it is still Pending. Edit Estimate changes it in place, and Create Revision keeps the version you sent on record and starts a new one, which asks for a short note of at least 10 characters saying why.
Does my customer need an account to approve?
No. The link in the email opens the approval page with no login at all, and customers who do have a portal account find the same estimate under Estimates in their portal.
Do they have to sign?
By default yes, with a finger, a stylus, or a mouse. Switch off Require Signature for Estimate Approval under Admin, Company Settings and approving becomes a name and a button press.
What happens if nobody ever answers?
You and the customer both get a notice a week before the Valid Until date, and the estimate is marked Expired once that date passes. Update Status puts it back to Pending and issues a fresh approval link.
Can I invoice straight from an estimate?
Not directly. Convert the approved estimate to a job, then press Create Invoice on the job's Invoices card, and the invoice fills itself in from the estimate line items so nothing is retyped.