Send an estimate in Okason
To send an estimate in Okason, you go through five short screens: customer, property, line items, terms, and review. Your customer gets the estimate (some call it a quote) by email, with a PDF copy. This guide walks through each screen. It also covers the one step that trips people up: you have to save a draft before you can add photos.
Before you start
You need:
- An Owner or Manager role. Crew Members can’t create estimates.
- The customer saved in Okason with an email address. Estimates are delivered by email.
- Your services saved in your Price List, so you can add each one with a click. You can still add one-off items without it.
- A tax rate set up in Settings, if you charge sales tax.
Steps
On the Estimates page, click New Estimate.
Under Select a Customer, click the customer the estimate is for. If you have a long list, search by name, phone, or email. Click Next.
If the customer isn’t in Okason yet, click Add New Customer.
Under Select a Property, check the property. The customer’s Primary property is already selected. If the work is at a different address, select that one instead. Click Next.
Add your line items. In the Service Catalog panel, search your Price List and click + next to each service. Each one appears as a line with its quantity, unit, and unit price, which you can change for this estimate. Click Next.
For work that isn’t in your Price List, click Add Custom Item.
Set the terms. Your company’s default Tax rate is already selected. Pick a different rate, or No tax if this job isn’t taxed. The Estimate Summary on the right updates as you go.
Below the tax rate you can turn on an Estimate discount or a Deposit due on send, or change the Expiration date (it defaults to 30 days from today). All of these are optional. Click Next.
Review the estimate. Check the customer, property, line items, and total. On the right, Send Estimate shows who it’s going to and their email address. Add a personal note in Message (optional) if you want one.
To attach photos, scroll down to Photos. You’ll see “Save the draft first to attach photos.” Click Save Draft, then drop your photos in or click to upload. You can add up to 4 photos, 10 MB each, as JPEG or PNG. They’re attached to the estimate email and PDF.
Skip this step if you don’t need photos.
Click Send Estimate. Okason shows a confirmation like “Estimate EST-007 sent to Linda Johnson.” and takes you back to the Estimates page, where the estimate shows as Sent.
Tip
Not ready to send? Click Save Draft at the bottom of any step to keep your work and finish it later.
Troubleshooting
Why can’t I add photos to my estimate?
The Photos area stays locked until you save the estimate. Click Save Draft in the Photos area, then upload. You can add up to 4 photos, 10 MB each, as JPEG or PNG.
What if my customer isn’t in the list?
Click Add New Customer on the Select a Customer step. Include their email address so you can send the estimate.
How do I fix the tax on my estimate?
On the Terms step, pick the right rate from Tax rate, or choose No tax. If the rate you need isn’t there, click Add tax rate. If the customer doesn’t pay sales tax, tick Tax exempt.
Where did my estimate go after I sent it?
It’s on the Estimates page under the Active tab, with the status Sent. It’s also counted in Awaiting Response at the top of the page.
Related
- New to pricing this work? Read how to quote lawn mowing jobs.
- Want a starting point for your line items? Grab the free landscaping estimate template.
- See everything Okason’s lawn care estimate software can do.