Estimates
Review and approve your project quotes — no phone tag required.
URL: portal.yourcompany.com/estimates
What This Screen Is
The Estimates page in the customer portal is where customers review project quotes sent by the contractor. The customer can read the full scope of work, see the total price, and approve or decline — all without a phone call. When a customer approves an estimate, the contractor is notified immediately and follows up with the next steps to get the project started.
Scope summary only. Customers see a clear description of the work being done and the total price. Internal cost breakdowns, material markups, and labor rates are not exposed — those are contractor-side details that stay in the CRM.
Estimate List View
Customers see all estimates ever sent to them, sorted by date with the most recent on top. Each row shows the project name, the date it was sent, the total price, and its current status. Estimates waiting for a decision show both an Approve and a Decline button directly in the list — no clicking through to a detail page required for simple decisions.
Example estimate rows:
- Deck Build — 88 Birchwood Ave — Sent May 14, 2026 · Valid until Jun 13, 2026 — $12,400 — Pending Review — [Review] [Decline]
- Roof Replacement — 412 Lakeview Dr — Approved May 6, 2026 — $22,750 — Approved — [View]
- Fence Replacement — 88 Birchwood Ave — Declined Apr 28, 2026 — $3,800 — Declined — [View]
- Driveway Sealing — 88 Birchwood Ave — Sent Feb 10, 2026 · Expired Mar 12, 2026 — $1,100 — Expired — [Contractor can resend]
Estimate Detail View
Clicking Review opens the full estimate. The customer sees a plain-language description of everything included in the quote: what work will be done, what materials are included, any exclusions, the estimated timeline, and the total price. There are no line items, margin breakdowns, or internal cost details — just what the customer needs to make an informed decision.
Example estimate detail — Deck Build — 88 Birchwood Ave (Pending Review):
Scope of Work: Demolition and removal of existing 400 sq ft deck. Full replacement with new pressure-treated framing and composite decking boards. Includes new ledger board attachment, concrete footings, 36" code-compliant railing system, and deck stairs. All materials, labor, haul-away, and permits are included.
Key Details:
- Valid Until: June 13, 2026
- Estimated Start: Within 2 weeks of approval
- Estimated Duration: 4–5 business days
- Includes: All materials, labor & permits
- Total Estimate: $12,400
Decision row: [Approve Estimate] [Decline] — "Approving notifies your contractor to get started"
Approving an Estimate
When a customer taps Approve Estimate, the system immediately notifies the contractor. The estimate row updates to Approved and the approve/decline buttons are replaced with a read-only View button. Approval is permanent — a customer cannot un-approve an estimate through the portal.
Approval is not a binding contract. Approving an estimate tells the contractor the customer wants to move forward. The contractor then handles next steps — scheduling, contract, deposit request, or all three. The approval itself is not a legally enforceable signature; that step comes later through the Contracts flow if a contract is required.
What Happens After Approval
- Contractor Is Notified — The contractor receives an immediate notification that the estimate was approved. Response time depends on the contractor's workflow.
- Scheduling Follows — The contractor reaches out to confirm a start date. For larger jobs this may include a site visit, contract signing, or deposit request first.
- Contract May Follow — If the contractor requires a signed contract for this job type, you'll receive one in the Contracts section of your portal.
- Deposit May Be Requested — Some jobs require a deposit before work begins. If required, the contractor will send an invoice for the deposit amount.
Declining an Estimate
If the customer doesn't want to proceed, they can click Decline. The estimate is marked Declined and the contractor is notified. There is no form to fill out — if the customer has questions or wants to discuss a scope change, they should call the contractor directly. The contractor can revise the scope and send a new estimate at any time.
Declining does not close the relationship. A declined estimate just means this quote wasn't the right fit. The contractor can send a revised estimate if there's a scope or pricing change to discuss. Customers should not feel pressure — declining is a normal part of the quoting process.
Expired Estimates
An estimate expires if the customer doesn't take action within the validity window set by the contractor (typically 30, 60, or 90 days). Material and labor costs change — the expiry window protects both parties from a quote that no longer reflects current pricing. Once expired, the approve and decline buttons are removed. The contractor can resend a refreshed estimate at any time.
Privacy — Customer Data Isolation
Customers can only see estimates issued to them. Each estimate is scoped to a specific customer account at the database level. Estimate IDs are randomly generated UUIDs — not sequential integers — so a customer cannot guess another customer's estimate URL. All data is served over HTTPS with authenticated session tokens.
CRUD Operations
| Operation | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| View Estimate List | Yes | All estimates ever sent — pending, approved, declined, and expired |
| Read Estimate Detail | Yes | Scope of work, timeline, total price — no internal cost breakdown |
| Approve an Estimate | Yes | Pending estimates only. Contractor is notified immediately. Irreversible through the portal. |
| Decline an Estimate | Yes | Pending estimates only. Contractor is notified. Can be followed by a revised estimate. |
| Act on an Expired Estimate | No | Expired estimates are locked. Contractor must resend a refreshed quote. |
| See Line-Item Breakdown | No | Customers see scope summary and total only. Internal cost details stay in the CRM. |
| Request a Revision Through the Portal | No | Scope questions or change requests go to the contractor directly by phone. |
| Download the Estimate as PDF | No | Estimates are not downloadable. Signed contracts are downloadable once executed. |
| Un-approve an Estimate | No | Approval is permanent through the portal. Contact the contractor to discuss changes. |
| View Another Customer's Estimate | No | Strict account-level isolation — 403 Forbidden on any unauthorized access |
Related Pages
- Customer Portal Overview — Full feature map of the customer-facing portal — technician tracker, scheduling, invoices, and more
- Contracts — Customer Portal — E-sign your service agreement after an estimate is approved and the contractor is ready to begin
- Invoices & Payments — Customer Portal — Pay your deposit and final balance — all invoices associated with your projects in one place
- My Projects — Customer Portal — Track project status, view shared photos, and follow progress once work begins