Understanding Quotes
Concept Article – Learn what a Quote is, why it exists and how it connects your sales process with project delivery.
What is a Quote?
A Quote is a formal proposal outlining the products, services and pricing your business is offering to a client.
It transforms the information gathered during the Opportunity stage into a clear commercial proposal.
A Quote explains what work will be completed, how much it will cost and under what conditions it will be delivered.
Once accepted, a Quote becomes the commercial foundation for delivering the work.
Quotes Begin with an Opportunity
Every Quote is created from an Opportunity.
This ensures the Quote remains linked to the correct Project ID and retains all of the information already collected, including:
- Client details
- Contact information
- Project Location
- Site notes
- Photos
- Project history
Because everything remains connected, there is no need to recreate information that has already been captured.
More Than Just Pricing
Although pricing is an important part of every Quote, a good Quote also communicates:
- The scope of work
- What's included
- What's excluded
- Assumptions
- Project stages
- Terms and conditions
- Supporting documents
- Drawings or specifications
The Quote becomes the commercial agreement that both your business and the client can refer back to throughout the project.
One Opportunity Can Have Many Quotes
It is common for an Opportunity to contain multiple Quotes.
For example, you may:
- Revise pricing after client feedback
- Offer multiple options
- Submit staged proposals
- Provide budget pricing before final pricing
- Quote additional works
- Prepare variation Quotes as the project evolves
Keeping every Quote linked to the same Opportunity provides a complete history of the commercial relationship without creating duplicate projects.
Quotes Become Jobs
Once a Quote is accepted, it can be converted into one or more Jobs.
Many projects are completed as a single Job. However, larger or more complex projects are often divided into multiple smaller Jobs.
For example, a project may be split into:
- Different stages
- Different buildings or Locations
- Separate work crews
- Different dates or shutdown periods
- Ongoing maintenance visits
Although the work is divided into multiple Jobs, they all remain linked back to the original Opportunity and Project ID.
This allows businesses to manage complex projects without losing sight of the overall project history.
Each Job also inherits the information already gathered during the Opportunity and Quote stages.
This means the operations team receives much more than pricing—they also receive the knowledge collected during the estimating process, creating a smooth transition between sales and operations.
Projects Continue to Evolve
Accepting a Quote does not mean the quoting process is finished.
As projects progress, additional work is often identified.
This may include:
- Variations
- Client-requested changes
- Additional stages of work
- Extra locations
- Unexpected repairs
- Scope increases
Rather than creating a new project, these additional Quotes should normally be created against the same Opportunity.
This keeps the complete commercial history together while allowing everyone to see how the project has evolved over time.
The original Quote remains as a historical record of what was initially agreed, while additional Quotes document every approved change throughout the life of the project.
Quotes Help Protect Profitability
A Quote is also your opportunity to estimate:
- Labour
- Materials
- Equipment
- Subcontractors
- Travel
- Other project costs
These estimates become valuable benchmarks once the Job begins.
By comparing estimated quantities with actual quantities, businesses can improve future estimating, monitor productivity and better understand profitability.
A Quote Is a Snapshot in Time
Once issued, a Quote represents the proposal made to the client at that point in time.
If the project changes, it is usually better to create a revised or additional Quote than overwrite the original.
Maintaining previous Quotes provides a complete history of what was offered, when it was offered and how the commercial agreement evolved throughout the project.
Best Practice
Take advantage of the information already gathered during the Opportunity stage.
Include enough detail that both the client and your project team clearly understand the proposed work.
Remember that the Quote is not only used to win the work—it also becomes an important reference for everyone involved in delivering the project.
As projects evolve, continue creating additional Quotes against the same Opportunity so the complete commercial history remains together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Opportunity have more than one Quote?
Yes.
An Opportunity can contain multiple Quotes while remaining linked to the same Project ID.
Can one Quote create multiple Jobs?
Yes.
A single Quote can be split into multiple Jobs where it makes operational sense, such as different stages, locations, crews or scheduled visits.
All of these Jobs remain linked to the same Opportunity.
Can I create more Quotes after a Job has already started?
Absolutely.
Projects often evolve during delivery.
Additional Quotes can be created for variations, scope changes, additional works or future stages while remaining linked to the original Opportunity and Project ID.
Why should I include estimated labour and materials?
Estimating labour and materials allows you to compare estimated quantities with actual quantities once the work is completed.
This helps improve future estimating and provides valuable insights into productivity and profitability.
Does the Quote still matter after the Job starts?
Yes.
The Quote remains an important commercial record and provides the basis for understanding the agreed scope of work, pricing and project expectations throughout the lifecycle of the project.
Summary
A Quote is much more than a price.
It transforms project knowledge into a commercial proposal, connects estimating with project delivery and forms the commercial foundation of every project.
One Opportunity may contain many Quotes, and one Quote may create one or many Jobs.
Even after work has begun, additional Quotes can continue to be created for variations and additional work, ensuring the complete commercial history remains linked to a single Project ID.