An estimate is a jobcard that hasn't started yet. Same shape, same line items, same parts and labour — just flagged as not-live so it stays out of the workflow board and your live job list.
You write estimates to quote work to a customer. When they accept, Promote to Jobcard flips the flag and the estimate joins the live workflow at your garage's default status.
What's different from a normal jobcard
- Different reference prefix — estimates show as
#Estimate 17while live jobcards show asJobcard17. The counter is shared across both (it's the total count of jobcards + estimates in your company), so the numbers themselves don't restart — only the prefix changes - Hidden from the workflow board — they don't clutter your kanban
- Own list at
/estimatesin the app - Everything else identical — jobs, parts, labour, inspections, activity log, comments
When you'd use one
- A customer brings their car in for an assessment and wants a price before agreeing to the work
- You're writing a quote without the vehicle physically present
- You want a pricing draft you can iterate on without it appearing live