Frequently asked questions about OnCost™ Estimating
Can a Project have multiple Estimates?
Can ClientLink™ or TeamLink™ Users view an Estimate?
How do I send a proposal to my clients?
Can I add specific phrasing in my proposal?
Can I lock parts of an Estimate?
Why aren't my Cost Codes showing up in QuickBooks?
Why can't I see the Categories/Subcategories/Items I'm adding to my Estimate?
Can a Project have multiple Estimates?
No. Each Project in ConstructionOnline can only have one Estimate at a time. To add a new Estimate to a Project, the existing Estimate must be deleted first.
If you are trying to create Estimates for a job that has yet to be awarded to your company, try creating multiple Opportunities––each one with a different Estimate. Once the job is won, you can then convert the chosen Opportunity to a Project! Each Company Account can create an unlimited number of Opportunities.
Can ClientLink™ or TeamLink™ Users view an Estimate in ConstructionOnline?
No. ClientLink and TeamLink Users do not have access to Estimates in their respective Project Portals. You can share Estimate data with clients and subcontractors by generating one of ConstructionOnline's powerful Financial Reports, like an Estimate Proposal.
How can I print an Estimate?
While there is no way to print an exact copy of an Estimate in ConstructionOnline, you can generate a fully customizable and professional Estimate Proposal that can be shared, saved, downloaded, or printed––making it easy to share important financial information with clients, subcontractors, vendors, and others.
Can an Estimate have Options?
No. Estimates in ConstructionOnline cannot include Options like in ConstructionSuite.
How do I send an Estimate Proposal to a client?
Once you've created an Estimate Proposal, you can select one of four options to distribute the Estimate Proposal to your client. Estimate Proposals can be quickly emailed to a client via the "Share" option, which will send the client an email containing the file. The client can click on the link in the email to download a pdf of the proposal to their device. You can also use the "Share" option to upload the proposal to a supported cloud storage platform––Google Drive, OneDrive, box, or Dropbox.
The "Save" option allows you to directly save the proposal to Files in ConstructionOnline. If your company's global ClientLink™ permissions have been set up to allow clients to view files AND the proposal file has been shared with the client, the client will be able to view the proposal from the Project Portal. The "Download" option allows you to download a pdf of the proposal to your device, which can then be sent externally to the client. To easily print a physical copy of the proposal, select the "Print" option to print directly from your browser.
Can I add specific phrasing to my Estimate Proposal?
Yes! To add specific phrasing to an Estimate Proposal, try creating & inserting a Default Text Block. Default Text Blocks are customized blocks of text that are stored within the Company Account and can be added to any report or document created in ConstructionOnline. When a Company User creates a Financial Report like an Estimate Proposal, they can choose to include up to two blocks of customized text. Company Users can select from the existing list of Default Text Blocks stored within the Company Account or create a new Default Text Block for future use. Company Users can also choose for a block of text to appear above the main document content, below the main document, or both. A sample Estimate Proposal that includes a Default Text Block can be downloaded here.
Can I lock parts of an Estimate?
Yes! Almost all components of an Estimate can be locked, which can prevent any unwanted edits to an Estimate after your budget has been finalized. More information can be found in the step-by-step article Lock/Unlock an Estimate.
What are Adjustments?
Adjustments in ConstructionOnline OnCost Estimates are used to factor in additional costs or cost changes without affecting the total price seen by the client. Since they do not affect the Contract/Client Price, they are primarily used for internal reference and reporting.
A good example of when to utilize Adjustments in ConstructionOnline is when a bid from one of your subcontractors comes in under the estimated Base Cost. By noting the difference within the Adjustment column, you can ensure your profits are maximized while maintaining accurate financial records.
Both positive and negative values can be entered into the Adjustment column. The data entered into the Adjustments column is factored into the Adjusted Cost calculation, which is the sum of the Base Cost + Tax + Adjustment + C.O. Cost columns. Adjustments do not affect Invoicing or Payments and do not require approval or accounting transactions.
More information about the different Estimate Columns and Column Views can be found in Understanding OnCost™ Estimate Views.
Why aren't my Cost Codes showing up in QuickBooks?
The Cost Code column is not sent over when an Estimate is sent from ConstructionOnline to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop. If you need Cost Codes to be sent over to QuickBooks, the Name column must contain the specific Cost Code.
Why can't I see the Categories/Subcategories/Items I'm adding to my Estimate?
If you are unable to see the new Categories, Subcategories, and/or Items you are adding into your Estimate, you most likely have the "Hide Empty Sections" Estimate option engaged. When this option is engaged, all Estimate rows with no dollar amount will be hidden from view within the Estimate.
For step-by-step instructions on how to show/hide empty Estimate sections, visit this article.
Have more questions?
We're here to help! Chat with a Specialist by clicking the orange Chat icon in the bottom left corner or Contact UDA Support for additional options.