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How do I get started with categories and items in Estimates?
How do I get started with categories and items in Estimates?

Learn how to edit estimate categories to suit your project.

Matt Govett avatar
Written by Matt Govett
Updated over a week ago

This article relates to topics from the Estimate Costings screen in Estimates and covers the bulleted topics below:

  • Editing categories

  • Adding items

  • Editing items

  • Moving items between categories

  • Tracking which categories are done

  • Updating linked prices and printing reports

Is the Add or + button missing?

The Green + button to add items or categories won't be visible if the Estimate is locked. The Estimate can be locked if the Estimate status is Accepted or the Category is set to Complete


Editing categories

  1. Use the green Add button to add new categories.

  2. The six dots to the left of any item allow you to grab it with your mouse and drag it to a different position in the list order.

  3. Clicking the copy button will copy the category.

  4. Delete the category by clicking on the trash can icon.

Adding items

Once you have set up the categories you can add material and labor.

Click on the category to open it, click the green + button to add an item.

5. Click in the Description box and delete "New estimate item". You can then free type in the item description, unit of measure, and cost.
6. Choose items from the pricelist - depending on your terminology a list of the first 10 items will appear in a drop-down menu for you to choose.
7. If you need to look further into the pricelist, click on the magnifying glass icon, this will take you to all the pricelists so that you can search all items


Editing and deleting items

8. Click the green "+" icon to add items to the categories.
9. Click the blue ''edit'' pencil to edit either the category name, or the items being added.
10. The six dots to the left of each item allow you to "grab'' it with your mouse and re-order it.
11. Use the copy icon to create a duplicate of the item to be edited.
12. Click on the trashcan to delete the item.


Moving items between categories

To move an item to another category


13. Tick the box to the left of the item.
14. Click "Move one item".
15. Start typing in the name of the category you want to move the item to.
16. Choose the category name from the list that appears.
17. Click "Move".


Tracking which categories are complete

There are tools to help you keep track of the progress of the estimate.

18. Click the "Complete" button, it will change the category name to green to highlight that this section has been completed.
19. If the section is still to be worked on click the "Not Complete" button, the category will remain orange, to indicate this section is not finished.
20. If a particular category is not required for this estimate, click the "Not required" button, the category title will be greyed out. 


Updating linked prices and printing reports

The cog icon at the right of the Costings tab has more useful tools.

21. Click the cog icon to open the menu.
22. "Update linked items" allows you to update prices on the items in the estimate if there has been a change in the price list since first quoted. More info on relinking can be found here:


23. "Print Categories" and "Email Categories" allows you to generate a copy of the Category names and totals in either PDF, Excel, or Word.
24. "Print Categories & Items" and "Email Categories & Items" allows you to generate a copy of the Categories and the items in each with totals in either PDF, Excel, or Word.
25. "Print PC/PS Items" or "Email PC/PS Items" allows you to generate the items marked as Prime Cost or Provisional Sum in the quote in either PDF, Excel, or Word.

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