What is markup?  Markup is the amount added to the cost of your estimate to cover overhead and profit.  The Clear Estimates part library costs are pre-markup and pre-tax, and you can add markup on top of your project costs using the markup tools.  How it works Below your project details, you’ll find the Markup section. This is where you will add mar...

This feature will let you customize your reports & proposals for each customer! When writing your boilerplate, you’ll now see a dropdown menu that says “Insert Variable.” From here you can insert fields such as Project Cost or your customer’s first name: Use the “Insert Variable” drop down to select the field you want to use, then, use the brack...

You can easily show your customers when you expect to be paid, we even have some built-in payment schedules you can use. Here’s how to create your own payment schedule!   Continued Learning How To Create an Invoice   Invoicing & Cost Status Overview Creating Change Orders...

Clear Estimates lets you avoid repeating your work from estimate to estimate - if you have done the work once, you shouldn’t have to do it again! There are a lot of ways you can avoid repeating work over and over, and we’ll cover them here. Duplicate a Project One of the easiest ways to avoid repeat work is by duplicating an existing project. Let’s ...

Click “Projects” Click “Send to Customer" (top right) Click "Activity History" Overview So you’ve done the work creating your estimate – everything looks good, and you’ve emailed your proposal to your customer. Now you’re wondering – did they receive my email?  Fortunately, Clear Estimates makes it easy to check the status of proposals and invoices ...

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This video is for adding “one-off” custom parts to your estimate. This video is NOT for adding custom parts to your database, permanently. To learn about adding custom parts to your database, click  here ! Did you know you can add a custom part to any project, just by entering the material & labor cost and a description? It is very easy to do, a...

Click “Options” Click “Preferences” > “Miscellaneous”  Set Default Markup  Click “Save” at the bottom Overview If you’ve created a project in Clear Estimates, you have probably seen how to use markup.  Clear Estimates allows you to set your Material, Labor,  and  Subcontractor markup right from your Projects  page. You may be wondering, how do I ...

Clear Estimates Pro customers have the option to add additional users via email. This is great for anyone with multiple estimators, sales teams or office managers who need their own login for Clear Estimates!  PRO Only Feature Adding additional users to your account is a PRO only feature. How to Upgrade or Change Your Subscription‍  To add an additi...

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Overview: One of the best things about Clear Estimates is the customizability! Tailoring the software to your company’s needs is simple, and you can easily manage your account settings right within the software. All of your account settings can be found in the Options tool – found in the upper right corner of your screen: Within the Options tool, yo...

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1. Select your “ Templates ” tool. 2. Use the dropdown to find a template to export. 3. To export, select More > Export Templates 4. To import, create a blank template and select More > Import Templates 5. Browse your files and select your template.  Overview: Clear Estimates allows you import and export templates, making it easy to share temp...

Create Sections with Components Components can be used to break a project down by room or section. Components are... Components can be used to break a project down by room or section. Components are just sections of a project, they keep scopes of work separated and organized on your proposal. You can use components to section your estimate by room, ...

In addition to material pricing for every region in the US, we also have labor rate suggestions. Here’s how to set your labor rates: To learn more about labor calculations, click here !  Click here for a written guide...

Add Parts to Your Estimate This video will explain how to find and add parts to your estimate. It will also ... This video will explain how to find and add parts to your estimate. It will also show you how to favorite specific parts you may use often. Continued Learning  Create Sections With Components Edit the Cost of a Part   Introductory Welcome ...

Components can be used to break a project down by room or section. Components are just sections of a project, they keep scopes of work separated and organized on your proposal. You can use components to section your estimate by room, phase, or however you choose! You can add a component to an estimate using the instructions below. This guide will al...

Need to update your location for material prices? No problem, it only takes a few clicks!        ...

Template Calculations If you've worked with templates or seen our tutorials above, then you know that in order to add a template to your estimate you need to enter a quantity such as a square footage. For example, if you're using a deck template, you'll need to specify the size of the deck that you are working on, in square feet, and the template wi...

Overview On the Projects page (below your markup tool), you will find the Alternate and Component tools. This is where you can create and edit new alternates  and components for your project. We’ll talk about each separately, but you can think of both as sub-sections of a project. Both tools are very useful for organizing your reports, and making th...

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Continued Learning Want to edit templates, or create your own? Click here to learn how!...

Learn More How To Create Your First Estimate  Introductory Welcome Webinar Have a question? Get in touch with us here!...

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Looking for more information about Clear Estimates? You can sign up, read testimonials, FAQ, and more on our homepage! For pricing / subscription cost / fees, or annual plan options, click here! To request a trial extension, send us a message here and our team is happy to extend your trial.  Overview Clear Estimates makes it easy to manage your subs...

This video will explain how to find and add parts to your estimate. It will also show you how to favorite specific parts you may use often. Continued Learning  Create Sections With Components Edit the Cost of a Part   Introductory Welcome Webinar...

By default, your proposals do not show the line item costs. With just a couple of clicks, however, you can show the line item prices (including markup) on your proposal!     Note Want line item costs shown on your proposal by default?  Follow this guide!    ...

Click “Options” Click “Report Settings” Click Proposal (Formal, Subcontractor, or Preliminary) Select “Include Line Item Costs on Report by Default” Click “Save” Overview Clear Estimates gives you the option to show line item costs on your proposals, meaning that the cost of each line item will display next to each item on your proposal (instead of ...

Clear Estimates now partners with Clearent by Xplor, meaning you’ll be able to accept payments right from your invoices! If you’ve already signed up for Clearent, and have received your API key email, this article is for you! No Clearent Account?  If you are looking to accept payments, but have not yet signed up for a Clearent account, click here to...

Note: This question is about removing payment schedules. To learn how to add a payment schedule, click here ....

Did you know that for every line item on the proposals, you can edit what is written? We have default text for you, but you can edit that text to say whatever you want. Continued Learning Part of a Series on Customizing Parts: Edit the Cost of a Part Edit Material Cost of a Part Edit Labor Cost of a Part Add Subcontractor Cost to a Part Customize yo...

Financing with Acorn Finance Clear Estimates has partnered with Acorn Finance to give you an easy option to offer financing to your clients to fund their projects. There is no signup required and you can run your project as you normally would. Acorn will connect your client with lenders and your client will receive funds from the lender directly. Yo...

▶️ Customize Your Labor Rates In addition to material pricing for every region in the US, we also have labor ra... In addition to material pricing for every region in the US, we also have labor rate suggestions. Here’s how to set your labor rates: To learn more about labor calculations, click here !  Click here for a written guide...

Pro Feature Exporting estimates to BuilderTrend is a PRO feature only available on our PRO plan. See how to upgrade to PRO: How to Upgrade or Change Your Subscription ‍  Note Not a BuilderTrend user? You can set up a BuilderTrend account here: Schedule a BuilderTrend Demo Overview Clear Estimates Pro includes a BuilderTrend  integration, allowing yo...

Overview Clear Estimates provides thousands of parts built into your Part Library, so you can create estimates for a wide variety of projects! With thousands of parts, it can sometimes be daunting to find the ones you’re looking for. That’s why we give you the ability to "favorite" parts within Clear Estimates. What Does Favoriting a Part Do? Favori...

Clear Estimates makes it easy to create invoices! You can check out a quick tutorial here, and find written instructions below:   How To Your invoices are created and stored in Reports > Cost Status. At the bottom of that page, you will see an option to Add Invoice:   Click Add Invoice, and a new window will open. This is where you can decide how...

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▶️ Customizing Categories in your Library ...   Continued Learning: Modifying Parts in Your Parts Tool Adding Custom Parts to Your Part Librar y Customizing Categories for One Estimate...

Ready to add your logo? Here's how!   Looking for account information? Click here.   Have questions? Get in touch with us! ...

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Overview Tale of Two Remodelers: Which one has the better sales process? Actionable tips you can start using immediately Win more jobs with these great sales process tips Presented by Remodeling Marketing Expert, Kyle Hunt Presented by Kyle Hunt Kyle Hunt is a business coach for remodelers and the owner of Remodel Your Marketing. He offers 1on1 coac...

Importing your own parts is a great way to personalize your library! If you'd like to import your own list of items, pay close attention to the instructions below! Overview Note Subcontractor costs cannot be created from import. You'll need to manually add subcontractor costs to your parts after importing. Costs can only be imported as a “company am...

To start creating an estimate, the first step is to create a new customer. Once you create a new customer, you can start working on your new project....

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    Continued Learning  How to Create Your First Estimate  Introductory Welcome Webinar  Have questions? Get in touch with us here!...

In this article, we’ll be discussing how to edit your boilerplate language. Boilerplate is the language that displays on your proposal, both at the beginning and end of the document. It typically includes things like general conditions, warranties, liabilities, insurance waivers, design agreements, etc. Really, anything that needs to be transparent ...

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This is a great video for anyone using Clear Estimates for the first time, or anyone who needs a refresher on how to use the software!      Continued Learning Add Parts To Your Estimate Create Sections With Components Edit the Cost of a Part Introductory Welcome Webinar  Have a question? Get in touch with us here!  ...

How To Providing allowances in estimates is very useful! To create an allowance, head into your estimate’s “Projects” page. Then, at the top, click Create Custom Part: Choose a category for your allowance, add a description and price it out. Then, click “Save Part”:  Next, we'll want to remove the markup from this item. Open the part up using the "p...

Overview Just below your Projects page markup settings, you’ll find the Alternates and Components tools.  We’ll talk about each one separately, but both are essentially sub-sections of an estimate. They are very useful for organizing your proposals and making them look professional!  In this overview we'll discuss Alternates and how they work.  Alte...

Overview: You’ve created your estimate in Clear Estimates – and now it’s time to get paid! Clear Estimates makes it easy to manage invoices and payments from right within the software. All of your invoice and payment information can be found in Reports > Cost Status:   The Cost Status page is where all of your invoice and payment records will liv...

Want to work on a project that you’ve already started? Here’s how to load a project you have already created....

▶️ Working with Templates ...   Continued Learning To learn about template formulas, click here:  Understanding Template Formulas For a quick overview on duplicating editing  templates, click here:  Overview - Template Customization Click here to learn how to add templates to an estimate: Add  Templates  to Your Estimate Need to change template part...

Click “Options” Click “Set Company Logo” Click “Save” Use Size and Position buttons to adjust logo  Overview After you've uploaded your logo, Clear Estimates allows you some options for size and position! To do this, first, Add Your Company Logo ‍ . You can do this by heading to your Options tool (top right of your screen). Click Set Company Logo, a...

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If you ever need to move, copy, or delete one or more items within a project, here’s how. You can move or copy items from the main project to a component, from a component to an alternate, and any other way within a project.    ...

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    Already created a part , and need to save it to the library?  Here's How ! Want to import a list of parts?  Click here !...

Overview In this article we’ll discuss how to find a lost or deleted estimate. The good news is that estimates are never deleted - they can only be archived. So, there is a good chance your estimate is in your account!  Home Page One of the most common places you'll find a lost estimate is your Home page. The Home page always shows your five most re...

Need to learn how to use components first?  Click this guide for a full walkthrough on creating components !  Creating projects with components is a fantastic way to organize a large estimate. Most commonly, you’ll find this feature used when the estimate involves multiple rooms or different phases. For example, if we were estimating a kitchen remod...

Overview You are now able to email your proposals (reports) directly to the customer from Clear Estimates. This provides a quicker alternative to downloading the proposal via Word or PDF. Before sending out your estimate, you’ll want to adjust the boilerplate (legal language). Learn more about that here - ▶️  Boilerplate Information How To To email ...

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Click “Options” Click “Set Company Logo” Click “Save” at the bottom of the page Overview Clear Estimates offers fully personalized proposals, featuring your own company logo. You can easily add your own logo to your proposals in a few simple steps. First, select the Options tool in the upper right corner of your screen. The first page that will appe...

Want to know how to edit the cost of your parts? This will show you how:   Continued Learning For specific part editing guides, take a look at these tutorials: Edit Line Item Text    Edit the Material Cost of a Pa rt Edit the Labor Cost of a Part Add Subcontractor Cost to a Part  ...

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▶️ Create a New Customer To start creating an estimate, the first step is to create a new customer. Once y... To start creating an estimate, the first step is to create a new customer. Once you create a new customer, you can start working on your new project. Now that you know how to create a new customer and project, click below to learn how to cre...

▶️ First Time User Walkthrough ... Learn More How To Create Your First Estimate  Introductory Welcome Webinar Have a question? Get in touch with us here! What's next? Short Video: Clear Estimates 101 This is a great video to understand the basic concepts of Clear Estimates including Parts, the Part Library, and how Estimates are created! Click here ...

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Pro Feature This feature is available on Clear Estimates Pro accounts. Click here to learn how to upgrade to Pro today !    ...

Click “Projects” Scroll to “Project Information” Set Project Date Select Status in “Project Status” dropdown Overview When you have multiple jobs in progress, it can be tough to keep track of where you are with each project. Fortunately, Clear Estimates includes a simple tool to track your project status! This is an easy way to monitor the progress ...

Overview If you want to survive in construction, you have to make a profit, and that only happens when you price your jobs correctly. The correct way to price your jobs is to create an accurate estimate, then apply your markup. Michael will explain what markup is and how to calculate the correct markup for your company. He’ll also discuss some of th...

Overview Referrals are a major aspect to any remodeling company’s business. Satisfied homeowners are always happy to spread the word of great craftsmanship. Are you doing the best you can to maximize this marketing channel? Passive, incentive and subtle referrals are all beneficial to your company. We’ll deep dive into how you can effectively manage...

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Click “Reports” Click “Cost Status” Click “Print Report” to review Hover your mouse over “Print Report” to save as .pdf or MS Word Click “Send To Customer” to email the report Overview Clear Estimates allows you to keep track of invoices and payments for any project you work on! From your Cost Status page, you can print a report to see where you are...

Decision Tree Which version of Quickbooks do you use? Quickbooks Desktop Quickbooks Online Add Button This article is for the Quickbooks Online integration.  For Quickbooks Desktop, click here!  You're in the right place!  Continue reading below to set up Quickbooks Online! In this article, we’ll discuss exporting your estimates to your QuickBooks O...

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Attention @yahoo email users: Unfortunately, Yahoo does not allow mail to be sent outside of its own infrastructure. This means that a yahoo email cannot be used outside of yahoo.com However, Clear Estimates has worked around this to continue to allow you to use the “Send to Customer” feature. When an email is sent to a customer using the “Send to C...

    Decision Tree Which version of Quickbooks do you use?    Quickbooks Online   Quickbooks Desktop Add Button This article is for the Quickbooks Desktop integration.  For Quickbooks Online, click here! This article is for you!  Continue reading to set up Quickbooks Desktop! This article is for you!  Continue reading below to set up Quickbooks Deskt...

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    Continued Learning How to Create an Estimate / Proposal How to Create a Payment Schedule   How To Create a Receipt   Cost Status Reports and Invoice Management Integrating Payments...

Did a customer just reach out to you looking for an estimate? The first place to start is to create a customer within Clear Estimates. Once you've created the customer, you can add a project for that customer. But you'll need to start by creating your customer: ▶️ Create a New Customer To start creating an estimate, the first step is to create a new...

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Welcome to Clear Estimates!  This article is to help you navigate the Home page. The Home page is where you always start out. From here, you can search for customers and projects, see your existing projects, and create new projects: To search for existing customers or projects, click in the box below. Type a few letters into the search bar, and you ...

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Note If you are looking to view the status of project invoices you’ve sent to your customers, click here. Click “Options” Find "My Account", and click “Manage Subscription” Scroll down to “Payment History” window To view older invoices, click “Next” Overview You can view your Clear Estimates payment / billing history, right from your account! To do ...

Overview: We make it easy to reset your password! There are two ways to reset your Clear Estimates password. Let's take a look at each! Reset Your Password from the Login Page Head to the login page.  Click "Forgot Your Password?"  Open the email from estimates@clearestimates.com.  Click the link, and type in a new password. How To: If you can't rem...

Need to print out a line-item detailed breakdown of your estimate, perhaps for insurance work? No problem! Here's a short video to help you do just that! Check it out below:         ...

Refund Policy Clear Estimates will issue refunds on payments up to   30 days after the transaction has occurred and only when you are cancelling your subscription.  To request a refund, please open a ticket with our support team and we will assist you in getting a refund. Refunds will only be provided when you also cancel your subscription.  Request...

Overview Managers vs. tools is an important concept in Clear Estimates. Managers are found on the top left of your screen. Tools are found in the top right:  Managers Home, Customers, Projects & Reports Managers relate to a specific project you're working on. It is where you create and load projects, manage customers, and export reports for your...

Note This video shows what to do if you deleted a Clear Estimates template. Custom templates you build yourself cannot be restored if deleted (unless you already exported the template to your drive).    ...

Click “Options” Under "My Account", click “Manage Subscription”  Scroll down to “Subscription” Window Select “Manage”  Choose a plan, select “Save and Continue” Review changes, select “Change Subscription” Overview Interested in trying out Clear Estimates Pro ? Or maybe you want to switch from Pro back to a Standard Subscription. Good news! Clear Es...

Overview Clear Estimates offers the ability to add a payment schedule to your estimate. This is an important aspect to add, as you want to be transparent about when payment is due!  Payment schedules can be calculated based on percentages of the project cost, or by fixed dollar amounts.  In this guide, we'll walk through the process for creating pay...

With your Clear Estimates Pro account, you will be able to integrate with Zapier. This means you can send your customer information from Clear Estimates to your favorite CRM. It also means you can send customer information from Clear Estimates to any other application that also works with Zapier! Want a video walkthrough? Click here! PRO Only Featur...

Overview The easiest way to generate more revenue is to increase your close rate. In this webinar Kyle will discuss tips in each area of your sales process: The Initial Phone Call: What you must do to make a great first impression, 5 Powerful Words When Talking With A Remodeling Prospect, The In-Person Meeting: How to prepare, what to bring, and the...

Note: This guide shows how to create a manual payment record in Clear Estimates. Want your invoices payable automatically via credit card? Click here to learn more! Click “Reports” Click “Cost Status” Click “Add Payment” Choose From Payment Schedule, From Invoice, or Manual Click “Create Payment” Overview To log payments in Clear Estimates, head to ...

Overview Accounting best practices are extremely useful when managing your money. Tax season can be dreaded, or it can be handled swiftly and with ease. You should be ready to effectively manage your taxes and file appropriately. Join us as we discuss basic accounting principles revolving around labor burden Presented by Karen Mitchell A licensed CP...

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Move or Copy Parts If you ever need to move, copy, or delete one or more items within a project, her... If you ever need to move, copy, or delete one or more items within a project, here’s how. You can move or copy items from the main project to a component, from a component to an alternate, and any other way within a project.      ...

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  Continued Learning: Editing Material Costs   Editing Labor Costs Add Subcontractor Cost Editing Labor Rates   Customize Parts in your Library  ...

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Pro Feature This feature is available on Clear Estimates Pro accounts. Click here to learn how to upgrade to Pro today !    ...

Pro Feature This feature is available on Clear Estimates Pro accounts. Click here to learn how to upgrade to Pro today !    ...

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1. Click “Options” 2. Click “Labor Rate Editor”  3. Find the "Suggested Labor Rates" bar at the top 4. Scan the columns for labor rates in your area! Overview Clear Estimates includes labor rates for virtually all remodeling related trades. Using your Labor Rate Editor, you can customize your labor rates even further. To help along the way, we offer...

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Clear Estimates gives you flexibility with line item text – making it easy to have custom descriptions for your different reports (proposals)!  For any part, you have three report text options – Preliminary, Formal, and Subcontractor text. Each text box is printed on the different proposals – Preliminary, Formal, and Subcontractor.  The “Description...

Alternates are perfect for showing your customers how much something would cost, without including it with the rest of the project! They're also great for creating change orders. Continued Learning:  Include Alternate Details on your Proposal   Components Creating an Invoice...

The time has come to send your client an estimate! This can be the most exciting part of the job, but it can also be the most nerve-wracking. You can't wait to bid on a new job, but you want to make sure you don't miss anything! Fortunately, we've created a convenient list to double-check your estimate, so you can be confident when you send out your...

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Overview Too many generalize the words “Marketing”, “Website Marketing”, “SEO”, “Facebook” and “Google”. Your website is a nucleus with so many Free and Paid topics supporting the opportunities to generate more quality leads consistently over an extended period of time. In this webinar we’ll cover Remodeling examples, as well as specialties such as ...

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▶️ Add Templates to Your Estimate ... Continued Learning Want to edit templates, or create your own? Click here to learn how!...