Quickbooks Estimates

[waross]

I am using quickbooks and looking to create my estimates in quickbooks as well. In the estimate area you can create items with values that go into creating an estimate. I am wondering if anyone uses this feature and how they set it up. From what I see it can be very detailed in creating estimating by including labor, equipment usage and all sorts of variables. But how much of that do you really want to show a customer and how much do you just want these things to help keep you accurate from job to job. Help please

 

[climbhightree]

I am using quickbooks and looking to create my estimates in quickbooks as well. In the estimate area you can create items with values that go into creating an estimate. I am wondering if anyone uses this feature and how they set it up. From what I see it can be very detailed in creating estimating by including labor, equipment usage and all sorts of variables. But how much of that do you really want to show a customer and how much do you just want these things to help keep you accurate from job to job. Help please

You can hide what is printed. Meaning you can view values on you computer, but the estimate you hand to them only shows totals.

Least you can on the program....I have not switched to quick books online yet.

 

[waross]

You can hide what is printed. Meaning you can view values on you computer, but the estimate you hand to them only shows totals.

Least you can on the program....I have not switched to quick books online yet.

Awesome. I am running the desktop version. That will really make my day when entering information fro quotes. I am probably too detailed in putting in labor, machine wear and tear, fuel, etc, etc, etc......

Thanks!!

 

[waross]

So as I am getting started on this. I start building items to enter in the estimate.
So far I have listed out items such as:
Pruning
Rigging
Tree Removal
Stump Removal
Debris Removal

In the future as I get fully certified I am looking at items such as:
Tree Cabling and Baracing
Treatment for Insects
Treatment for Diseases

What kind of items do any of you use in Quickbooks for creating estimates??

 

[climbhightree]

Rigging?

Break up prunimg: thin, deadwood, reduce, house clearance, elevate. The more different items you have the better you can track what percentage of each you do.

 

[waross]

Depending on the tree to take down, it could require some rigging of gear to bring down the tree piece by piece. Or do you put that in under tree removal?

 

[climbhightree]

We rig pretty much anything will damage the lawn
So it is included in price of what ever we are doing. Gear on the truck is worked into the hourly price whether we use it or not.

 

[waross]

So do you break down tree removal by difficulty? As in just feeling a tree whole or bringing down a piece at a time?

 

[climbhightree]

So do you break down tree removal by difficulty? As in just feeling a tree whole or bringing down a piece at a time?

All time based, so no. in my opinion removal is only one type of service.

 

[climbhightree]

Here are mine, some aren't even service items...just something I may want to say on the estimate like asking for reviews etc

 

[rtsims]

I use a very similar set up. Pretty simple once the customers info is entered, I find that to take the longest. Now I just need to figure out how my estimator and I can use the same quickbooks set up at the same time.

 

[climbhightree]

I switched over to quickbooks online, a nightmare, but finally have most of it figured out.

Here is what my line item estimates look like

To right of picture it would show the rate and total for that item.

"Kiss My Axe"
Associate degree in forestry from PSU Mont Alto
Certified Arborist
Owner/operator of Climb High Tree Service established in 2002
www.climbhightree.com
https://m.facebook.com/ClimbHighTreeService
https://www.youtube.com/user/climbhightree
https://www.youtube.com/user/2treekiller2

 

[rtsims]

Is your quantity based on man hrs?

 

[climbhightree]

Is your quantity based on man hrs?

Yes. When I was using quickbooks software I changed the heading from qty to man hours. Unfortunately I can't do that with quickbooks online.

"Kiss My Axe"
Associate degree in forestry from PSU Mont Alto
Certified Arborist
Owner/operator of Climb High Tree Service established in 2002
www.climbhightree.com
https://m.facebook.com/ClimbHighTreeService
https://www.youtube.com/user/climbhightree
https://www.youtube.com/user/2treekiller2

 

[rtsims]

What was your reason for switching over and was it worth it? I need one of my guys to be able to access the program at the same time as me while we're both out bidding. Any ideas?

 

[climbhightree]

What was your reason for switching over and was it worth it? I need one of my guys to be able to access the program at the same time as me while we're both out bidding. Any ideas?

I prefer the software, and so does my wife who does the books and payroll etc. I have used it for almost 12 years. For a few years they had a mobile app that worked with the software, and I fell in love with it. Being able to look up jobs on my phone, type up invoices and estimates (and hand then printed copies on the spot), having all my customer data, etc was priceless for me. But then a year ago they took all that away for the software version of quickbooks, and you could only do it via online.

Switching was a nightmare of problems, especially with payroll stuff. The other thing that is frustrating is the lost of some functions (like search features), and custom forms.

It is great to have the mobile aspect again, and can have multiple users doing estimates etc...but not sure my wife would let me make the switch knowing what we know now. People that always had online love it...people that had software then switched hate it.

Oh and once you fully switch it is almost impossible to go back...and if you have the subscription (where your software automatically updates to the new versions, and your data backs up on their cloud) you loose all access to your old data via the software. Most will get switched to the online, but not all.



"Kiss My Axe"
Associate degree in forestry from PSU Mont Alto
Certified Arborist
Owner/operator of Climb High Tree Service established in 2002
www.climbhightree.com
https://m.facebook.com/ClimbHighTreeService
https://www.youtube.com/user/climbhightree
https://www.youtube.com/user/2treekiller2

 

[rtsims]

So should I stay or should I go now?
Good song. Tough decision. Identical scenario. Wife does the books but we use a seperate program for payroll.

 

[MariHer75]

You can switch to ArboStar. ArboStar helps automate a lot of repetitive tasks in the business process and there's no more double entry since it syncs with Quickbooks! Honestly, it's a tool that every arborist business should use. If you own a tree care company and want to make your life a heck of a lot easier, give it a try.