Click Main Menu < File Menu, then click:
To convert an estimate into an invoice in Excel:
Click Main Menu < File Menu, then click:
Select what you want to appear on the invoice.
Construction estimates and invoices commonly have a different format. Estimates are for internal use and should show all costs, tax, overhead and profit. Invoices are customer-facing documents. Most customers don’t need to see every cost in the job. Customers certainly don’t need to see your markup. Use the Amount of Detail dialog box to set the level of detail in invoices created for customers.
For material, labor, equipment and subcontract costs, click a selection under each of the three column headings:
Show All
Subtotals Only
Omit Entirely
Show All -- All the work descriptions and all costs in your estimate will be in the invoice. Most customers don’t need this much detail.
Subtotals Only -- All the work descriptions in your estimate will be in the invoice. But the only costs in the invoice will be for subtotals you inserted in the estimate. If the estimate includes no inserted subtotals, only the job subtotal will appear. Subtotals Only will usually be a better choice if the estimate includes inserted subtotals and is longer than a page or two.
Omit Entirely -- All the work descriptions in your estimate will be in the invoice. But you can delete costs in any category. Use this option, for example, to delete all material costs when an owner is furnishing materials for the job.
Show Only Item Totals -- Hides the breakdown of labor, material, equipment and subcontract costs, leaving only total costs.
Omit Work Descriptions -- Removes all work descriptions in your estimate, leaving only subtotal descriptions and costs.
For Markup and Tax, click a selection under the heading:
In Every Cost Item
Tax.
In Every Cost Item -- Distributes markup or tax proportionately among all costs in the invoice. Use this selection to remove any mention of overhead, contingency, profit or tax from the invoice. The total may be slightly different from your estimate total due to rounding of unit costs.
At End of Estimate – Markup and tax will appear at the end of the invoice as in your estimate.
Omit Entirely – Removes markup or tax from the invoice. Use this option if you prefer to add markup or tax manually.
Select the program you use to send invoices. Choices are either:
QuickBooks Online or
Excel or
QuickBooks Desktop.
Select either Full Invoice or Progressive Invoice. Full invoice creates a bill for the entire job, 100% of all costs in the estimate. Use a progressive invoice to bill for just part of the job, such as the portion of work completed during the most recent pay period.
If you select Full Invoice, the file will arrive at your computer in a few seconds. In most browsers, the name of the downloaded file will appear either at the top or the bottom of your screen. Click that file name to open Excel and print the invoice.
If you don’t see the download file name on your screen, look for the file name in the downloads folder. Click on that file name to open the invoice in Excel.
If Excel doesn’t open, start Excel and browse to the Downloads folder. Then click on the file name.
In Excel, click Page Layout and Narrow Margins so the invoice fits the page width.
In Excel, click File and either Print (to print on paper) or Share (to send as an email message).
Creating an invoice for the job doesn’t change the original estimate in any way.
If the scope of work changes during construction (change orders), just add the changes to your original estimate. The invoice you create for the job will reflect all changes made during construction, either additions or deletions.
If you select Progressive, see Progressive Invoices for setting percentages of completion.
Tips:
Set margins in Excel that fit the invoice. Click Page Layout on the menu and set narrow print margins.
Estimates turned into Excel invoices don’t include formulas in rows or columns. If you change any costs in the Excel invoice, you’ll need to insert Excel formulas where there are totals.