Skip to main content

Design/Build Estimating | Best Practices

Follow LMN's recommended design/build estimating workflow, from creating the estimate to sending proposals and transitioning to job creation.

Written by Kaitlin Lane

This Best Practices article is for a simple design/build enhancement. These steps will walk through the core workflow suggested by LMN used across all design/build estimates. Note that the only time this estimating process would potentially change is for multi-property work, or very large design/build projects.

In this article:

Create a Design/Build Estimate

Publish & Send Proposal

Monitor Proposal Approval & Activity

Next Steps Based on Approval

Transition to Job Creation Phase

Step 1: Create a Design/Build Estimate

  1. Navigate to the Customer's Contact Record: CRM > Contacts.

  2. Find & open the Lead created during the Kick-off Call.

  3. Click into the Estimates tab
    ​

  4. Click + New Standard Estimate. LMN offers two estimate types. The Standard Estimate is ideal for projects that require milestone payments (e.g., enhancements, design-build installs).

  5. You’ll land on the New Estimate setup screen.

    1. Confirm the correct Contact and Jobsite are selected. You can change these if needed.

    2. Fill in the following: Division, Project Name, Salesperson/Estimator.

      • This data will feed into Analytics for future tracking/reporting.

  6. When finished, click OK to move forward.

  7. Review customer info in the Customer Info tab.
    ​

    This section provides a high-level view of the estimate.
    Key fields to note:

  8. Click the Workareas + Pricing tab
    ​

  9. Click + Add Work Area:

  10. Fill out the following information:

    • Work Area Name: "Bed Mulching"

    • Cost Code: "Enhancements"

    • Notes: (Skip for now)

  11. Click OK to add the Work Area

  12. Click Add Items + Templates to add items to the Work Area
    ​

  13. Add the following from their respective tabs:

    • Labor: Design-Build Labor (previously edited)

    • Equipment: Crew Truck (+ Install Trailer)

    • Material: Search for and add Mulch - Cedar - Black

      💡Tp: It is highly recommended that you use a Work Area Template to add in your items. It will make estimating more efficient and more accurate since there is less risk of forgetting a material, piece of equipment, or labor item!

  14. Once added, close the item menu by clicking the X.

  15. Click $ Edit Pricing
    ​

  16. Update Quantities

    • Set Design-Build Labor QTY = 16 hours (2 crew members, 8 hours each)

    • Set Crew Truck QTY = 1 Day

    • Set Mulch QTY = 6 units

    • LMN will automatically update Total Cost, Breakeven, Total Price, and Net Profit based on the Price List

  17. Click Save to preserve your progress.

  18. Add Client-Facing Notes. Open the Client Notes tab.
    ​

  19. Click open Bed Mulching and enter a brief note that will appear on the customer’s proposal.

    • Example: “Includes delivery, install, and cleanup of 6 yards of cedar mulch.”

    • 💡 If needed, tools like ChatGPT can help draft professional proposal language.

  20. When finished, click Save Changes at the top.

💡 See the Production Rates article to calculate quantities quickly and consistently.

Relations

Link enhancement or change orders to the original estimate.

Estimate Date

Date the estimate was created

Estimate Close Date

Set manually or auto-filled if sent via the LMN Customer Portal

Estimate Status

Used to track progress (e.g., Pending, Sold, Lost). Statuses can be customized.

Referral Source

Optional field if the referral differs from the original lead source.

⚠️ Note: If applicable, taxes will be shown during proposal generation based on your account settings.

Step 2: Publish and Send Proposal

  1. Click Email/Publish Proposal

  2. Configure and customize the Email Message.

  3. Click Email & Publish to send the proposal to the customer.

Step 3: Monitor Proposal Approval & Activity

  1. Click CRM > Portal Activity

  2. Filter by Proposal Approved to check for approvals.

  3. If you are the Reply-to Contact or Salesperson, monitor your email inbox for:

    • Estimate comments

    • Approval notifications

    • General emails about the estimate

Step 4: Next Steps Based on Approval

  1. Generate Contract

  2. Generate Invoice for Milestone 1

  3. Publish Invoice for Payment for Milestone 1

Step 5: Transition to Job Creation Phase

When Milestone 1 Payment is Received:

  1. Navigate to CRM > To-dos & Requests

  2. Create a To-Do for the Ops Manager with the status Ready to Move to Job Creation Phase.

Need more help? Contact our Support Team by email at lmn-support@granum.com, through Live Chat, or by phone at (888) 347-9864
​
Signup for our Live Webinars or learn more about attending our in-person Bootcamps HERE.
​Missed a live session? Explore our recorded Webinar Library for on-demand training from the Granum team!

Related Articles
Did this answer your question?