Convert estimate to job

Once an estimate is approved, you can spin up the job from it in two clicks. All the line items carry over so you don't re-type anything. This handoff from sales to delivery is where most contractors lose data — Construction Scope keeps every line item, allowance, and customer detail intact between the estimate and the job record.

Convert

Open the approved estimate, click Convert to job. The job inherits the customer, line items, total, scope notes, and approved status. You can edit anything before saving — most contractors adjust the job title to be more descriptive than the estimate name, and set the pipeline status (Approved → Scheduled when the start date is locked in).

What changes

The estimate stays in your records as a historical document — don't lose history; it's your reference for what was bid, what was approved, and what came after. The new job is what your crew works against and what materials, labor, and change orders attach to going forward.

Both the estimate and the job are linked through the customer record, so you can always trace back. The estimate's signed approval (with timestamp and IP) is preserved separately and referenced from the job.

Best practice

Convert the moment the estimate is approved, even if work doesn't start for weeks. That way the deposit invoice can go out immediately while the customer is excited and engaged. Waiting until start-of-work to convert means losing the cash-flow benefit of the deposit and pushing the customer into a cooling-off period.

Some shops convert and immediately send the deposit invoice with a note like 'thank you for choosing us — here's the deposit invoice; materials will be ordered the moment it clears.' This frames the deposit as a step in the process, not a separate ask.

What if the estimate changes between approval and start?

If the customer makes a substantial change after approval but before work starts, you have two options: file a change order against the new job (recommended; keeps the audit trail clean), or duplicate the original estimate, edit it, get re-approval, and convert the new one to a job. Use the change order path 9 times out of 10 — simpler, faster, same legal weight.

Multi-estimate jobs

Some larger projects have multiple estimates as scope was refined. You can attach multiple estimates to one job — convert the primary, then link the others through the job's Documents section. The job total reflects the active line items; the linked estimates are historical reference.