Converting an Estimate to an Invoice

Once your client has reviewed your estimate, you can create an invoice from it with a single click. All items, pricing, and client details carry over automatically.

How It Works

When you convert an estimate to an invoice, GetCost creates a new invoice document that is linked to the original estimate. The estimate itself is preserved — it is not deleted or modified.

Estimate and Invoice Are Linked

The new invoice is connected to the original estimate as part of the same client's history. You can always go back to the estimate to see what was originally quoted.

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Estimate is Kept

Your original estimate remains unchanged. It is frozen so the quoted pricing is preserved.

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Invoice is Created

A new invoice is created with all the items, prices, and client details from the estimate.

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Both Stay Linked

The estimate and invoice are linked in the client's document history for easy reference.

Step-by-Step

  1. Open Your Estimate

    Navigate to the estimate you want to convert. You can find it in your Estimates list or from the client's profile.

  2. Send the Estimate to Your Client

    Before you can create an invoice, the estimate must be sent to the client (or frozen). Click Send to client to email or share the estimate. This freezes the estimate so the quoted pricing is locked in.

  3. Click "Create Invoice"

    Once the estimate is frozen, a Create Invoice button appears at the bottom of the estimate. Click it to generate a new invoice from the estimate.

  4. Review and Send the Invoice

    The new invoice opens with all items copied from the estimate. Review the details, make any adjustments if needed, and send it to your client.

Note: The Create Invoice button only appears after the estimate has been sent to the client or frozen. This ensures the estimate's pricing is locked before an invoice is generated.

What Carries Over

When you create an invoice from an estimate, the following data is automatically transferred to the new invoice:

Data Carried Over?
Client name and contact info Yes
All items and sections Yes
Quantities and prices Yes
Taxes, markup, and discounts Yes
Notes and descriptions Yes
Project link Yes
Tip: After the invoice is created, you can still edit it freely — add items, change prices, or update quantities before sending it to the client.

Existing Invoice Warning

If an invoice has already been created from the same estimate, GetCost will ask you what you'd like to do when you click Create Invoice again.

You'll See Two Options

  • Open Existing — Opens the invoice that was already created from this estimate.
  • Create New One — Creates a brand new invoice, even though one already exists.
Note: This prompt prevents accidental duplicate invoices. In most cases, you'll want to open the existing invoice rather than create a new one.

Tips

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Freeze First

The estimate must be frozen (sent to client) before you can create an invoice. This locks the quoted pricing on the estimate.

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Edit the Invoice Freely

The new invoice is a separate document. Feel free to adjust items or pricing on the invoice without affecting the original estimate.

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Create a Job Too

From the same estimate, you can also create a Job to schedule and assign the work to your team.

Tip: You can also create an invoice directly from the More menu (three dots) when viewing an estimate. Look for the Create Invoice option in the menu.