How to Send Professional Estimates as a Contractor Sending a professional estimate shouldn't take hours. But for most contractors, it does. You finish a job site walkthrough, drive home, then spend your evening trying to remember what you quoted, building a spreadsheet from scratch, or typing up a Word doc that never looks quite right. Here's how to do it better. What a Good Contractor Estimate Includes A solid estimate covers: Project address and scope: exactly what work is being done and where Line items with costs, broken out clearly so the client understands what they're paying for Total cost, including any markup or margin Validity period: how long the price is good for (typically 30 days) Terms and conditions: payment schedule, what happens with change orders, warranty info E-signature, so the client can accept it digitally without printing anything The easier you make it for a client to say yes, the faster you close the job. The Old Way vs. The New Way Most contractors are still doing this manually. Spreadsheets, PDFs emailed back and forth, waiting days for a client to print, sign, scan, and send back. It slows everything down and makes you look less professional than you are. The better approach is to send a digital estimate with a link the client can click to view, review, and sign electronically. The moment they sign, you know about it. No chasing, no follow-up calls asking "did you get my email." How Staxen Makes This Faster With Staxen, you can describe a project out loud ("fence job at 123 Main Street, about 200 linear feet, cedar posts, stained finish") and the AI drafts the line items with realistic starting prices. You review, adjust if needed, and send. The client gets a link. You can email it, or text the estimate straight to their phone from your dedicated business number. They tap it, see a clean estimate with your company name, and sign electronically. You get notified the moment they open it and the moment they sign. No spreadsheet. No Word doc. No chasing. Tips for Writing Better Estimates Be specific with line items. "Labor" is vague. "Demo and removal of existing fence (approx. 8 hours)" is clear. Include a change order clause in your terms so any scope changes get documented and priced separately Price slightly high, not slightly low. It's easier to come down than to ask for more Send the same day as the walkthrough, while the details are fresh and the client is still excited The faster you send a professional estimate, the better your close rate. Clients are often getting multiple bids. First one in, clearly presented, often wins.