...

Looking to add multiple users to your account? This guide offers an explanation on how to account for multiple crew members when estimating labor costs.  If you're looking for additional user access options for your Clear Estimates account, click here instead!   Overview Clear Estimates provides labor rates for common trades, sourced from 400+ locat...

Overview Clear Estimates makes it easy to build unlimited estimates, proposals and invoices. As you add leads and start new projects, it's a good idea to keep your projects organized. An organized account means less time searching for information, and more time focusing on the task at hand! Clear Estimates will sort your customers and projects autom...

   ...

Pro Feature This is a PRO feature only available on Clear Estimates PRO plans. See how to upgrade to PRO: How to Upgrade or Change Your Subscription‍    Advanced Filtering Overview We've recently added the option to filter project parts based on criteria such as description, category, quantity, cost and more!  This makes it easy to filter parts in y...

...

     ...

  Below is a brief overview of your report settings options in Clear Estimates! (from our Proposals & Documents webinar).   ...

Overview Parts make up the core of your estimate. They contain your material & labor costs, markup amounts, labor rates & hours, and more! Clear Estimates gives you powerful tools to manage your parts, and keep your estimates organized. Let's take a look! Favorite a Part Favoriting a part lets you keep that item near the top of the list, so ...

Always use a different cost, description, or report text for a particular item? No need to change it every time! This guide shows how to make permanent changes to the parts in your library:  Want to change items on a per-estimate basis? Here's how ! Need more information on material cost calculations? Click here . Want to learn adjust your part cate...

 ...

Overview Hey, something's changed! We've redesigned the Clear Estimates Projects page, giving you a new and improved estimating interface - plus, much more flexibility with your estimates and reports! Let's look at what's changed!  New Improvements   Mobile Friendly Design Now, you can pull up Clear Estimates on a phone or tablet, and estimate with ...

In this joint webinar from Clear Estimates and Clearent by Xplor, we discuss tips for contractors for simplifying payments.  We also discuss modernizing your payments workflow, reducing failed payments, and streamlining your accounting process overall. Join us for this fun and informative virtual seminar!    ...

Sign in  to Clear Estimates Click "Options" Click "Cancel Subscription" If you have trouble, email support@clearestimates.com .  Overview: You can easily cancel or change  your subscription at any time - right from in your account.  First sign into your account .  Your subscription can be adjusted or cancelled from your Options tool.  From Options, ...

Curious about your formatting options in Clear Estimates? This walkthrough guide will show you how to change text size, font or color on your proposals. We'll also talk about some general set up options, and how to fix some common formatting issues.   ...

Note This article is for adjusting which categories print on a proposal. If you want to change a category in your estimate,  click here ! If you want to permanently adjust part categories, or create a new category, click here ! Overview You have a number of options in your  Reports tool for customizing proposals. Each proposal export has its own tab...

Click OptionsUnder "Preferences", click "Rounding". Set up your rounding preferences. Click "Save" at the bottom.   Overview Clear Estimates includes a number of settings for your proposals. One of those options is your rounding preferences. Rounding allows you to remove extra cents from your base bid cost, and present your client with a clean, roun...

    More Learning: Edit Material Costs Edit Labor Cost Edit Labor Rates Edit Line Item Text Payment Schedules Boilerplate Language Using Components Using Alternates Creating Invoices  ...

Set-up a Part with Subcontractor Costs for Installation In this example, we'll take a look at how you can create a part that includes Material Cost for materials, but uses a Subcontractor for the installation cost. Simple Steps From your Projects page, open your part with the pencil button (far right). Un-check the "Labor Cost Calculation" box to re...

Overview Clear Estimates allows you to email an estimate directly from your account. This is a major timesaver when sending out proposals to your clients!  Like with any email system, it's important to understand how email delivery works, and how to troubleshoot issues.  In this guide, we'll talk about how to check your email Activity History, and w...

 ...

Welcome to episode four of the Clear Estimates in Practice webinar series! In this walkthrough we cover the basics of using templates and the process for adding templates to an estimate.  We also walk through the steps for creating your custom templates. Take a look at the webinar below!     ...

Below is a quick explanation on how to print Preliminary and Subcontractor proposals from a project.  (from our Proposals & Documents webinar).   ...

Overview Clear Estimates provides pre-markup and pre-tax material and labor costs for over 15,000+ line items.  A subcontractor's rate will typically include their markup / profit - where as our costs do not include the markup your sub will include in their price.  If you know what your subcontractor will charge, you can easily plug it in as a flat ...

Need to add in your own parts? Follow the guides below! Add a Custom Part to an Estimate Add Custom Parts to Your Part Library Importing Your Own Parts from Excel...

Welcome to episode two of the Clear Estimates in Practice webinar series! Here we discuss the general process for estimating deck builds in Clear Estimates. Click here to see this webinar on YouTube!...

     ...

...

       ...

Estimating with Clear Estimates is a live, in-person estimating seminar for contractors! Take a look at this in depth walkthrough of Clear Estimates, with live Q&A!  Want to see this seminar on YouTube? Click here! ...

Overview Welcome to Clear Estimates, a powerful estimating tool for residential remodelers and contractors! Clear Estimates offers a 15,000+ item library tailored to residential remodeling - perfect for kitchens, baths, additions, and more! Our library covers a wide variety of projects, and includes labor rates for many trades. Before you begin your...

 ...

...

Pro only feature The Clear Estimates Zapier integration is available on Clear Estimates Pro plans.  Click here for more details!            ...

Not a Pro User? Click here for details on Clear Estimates Pro!   Interested in upgrading? This will show you how! Welcome to  Clear Estimates Pro !  As a new Clear Estimates Pro user, you'll have access to additional features & integrations to help streamline your estimating. You'll find your Pro-only features in a few different spots throughout...

Overview A professional proposal goes a long way when it comes to winning bids. Clear Estimates creates a personalized, professional proposal automatically - which you can share with your clients in just a few clicks!  In order to fully personalize your documents, its important to include your company name and contact information.  Clear Estimates m...

No Clearent Account? If you are looking to accept payments, but have not yet set up your Clearent account, click here to sign up for a Clearent account and start accepting payments through Clear Estimates!...

Overview  Clear Estimates comes pre-loaded with over 200 different templates for common jobs. Sometimes, though, you may want to create new templates for your own specific project types.  We're thrilled to introduce a brand new feature that will make building your own templates easier than ever!  Using the brand new Save Project as Template feature,...

...

Curious how to sign your documents in Clear Estimates? This guide shows how you can use your preferred PDF editor to sign your proposals or contracts!   ...

This article is not for anyone using the online version of Clear Estimates. This article is for those using the desktop version. How can I tell? If you signed up for Clear Estimates before 2015, you are most likely using the desktop version. If you have been with us for the last several years, you may have noticed that Clear Estimates has gone onlin...

...

How to charge a Flat Rate for Labor In this example, we're looking at how you can input a flat labor cost for a part to charge for that on your estimate. This is great for when you know what you want to charge the customer already, you can quickly input this into your estimate! You can also do this for material or subcontractor costs! See these arti...

Quick Steps Open Projects Scroll to the Misc Items tool at the bottom Click the Plus to add a new item  Add in your tax percentage or dollar amount and Save.  For discounts, place a "negative" sign before the value (i.e. -20%, -$1000).  Overview No matter what kind of service you offer, tax always needs to be accounted for! Clear Estimates offers pr...

Below is a brief overview on how to invoice from a change order, from our Invoices & Payments webinar!     ...

     ...

Overview Lump sum is great when you want to charge a customer a fixed amount, regardless of the quantity. Perfect for installation costs when you don't want to get into the details about how many hours it will take: instead, just charge a flat rate! Where You Can Use It The lump sum calculation option is available for your Material, Labor, or Subcon...

     ...

Overview Not computer savvy? No problem! Clear Estimates has help guides just for you. The Visual Library is a step by step walkthrough of Clear Estimates, to help even the greenest computer users get started with the software!  First, let's make sure you have what you need to get started. Below are resources for new computer users, to help you lear...

...

   ...

Log in to your account Click  Options Under My Account click Manage Subscription Scroll to Payment Method Information Click edit  Input new card info Click Update Overview You can update your payment method in just a few steps!  Click Options, and find the My Account section at the bottom. From there, click Manage Subscription. Then, find the Paymen...

Clear Estimates is a cloud based tool which operates in your preferred web browser.  Since each web browser is a bit different from the next, sometimes certain browser issues can interfere with Clear Estimates. The following is a list of known conflicts, and potential workarounds for those situations.  Connection Speed As a browser based tool, a sta...

What would you like to do?  Edit my Labor Rates   Edit Labor Cost of an Item     This video is for editing labor cost for one item. To adjust your labor rates, click here. You're in the right place! See the walkthrough guide below     Learn to edit the cost of labor for any item in your estimate!   Part of a Series on Customizing Parts: Customize La...

...

Overview The Hours cost calculation is a mix between the Lump Sum and the Hours/Unit calculation. This is great for when you want to charge a customer for a certain number of hours, regardless of the quantity / size of the project. Like Lump Sum, Hours will ignore the quantity of the part itself. For this calculation, you will simply enter the total...

Note This article is for changing a part category for one estimate. If you want to learn how to change a part's category permanently, click here Overview Clear Estimates offers plenty of flexibility with your estimates! You can change anything you'd like about each part within your estimate, without changing the part's settings in your account.  The...

Add something to your project by mistake? No problem! You can easily delete parts from your project.To delete a part, first find the part on your Project Overview, in your Projects page. Be sure you're selecting the item you want deleted.  To the right of your part, click the trashcan: Deleting Multiple Items You can also delete multiple items at ...

Overview In this example, we'll show how you can customize the markup for one particular line-item. Its extremely easy to do, let's take a look! Simple Steps: Let's say your item is using 50% markup for Material, Labor, and Subcontractor costs (this is the default in Clear Estimates) but you want to use 25% for Materials, 10% for Labor, and 75% for ...

Overview You've certainly seen this calculation type before! This is where you simply enter a cost per unit for a particular item. When Clear Estimates calculates the total cost of the part, it will multiply your cost/unit times the quantity you've entered. Where You Can Use It The $/unit calculation option is available for your Material, Labor, or ...

...

The first installment of the Clear Estimates in Practice webinar series! Here we discuss the general process for estimating a bedroom remodel in Clear Estimates.  Click here to see this webinar on YouTube!...

     ...

Overview In Clear Estimates, the cost of your project is calculated by adding up each individual item in your estimate. When you want to change your project's cost, you'll need to start with your parts! In this article, we'll walk through the different ways you can calculate the cost of a part! Each part has three cost buckets - Material Cost, Labor...

Need to add sales tax, discounts, profit margin, or other line items below the “base bid”? This will walk you through all your options for adding these items.       ...

Your boilerplate language makes your proposals look like well-written contracts, so set these up once and have every contract look professional! Continued Learning Click here for a visual guide on setting up boilerplate! For information about custom fields in boilerplate, click here! Learn more about report settings here!...

Overview Clear Estimates is built for remodelers, but did you know you can customize Clear Estimates for other types of work?  In this quick walkthrough we'll talk about how to customize Clear Estimates.  Below the video, you'll find in-depth resources for personalizing your part library!     Important If you edit part costs for pre-built Clear Esti...

This is a great introductory webinar for Clear Estimates - an in depth walkthrough of our software! Watch below to get started!   Want a one on one training session?  We include a full training call with your trial subscription! If you've already signed up, you can reach out to our team here to schedule your call!      Continued Learning  How To Cre...

Open a part with the 'pencil' button. Click "Select Files" in the Miscellaneous section. Upload the image and click "Save". Go to Reports > Boilerplate. Check "Image Gallery" in your "Outro" boilerplate. On some estimates, you may want to include images for your customer to view. For example, maybe you want to include a picture of a new vanity si...

  Continued Learning: Modifying Parts in Your Parts Tool Adding Custom Parts to Your Part Librar y Customizing Categories for One Estimate...

Clear Estimates comes pre-built with over 15,000 + line items dedicated to residential remodeling. With so many line items to choose from, it helps to know where to look!  This article is an overview of what types of parts are included in each category.  Once you know where to look, you'll want to head back into Clear Estimates and follow these inst...

 ...

Overview  Welcome to the first installment of the Clear Estimates User Guide! In this guidebook, you'll learn the very basics of setting up your Clear Estimates account.  As a first time user, this section will show you the process for setting up a new account - step by step! Signing Up The first step to using Clear Estimates is to sign up for a sub...

Below is a brief overview on adding part formulas to templates saved from projects (from our Understanding Templates webinar).   ...

Another addition to the Clear Estimates in Practice web series! Here we discuss the general process for estimating a living room painting estimate in Clear Estimates.   ...

Overview We've recently updated our Customers page - making it easier than ever to keep track of your customer info! To help you get started, here is a convenient guide to everything in your new "Customers" page! As always, all of your customer information can be found by clicking "Customers", from your Managers: "Customers" is where you will keep t...

...

1. Click Options  2. Under “Report Settings”, click Formal 3. Click "Includ e Alterna te line item details" 4. Click "Save" at the bottom!   Overview  It's common for contractors to show options on an estimate. For example, your client may have agreed to a kitchen upgrade - but they're also curious about the cost of a bedroom remodel. Clear Estimate...

Below is a brief overview on how to set project specific due dates on your payment schedules. This is a highlight from our Invoices & Payments webinar!   ...

Clear Estimates now offers a project / estimate number option! This is a great way to organize your proposals using an estimate or project number, claim number, etc.  With this new workflow, Clear Estimates will automatically generate project numbers based on your preferences, so that those will always be available for your estimates. Let’s get star...

Below is a brief overview of basic & advanced template use from our Understanding Templates webinar.   ...

The time has come to send your client an estimate! This can be the most exciting part of the job, but it can also be the most nerve-wracking. You can't wait to bid on a new job, but you want to make sure you don't miss anything! Fortunately, we've created a convenient list to double-check your estimate, so you can be confident when you send out your...

Overview One of the great things about Clear Estimates is preloaded labor rates, sourced directly from your area! These rates are already included in your account when you sign up. Keep in mind that these labor rates are pre-markup and pre-tax, so they are the average labor cost you would expect to pay out, hourly, for a variety of different trades....

Below is a brief overview on setting up template formulas from our Understanding Templates webinar.  ...

 ...

Open your project. Click "More" at the top right, and click "Duplicate Project".Click "More" again on the new copy, and click "Refresh Prices".Choose if you want to update previously adjusted parts.  Overview The cornerstone of our software is the built-in pricing! Clear Estimates updates material prices for over 400 locations nationwide, every quar...

 ...

Overview Clear Estimates offers a library of locally sourced material and labor costs! This makes it easy to put together an estimate for any type of remodeling project.  You may be wondering, though… “are these the costs for me to do the work? Or, is this the cost I can expect from my sub?”  Great question!  All costs in Clear Estimates library are...

Overview This is the popup window you'll see when you want to edit a part. You'll see this tool both in an individual estimate you're working on, or in your Part Library - when permanently adjusting the items in your account. Here, you can customize part information - such as the description, material costs, labor costs, the report text, internal no...

...

...

     ...

...

This video will show you how to add subcontractor cost to a part!  Pa rt of a Series on Customizing Parts: Edit Line Item Text    Edit the Material Cost of a Pa rt Edit the Labor Cost of a Part Customize Your Part Library...

When adjusting items in your Adjust  Part tool, you may have noticed the grey “Insert” buttons: “Provide and Install”, “Quantity”, “Unit Type”, and “Part Description”. What are these? When should you use them? You’ll see these buttons right below the text boxes for the “Preliminary Text”, “Formal Text” and “Subcontractor Text”. These text boxes are ...

Want to know how to archive a customer or project? Here's a quick tutorial!...

Pro Feature This is a PRO feature only available on Clear Estimates PRO plans. See how to upgrade to PRO: How to Upgrade or Change Your Subscription‍      Overview One of the best parts of Clear Estimates is the customizability! Since every contractor has their own process, the software is built to be tailored to your business.  Out of the box, we p...

Click "Create Custom Part". Type your description and dollar amount. Change markup to "0". Add any needed contract language explaining the contingency.  Overview Regardless of your project size, you always need to be prepared for the unexpected. You can spend hours detailing every aspect of the job for your client - but there can always be those "un...

...

Overview Hours/Unit is great for when you want to charge a customer for a certain number of hours on a per unit basis. This is perfect for installation costs - when you know how long each unit will take, and the labor rate you want to charge. This is the default calculation in Clear Estimates for Labor Costs. Enter the number of hours per unit (i.e....

Overview Templates are a huge time saver when building estimates. Templates make it easy to add a full list of parts to your project, without searching for parts one by one! Templates are built to be customized - either per project, or on a permanent basis. This overview shows how to do both!    Continued Learning To learn about template formulas, c...

Overview When it comes to remodeling estimates, Clear Estimates has you covered! You'll find all the tools and costs you'll need to create estimates for any size remodel.  Your business is about more than just estimating - so Clear Estimates also offers integrations with a number of solutions to help streamline your projects. From project management...

In this fun and informative walkthrough, we discuss setting up & emailing proposals from Clear Estimates. We also walk through exporting project details & breakdowns, custom project reports, and general settings. Plus, we share some tips for getting started with Clear Estimates, so you can get the most out of the software!  ...

Are you looking for a refund of $189 charged to you by a service called Clear?  If so, you're on the wrong website.  Clear Estimates is frequently confused with Clearme, the airline service.  If you were billed $189.00 this is for Clear. If you were billed $79 or $119, that is for Clear Estimates. If you were billed $79 or $119 for a Clear Estimates...

How to charge a specific $/unit cost to a customer for labor In this example, we're looking at how you can input a $/unit cost for the labor cost of a particular part in your estimate. Simple Steps: Let's say you're installing a ceramic tile floor and you want to charge $1.50/square foot for the installation labor. Well, that's easy! First, Open the...

...

...

       ...

Overview You've worked hard putting your estimate together - adding parts, setting up components, and calculating markup. Now it's time to see the final product!  To do this, you'll want to know how to use your Reports Tab - where you can look at your proposals, and send them out! Let's walk through all the options available in your Reports tab, and...

  Part of a Series on Customizing Parts: Edit the Cost of a Part Edit Labor Cost of a Part Add Subcontractor Cost to a Part Customize your Part Library...

Curious how to upgrade to Pro? Watch the video below, or click here for a more detailed walkthrough!   ...

In this episode of Clear Estimates in Practice, we explain how the invoicing process works in Clear Estimates. We also discuss payments & receipts, payment schedules and cost status reports, and fielded some questions live! Watch below.   ...

Below is a brief overview of your Custom Filters & Reports options on Clear Estimates Pro! (from our Proposals & Documents webinar).   ...

We know that estimating is an "on-the-go" job. Whether you're at the job site, home or office, you need to be able to estimate fast - from anywhere!  That's why we've optimized the new Projects page for smartphones and tablets - so you can estimate here, there, or anywhere!  View, Print, or Download Proposals on Mobile! The Projects page features ne...

How to charge a Flat Rate for Materials In this example, we'll look at how you can input a flat material cost for a part in your estimate. This is great for when you know what you want to charge the customer already, and you can quickly put this into your estimate! You can also do this for labor or subcontractor costs! See these articles for more in...

Below is a brief overview on saving new templates from completed estimates (from our Understanding Templates webinar).    ...

Below is a brief overview of how Report Text works  (from our Proposals & Documents webinar).   ...

Hey! Something's different!  If you've been with Clear Estimates for a while, you may notice some changes! We've been working hard to make estimating even easier, and are ready to introduce powerful new tools to help you estimate your way! New estimating powers Introducing the all new Adjust Part tool in Clear Estimates  If you use Clear Estimates, ...