Harvest allows you to make estimates and send them to your clients to approve or decline. Here's how to turn estimates on in Harvest and create an estimate for your clients.

Enable estimates

If you don’t see the Estimates section in your account's main navigation, it means this module needs to be enabled. Administrators can enable modules by taking the following steps:

1. Head to Settings > Modules.

2. Click Choose modules.

3. Select Estimates.

4. Save changes.

Create an estimate

Creating an estimate is similar to creating a free-form, open invoice. To create an estimate:

1. Go to Estimates > Overview and click New estimate.
2. Pick your client.
3. Fill out the rest of the form.
4. Click Save estimate.

You can send your estimate right away, or save a draft and send it later.

Formatting estimate text

You can apply formatting to the Notes and Description fields of estimates:

• To make a word or phrase bold, add an * (asterisk) to the start and end of the word or phrase. For example, this word should be *bold*.
• To put a word or phrase in italics, add an _ (underscore) to the start and end of the word or phrase. For example, this word should be in _italics_.
• To add bullet points to the Notes and Description fields, use Option+8 (on a Mac).

Note: You can find a handy reminder of these formatting tips underneath the Notes field on your invoice’s edit screen.

Attaching files to an estimate

You can attach files—such as terms and conditions or examples of previous work—to an estimate before sending it to your client.

Once you’ve saved your estimate, the draft version will have a link to Attach file at the bottom, below the line items and (if applicable) estimate notes. Click the link to attach files.

When your client views the Web Estimate in Harvest, they’ll see a link to download the attachment(s).