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Quote Desc Templates

Build a reusable library of quote description write-ups so you don't start every proposal with a blank page.

Quote Desc Templates

Build a reusable library of quote description write-ups so you don't start every proposal with a blank page.

Who this is for

Builders, estimators, and subcontractors who write the same kind of scope notes on proposal after proposal and want a starting point that's already half-written.

What this module is for

The quote description is the written scope on a proposal. Things like what's included, what isn't, the specs you're pricing to, and the terms a client needs to read before they sign. Most builders end up copying and pasting from an old job every time. Quote Desc Templates lets you save those write-ups once, reuse them on any job, and edit them in one place when the wording needs to change. Think of it as the proposal equivalent of your go-to inclusions list.

Things worth knowing upfront

  • There are no status tabs on the listing. Every template sits under a single All Templates view.

  • A template has two halves: an Overview (name) and an Items tab where you build up the actual content.

  • A template is a starting point, not a live link. When you use it on a proposal, you're copying its content into that proposal. Editing the template later won't change proposals you've already produced.

  • Templates live at your organisation level, so anyone on your team with access can use them.

How templates behave downstream. The same copy-on-use rule that applies to Setup > Proposal Content applies here. Once content has been pulled into a proposal, that proposal owns its own copy of the text. Reload the template if you want the latest wording in an existing draft.

How to get there

Projects (top header) > left menu: Quote Descriptions

  1. Click Projects in the top header.

  2. In the left menu, under the Estimating section, click Quote Descriptions.

Note: The sidebar item is labelled Quote Descriptions, but the page header reads Quote Description Templates. Same module, just a shorter menu label.

What you'll see

The page opens on the All Templates tab. Up top on the right you'll see a New Template button and a search box. The list below shows every template you've created.

Column

What it's for

Notes

Name

The name you gave the template when you created it.

Click anywhere on the row to open the template.

(trash icon)

Delete the template.

Rightmost column. Click the icon, then confirm in the popover.

Step-by-step: create a new template

  1. From the All Templates list, click New Template in the top right.

  2. A panel opens on the right. Enter a Template Name.

  3. Click Save.

  4. The page loads the new template's detail screen, opened on the Overview tab.

  5. Click the Items tab to start building up the content. Add the categories and items that make up the written scope.

  6. When the content's right, you're done. There's no publish step. The template is available for use on any proposal as soon as it's saved.

Tip — Name it like you'd look for it. Use the job type plus the scope it covers (e.g. "Bathroom Reno — Standard Inclusions", "New Build — Single Storey"). You'll have more than one template before long and good naming saves trawling.

Fields on the new template panel

Field

What it's for

Required?

Template Name

How the template appears in your library and on any picker that uses it.

Yes

Step-by-step: edit the Overview

  1. From All Templates, click the row of the template you want to edit.

  2. The detail screen opens on the Overview tab.

  3. Change the Template Name if you need to.

  4. Click Save at the bottom of the form. If you change your mind, click Cancel instead.

Step-by-step: build up the Items tab

The Items tab is where you define the actual content of the quote description. It's structured as categories (the headings a client sees) and items (the lines under each heading).

  1. From the template detail screen, click the Items tab.

  2. Add the categories you want to group your scope under. Common ones are Inclusions, Exclusions, Specifications, and Terms.

  3. Under each category, add the lines of content that belong there.

  4. Work through the whole scope end to end. Save as you go.

Note: The Items tab loads the first time you click into it. Give it a second to come up if you're on a slow connection.

Worked example

You're a builder doing a bathroom renovation on Kingston Road. It's your third bathroom reno this quarter and you've been rewriting the same inclusions list every time. Here's how you'd set it up once and be done with it.

  1. Go to Projects > Quote Descriptions in the left menu.

  2. Click New Template.

  3. In Template Name, type Bathroom Reno — Standard Inclusions. Click Save.

  4. The template opens on its Overview. Click Items.

  5. Add a category called Inclusions. Under it, add lines for the scope you always cover: demolition, waterproofing to AS 3740, wall tiling, floor tiling, vanity install, mixer and tapware install, new shower screen, rubbish removal.

  6. Add a category called Exclusions. Under it, put the things you never price by default: replacement of the bath, relocation of waste points, electrical beyond like-for-like.

  7. Add a category called Specifications. Note the tile allowance (e.g. $65/m² supply), vanity allowance (e.g. $1,200 PC item), and mixer allowance.

  8. Add a category called Terms. Drop in your standard payment terms and the variation clause you use.

  9. Save. The template now lives in your library.

Next time you produce a proposal for a bathroom job, you pull this template in as the quote description and tweak the few lines that are job-specific (actual PC item values, site-specific exclusions). What used to be a 30-minute copy-paste exercise is a two-minute review.

Step-by-step: using it in the estimating workflow

  1. Price the job up as usual in its estimate.

  2. When you're ready to generate the client-facing document, go to Produce Proposal for that estimate.

  3. In the quote description section of the proposal, pull in the template you want.

  4. Review the content that comes across and edit anything that's job-specific (site address, PC item values, client name references).

  5. Produce the proposal. Your edits stay on that proposal. The template in your library is untouched.

Warning — Template edits don't flow back to existing proposals. If you edit a template today, proposals already produced from it yesterday won't change. Only proposals produced after the edit (or proposals where you reload the template) will reflect the new wording.

Tips

  • One template per job type. Build one for bathroom renos, one for new builds, one for extensions. Mixing job types into a single template makes it harder to trim on each job.

  • Keep the inclusions generic. Anything dollar-specific or site-specific is better left out of the template and added on the proposal itself. Templates are for what you always do; the proposal is for what this job does.

  • Review templates every six months. Codes change, pricing allowances move, and your standard scope evolves. A calendar reminder to walk through your templates saves you from sending a client an outdated specification.

  • Name exclusions clearly. A client reading your proposal looks at exclusions more closely than inclusions. Spell them out in plain English, not in builder shorthand.

  • Don't be afraid to have a lot of them. Templates cost you nothing to keep. Better to have ten well-scoped templates than one huge one you have to chop down every time.

Troubleshooting

Symptom

Cause

Fix

I edited a template but the proposal I already produced still shows the old wording.

Templates are copy-on-use. Content gets copied into the proposal at the time it's produced.

Open the affected proposal and reload the quote description from the template. Your edit will only apply to new proposals otherwise.

I can't see a template I created yesterday.

Typo in the search box, or you're logged into a different tenancy than the one you created it in.

Clear the search box at the top of the list. Check which organisation you're logged into in the top right.

I clicked the trash icon and the template is still there.

The delete action needs a second confirmation in the popover that appears.

Click the trash icon, then click Delete in the confirmation popover that opens.

My teammate can't see the template I just built.

Browser hasn't refreshed, or they're viewing a filtered search.

Ask them to refresh the page and clear any text in the search box.

The Items tab is empty after I click into it.

The tab lazy-loads on first click and can pause on a slow connection. Or the template genuinely has no items yet.

Wait a few seconds. If it stays empty, that template hasn't had items added yet. Start adding categories.

Step-by-step: delete a template

  1. From the All Templates list, find the row of the template you want to remove.

  2. Click the trash icon on the rightmost side of the row.

  3. A confirmation popover appears. Click Delete.

  4. The template disappears from the list.

Warning — Delete is permanent. There's no Archived tab for templates and no undo. Any proposals already produced from this template keep their content (copy-on-use), but you won't be able to pull the template in again on future proposals. If you might want it back, rename it with a prefix like ZZ — instead of deleting it.

Related articles

  • Quote Descriptions — the per-estimate quote description on a proposal. This is where a template gets pulled in and customised for the specific job.

  • Produce Proposal — the screen where you assemble the final client-facing document. Quote descriptions sit alongside cover sections, about us, and terms.

  • Setup — Proposal Content — other reusable content libraries (cover sections, about us, testimonials, terms and conditions) that follow the same copy-on-use pattern.

Still stuck?

Reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right of Core Estimator and we'll give you a hand.

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