Creating an estimate

An estimate is a detailed cost breakdown for a project or part of a project. You might create a single estimate for the entire job, or separate estimates for different scopes — for example, one for the main build, another for landscaping, and a third for a swimming pool.

Multiple estimates can be grouped into Estimate Collections to model different project scenarios and compare total costs across different scope combinations.

Where to find it: Open your project record, then click the Estimating subtab → Estimate tab.

When to use this

Use this when you're ready to start costing a project or a distinct scope of work within a project. You'll typically create your first estimate immediately after creating the project and before setting up contracts or billing.

Prerequisites

• An existing project in FullClarity with a cost centre assigned
• Access to the project record's Estimating subtab

Walkthrough

Creating an estimate

1. Click the Create Estimate button on the Estimating subtab

2. A popup dialog appears with the following fields:

   • Estimate Name (required) — a label to identify this estimate, e.g. "Main Estimate" or "Deck Option A"
   • Cost Centre — shows the cost centre assigned to the project (read-only)
   • Import All Cost Centre Categories — when checked, the estimate is pre-populated with a row for every category in the cost centre. Leave unchecked if you prefer to add categories as you go.

3. Click Submit

The new estimate appears in the list on the Estimating subtab, showing summary columns for Budget Cost, Margin, Projected Sale Price, and other key figures.

Importing an estimate

As an alternative to building an estimate from scratch, you can use the Import Estimate button on the Estimating subtab to import estimate data from an external source. This is useful when your estimating team has prepared the cost breakdown in a separate tool and you need to bring it into FullClarity.

Opening the estimate worksheet

Click the estimate name in the list to open the Estimate Worksheet in a new browser tab. This is a spreadsheet-like interface where you'll add and manage your cost lines.

The worksheet shows:

• A header with the estimate name, a link back to the project, and start/end date fields
• The main grid where your cost lines appear, organised in a tree structure by category
• Summary rows at the bottom showing Subtotal, Total Contingency, Escalation, and Total
• Footer controls for display options like Show Inactives, tree lines, and zoom

See Adding lines to an estimate for how to populate the worksheet with cost data. For a full list of available columns and their default labels, see Estimate columns.

Locking an estimate

Once an estimate is finalised, it can be locked to prevent further changes. A locked estimate is read-only — no lines can be added, edited, or deleted until it is unlocked. The lock status is shown in the Is Locked column on the Estimating subtab's estimate list.

What success looks like

The new estimate appears in the list on the Estimating subtab with a name you recognise. Clicking it opens the Estimate Worksheet in a new browser tab. If you ticked "Import All Cost Centre Categories", the worksheet shows a row for every category in your cost centre, ready to fill in with quantities and rates.

Gotchas

• Cost Centre is read-only in the dialog. It's inherited from the project. If you need a different cost centre, update it on the project's Configuration subtab before creating the estimate.
• A locked estimate cannot be edited. Check the Is Locked column before attempting changes. An administrator can unlock it from the Estimating subtab.
• Estimate Collections are separate from individual estimates. You create collections to group estimates for scenario comparison — they're managed separately from the Create Estimate flow described here.