Create Professional Estimates and Proposals in Minutes
The estimate is often the first impression a potential customer has of your tree care company. A handwritten quote scribbled on a business card does not inspire confidence in a homeowner who is about to spend thousands of dollars on tree removal or a plant health care program. ArborDash estimates go out with your logo and colors, an itemized scope of work, and any photos you took on the site visit, so the homeowner can see what they are paying for before your crews ever touch a chainsaw.
Every new account starts with a list of 30 common tree care services, from crown thinning and tree removal to stump grinding, deep root fertilization, and insect and disease treatment. You set the prices, and you can rename or delete any of them. Save the jobs you quote most often as estimate templates, with their services, quantities, prices, and introduction, and start the next estimate from one. Each line item has a quantity, unit price, and description, and you can discount one line or the whole estimate. Attach site photos to the estimate or to a single line, write notes for the customer, and keep crew notes that only your team sees. For larger jobs, offer several options, for example a basic prune versus a full crown restoration, so the customer can choose the scope that fits their budget. You can also pair related services in your service list, such as stump grinding with tree removal. On an estimate without multiple pricing options, adding the first service brings up the second as a suggested add-on.
When the estimate is ready, click Save & Send. The customer gets an email in your branding with a link to an online approval page, and you can attach a PDF copy. On that page they review the scope of work, pick one of your options if you offered several, uncheck any items you marked optional, and sign. ArborDash shows each estimate as sent, opened, reviewed, accepted, or rejected, and flags open estimates that have gone 7 days without a call, email, or text from your office (you can change the number of days). When a customer accepts online, ArborDash emails you and creates a job with the services they accepted and your crew notes, ready to schedule. If a customer says yes over the phone, Convert to Job opens a new job already filled in with the customer, service address, line items, notes, and discount, and the estimate’s photos show on the job page. Sending, online signing, and job conversion need QuickBooks Online connected, because each estimate you send is created in QuickBooks first.
- Branded estimates with line items, photos, and discounts
- A starter list of 30 tree care services, plus estimate templates you save
- Online approval with a drawn signature and the signer’s printed name
- Multiple pricing options, optional line items, and suggested add-ons
- A job created for you when the customer accepts online
- Estimate status tracking (sent, opened, reviewed, accepted, rejected)
How It Works
- Build the estimate: Select a customer and property, add line items from your service list or a saved template, attach photos, and add pricing options if you want to offer more than one package.
- Send for approval: Email the customer a link to an online approval page in your branding, with a PDF copy attached if you like. Once it is sent, you can also copy the link from the estimate page and text it. The customer picks a package if you offered several, then signs with a finger or a mouse.
- Track the status: See when the customer opens the email, views the estimate, and accepts or rejects it. Open estimates that have gone a week without contact from your office are flagged for follow-up on the Estimates page.
- Get the job: When the customer accepts online, ArborDash creates the job with the accepted services and your crew notes. For a yes over the phone, Convert to Job opens a job form already filled in from the estimate.