Solutions · Quotes, estimates & site surveys
Survey the site, build three options from the price book and send the quote before you leave the driveway. FSM Flow tracks every open quote to acceptance or expiry, then turns the sold option into a scheduled job without re-keying a line.
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Quote #3182 viewed
3 options · expires in 14 days · follow-up set
What it is
A quote (or estimate) is a priced proposal for work before it is done: the scope, the line items for labour, parts and equipment, any options, the terms and an expiry date. In field service it is a first-class object, not a type of job. It can be created in the office from a phone call, by a technician on a repair visit who finds a bigger problem, or after a dedicated site survey for a larger install. Once accepted, it becomes a job; until then it is a sales opportunity with a shelf life.
Quotes decide revenue in a way nothing else does. The speed of the first response often wins the work, options lift the average ticket, and unsold quotes rarely close on their own: most that do close after one or two follow-up touches, and those open more than 30 days seldom close at all. Yet in many shops quotes still live in email threads and a technician’s notebook, with no one owning the follow-up.
FSM Flow puts the price book on every device. Technicians and estimators build quotes with line items and options on site, attach survey photos and measurements, set an expiry and send the PDF by email or WhatsApp. Open quotes sit in a follow-up queue with their age and status; approvals are recorded on the quote; and the sold option converts to a work order and, after completion, to an invoice with no re-keying. Dashboards show close rate, average quote value and ageing by technician and job type.
93%
Of US homeowners say the ability to get an instant estimate influences which pro they hire (survey of 1,040 homeowners, Oct 2025)
Source: Housecall Pro Customer Service Report
69%
Of US home-service business owners report a quote win rate above 50% (survey of 1,050 owners, Dec 2025)
Source: Jobber, 2026 Home Service Trends Report
54%
Of ‘thriving’ contractors present three estimate options (good, better, best) rather than one price (2025)
Source: ServiceTitan field service trends report
77%
Of homeowners are frustrated by hidden costs, which itemised, approved quotes remove (Oct 2025)
Source: Housecall Pro Customer Service Report
The lifecycle
From the first enquiry to the scheduled job, every quote has an owner, a status and a date.
- Step 1
Enquiry logged
A call, email or WhatsApp message becomes a customer record and a quote request, with the site, the problem described and any photos the customer sent attached.
- Step 2
Site survey scheduled
For larger work, a survey visit is booked on the scheduler with the estimator matched by skill and proximity. Survey checklists prompt for measurements, access and existing equipment.
- Step 3
Quote built from the price book
Line items for labour, parts and equipment are added from the price book on the mobile app or in the office, with up to three options and client-specific rates applied.
- Step 4
Sent with expiry and terms
The quote PDF, using your template, tax settings and terms, goes to the customer by email or WhatsApp with an expiry date. The send is recorded on the quote.
- Step 5
Followed up on schedule
Open quotes appear in the follow-up queue by age. A workflow can send a reminder before expiry, and the AI assistant can list quotes due for a call today.
- Step 6
Approval recorded
The customer’s acceptance of an option is recorded on the quote, with the chosen tier, date and any deposit terms, and the status changes to sold.
- Step 7
Converted to a job
One click creates the work order with the sold line items, site and customer, and places it in the unassigned pool or directly onto the scheduler.
- Step 8
Invoiced from the completed job
After the work is done, the invoice is generated from the job with the quoted lines and any approved changes, so the customer sees exactly what they agreed to.
What goes wrong
Most lost quotes are not lost to a competitor’s price. They are lost to silence.
The quote goes out three days after the visit.
The price book is on the mobile app. Technicians and estimators build and send the quote on site, with photos attached, before they leave.
See how it worksOnly one price is ever offered.
Quotes carry up to three options side by side, each with its own line items, so the customer chooses a tier rather than deciding yes or no.
See how it worksNobody owns the follow-up.
Open quotes sit in a follow-up queue with age, owner and expiry. Workflows send reminders before expiry and the assistant lists the calls due today.
See how it worksThe office cannot tell which quotes have been seen or accepted.
Every send and approval is recorded on the quote with a timestamp, and the status moves from draft to sent to sold or expired, visible on the customer profile.
See how it worksThe sold quote is re-typed into a job, then again into an invoice.
The sold option converts to a work order in one click, and the invoice is generated from the completed job with the same lines, so figures never drift between documents.
See how it worksYou cannot see who closes and who does not.
Close rate, average quote value, options presented and ageing by technician and job type are dashboard widgets, so coaching is based on numbers rather than impressions.
See how it works
Across the trades
Every trade quotes. The scope, the survey and the options differ.
HVAC
Repair-versus-replace options on a failed system, built on site by the technician with member and non-member pricing shown side by side.
Plumbing
Multi-option water heater and repipe quotes from the price book, with drain-cleaning contracts offered as an add-on line.
Electrical
Panel upgrade and EV charger quotes after a load assessment, with permit and inspection fees itemised.
Roofing & exteriors
Inspection-led replacement quotes with photo documentation, material tiers and the insurance scope kept separate from retail options.
Solar & battery storage
Site survey with shade analysis and roof photos feeding a system quote, with battery storage as an optional tier.
Landscaping & lawn care
Property walk-through producing a seasonal maintenance quote plus optional enhancement line items.
Security & low-voltage
Access-control and CCTV proposals with device lists per door and camera position, and the monitoring contract as a recurring line.
Fire protection & life safety
Deficiency repair quotes generated from inspection findings on site, each line linked to the failed device.
Smart home & AV integration
Design-stage proposals with room-by-room equipment schedules and a support plan as the final option.
Garage door service
Door replacement quotes with one-, two- and three-car options and the opener upgrade as a line the customer can tick.
In FSM Flow
Quoting touches the price book, the mobile app, customer records, workflows and reporting, so it is built into each.
Options-based quotes
Line items from the price book, up to three options per quote, client-specific rates, tax and terms applied from your templates.
- Good, better, best side by side
- Expiry date on every quote
- PDF sent by email or WhatsApp
Quoting on the mobile app
Build and send quotes on site, offline if needed, with survey photos, measurements and notes attached.
- Price book on every device
- Photo and document attachments
- AI translation in 14+ languages
Site survey scheduling
Book survey visits on the scheduler with the estimator matched by skill and proximity, and a survey checklist per job type.
- Survey as its own job type
- Checklists for measurements and access
- Survey linked to the resulting quote
Follow-up queue & workflows
Open quotes by age and owner, with workflow-driven reminders before expiry and AI-drafted follow-up messages.
- Reminders by email or WhatsApp
- Assistant lists quotes due for a call
- Expired quotes flagged for revival
Quote to job to invoice
Approval recorded on the quote, one-click conversion to a work order, and the invoice generated from the completed job with the same lines.
- No re-keying between documents
- Deposit terms carried through
- Changes approved before invoicing
Sales reporting
Close rate, average quote value, options presented and quote ageing by technician, job type and source.
- Dashboard widgets and AI-built reports
- Pipeline value of open quotes
- Export for sales meetings
Pricing & billing
Whether the estimate is free or paid, FSM Flow records it and carries the figures through to the job.
Free estimates
The survey or estimate visit is a non-billable job type, tracked for time and conversion so you know what free estimates actually cost.
Paid diagnostic credited to the job
A diagnostic or survey fee is invoiced for the visit and shown as a credit on the quote if the customer proceeds.
Fixed-price options
Each option is a fixed price built from price-book lines; the sold option becomes the job total and the invoice.
Deposits on acceptance
A deposit amount and terms are recorded on the quote when it is approved and applied on the final invoice.
Member versus standard pricing
Customers with an active maintenance plan see discounted rates on the quote automatically; the plan itself can be an option line.
Change orders
Scope added after acceptance is added as approved line items on the job, so the invoice matches what the customer agreed to in total.
Numbers worth watching
All available as dashboard widgets, reports or a question to the AI assistant.
Quote close rate
Sold quotes divided by quotes sent, by technician, job type and source. The headline sales metric.
69% of home-service owners report >50%Average quote value
Sold value per quote. Drops when options are skipped or premium tiers are not presented.
Options presented rate
Share of quotes with two or more options. Directly linked to average ticket.
Time to quote
Hours from enquiry or visit to quote sent. The first response often wins the work.
Same dayQuote ageing
Open quotes by age band; those past 30 days rarely close and should be revived or marked lost.
Follow up before day 30Follow-up rate
Open quotes that received at least one follow-up before expiry. Most unsold quotes that do close need one or two touches.
What is quoting software for field service?
Can technicians build quotes on site?
Does FSM Flow support good-better-best options?
How is customer approval recorded?
How does follow-up work?
What happens to the quote when the job is done?
Can I see which technicians close the most quotes?
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