---
title: "Setup: Default Fees For Estimates"
description: "Set up fees in Exterio: choose percent or fixed amounts, mark fees like processing or long distance as default, and see why used fees can’t be deleted."
---
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October 27, 2026
# Setup: Default Fees For Estimates
## Fees are charges you add to an estimate on top of products and labor, like a payment processing fee or a long distance fee. You set them up once in Rates & Fees, and any fee marked Default is added to every new estimate automatically.
### When would I use this?
- You pass credit card processing costs on to the customer.
- You charge extra for jobs outside your normal service area.
- You want permit, disposal or dump fees added the same way on every estimate.
- Your reps keep forgetting a fee you always charge.
### Before you start
- **Only Admins can set up fees.** **Rates & Fees** is under **Account Settings**, which only Admins can see.
- **Decide how each fee is calculated.** A fee is either a **Fixed Amount** in dollars or a **Percentage** of the estimate total.
- **Decide which fees go on every job.** Only those should be marked **Default**.
### How do I find fees in Exterio?
Go to **Settings** \> **Account Settings** \> **Rates & Fees** and scroll to **Fees**. The list shows each fee’s name, its type (**Percent** or **Fixed**), the amount, and a **Default** label on fees that are added automatically.
### What’s the difference between a percentage fee and a fixed fee?
A percentage fee grows with the size of the job. A fixed fee is the same dollar amount on every estimate.
| **Fee Type** | **How it’s calculated** | **Good for** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Percentage** | Applied as a percentage of the estimate total | Payment processing fees, insurance allocation |
| **Fixed Amount** | A fixed dollar amount added to the estimate | Long distance fees, permit fees, dump fees |
### How do I add a fee in Exterio?
Click **Add Fee**, name the fee, choose the type, enter the amount, and click **Create**.
1. Go to **Settings** \> **Account Settings** \> **Rates & Fees** and scroll to **Fees**.
2. Click **Add Fee**.
3. Enter a **Fee Name**, for example “Processing Fee” or “Long Distance Fee.” Your customer may see this name, so make it clear.
4. Under **Fee Type**, choose **Fixed Amount** or **Percentage**.
5. Enter the **Amount** (in dollars) or the **Percentage**.
6. To add this fee to every new estimate, switch on **Default**.
7. Click **Create**.
Fees save as soon as you click **Create**. You don’t need to click **Save Changes** for them.
### How do I make a fee a default fee?
Click the pencil icon on the fee, switch on **Default** (**Auto-apply to new estimates**), and click **Update**. From then on, the fee is added to every new estimate.
| **Example fee** | **Type** | **Default?** | **Why** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Processing Fee | **Percentage**, for example 3% | Yes, if most customers pay by card | It goes on every job, so nobody has to remember it |
| Long Distance Fee | **Fixed Amount**, for example $500 | No | It only applies to some jobs, so reps add it when the job calls for it |
### How do I edit or delete a fee in Exterio?
Click the pencil icon to edit a fee, or the trash icon to delete it. Deleting a fee can’t be undone.
You can’t delete a fee that’s being used in an estimate. Exterio tells you how many estimates use it. Turn off **Default** instead so it stops going on new estimates.
### Tips and gotchas
- **Only mark a fee Default if it belongs on almost every job.** Default fees go on every new estimate. A fee that only applies sometimes, like a long distance fee, ends up on jobs where it doesn’t belong, and the rep has to catch it before the customer does.
- **Percentage fees are a percentage of the estimate total.** A 3% processing fee on a $20,000 job is $600. Check that the percentage you enter covers your actual processing cost on your typical job size.
- **Name fees the way you’d explain them to the customer.** “Processing Fee” or “Long Distance Fee” is clear. Internal shorthand on a proposal leads to the phone call you were trying to avoid.
- **Turn off Default instead of deleting a fee you’ve used.** Exterio won’t delete a fee that’s on an existing estimate, so old estimates keep their totals. Switching off **Default** stops it going on new estimates and keeps your history intact.
- **Check your state’s rules before passing on card fees.** Some states limit or ban credit card surcharges. Exterio applies the fee you set up. It doesn’t check whether it’s allowed where you work.
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