Setup: Estimate Line Items
Estimate line items are a catalog of additional charges that can be added to per-unit estimates — steep pitch charges, extra story fees, per-chimney rates. Charges tied to a measurement calculate automatically; everything else is a flat rate the rep sets a quantity for.
Before you start
Requires Feature Settings access — Manager, Admin, or Owner roles, or a custom role granted that access.
Estimate line items apply to per-unit packages only. They aren’t available on cost plus margin estimates, where additional charges are handled through catalog items and custom items on the estimate itself.
When would I use estimate line items?
- A steep pitch charge of $100 per steep square
- An extra story fee
- A per-chimney rate
- Any charge that comes up often enough that reps shouldn’t be typing it each time
Where do I create them?
Go to Settings → Products → Estimate Line Items.
From there you can manage existing line items or create a new one.
What do I set on a line item?
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name | What it’s called on the estimate |
| Amount | The rate or flat charge |
| Measurement tie | Optionally tie it to an input or calculation from a measurement template |
Tying a line item to a measurement works the same way products do today.
How does a line item know its quantity?
It depends on whether it’s tied to a measurement:
| Line item | Quantity on the estimate |
|---|---|
| Tied to a measurement that’s on the template | Calculates automatically from that measurement |
| Everything else | Comes in as a flat rate at quantity 1 |
Reps can override either on the estimate — changing a calculated quantity, or setting the number of chimneys on a flat-rate line.
An auto-calculated line item with nothing to count — a steep pitch charge on a roof with no steep slopes — appears at quantity zero rather than disappearing.
What can a line item be tied to?
Any input or calculation on a measurement template. Common ones:
- Hip and ridge length
- Ice and water length
- Steep pitch squares
- Any custom input your templates capture
Tips and gotchas
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Tie line items to measurements wherever you can. A charge that calculates itself is a charge that never gets forgotten. A flat rate someone has to remember to adjust is the one that gets missed on the week you’re busiest.
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A measurement tie only works if the measurement is on the template. Pointing a line item at a calculation your templates don’t capture leaves it as a flat rate at quantity 1. Check that the measurement actually exists where you need it.
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Build the catalog from what you actually charge for. Go through your last twenty jobs and find what reps added by hand or wrote into a note. Those are your line items.
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Zero quantities are a feature. A steep pitch charge showing zero tells the rep the system checked and there were no steep squares. A hidden line item tells them nothing, and they’ll wonder whether it was considered.
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Name them the way a customer would understand. These can be shown to the homeowner in the proposal breakdown. “Steep Pitch — Additional Labor” reads better than “SP Fee 2.”
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Review quantities before sending. Auto-calculated line items are only as good as the measurement behind them. If the measurement was wrong, the line item is wrong in the same direction.