Every estimate is in one of five statuses. Knowing the status tells you what (if anything) you need to do.
The statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being built. Not sent yet. Only your team sees it. |
| Sent | Emailed/SMSed to the customer. The customer can open it but hasn't yet. |
| Viewed | The customer opened the link. |
| Approved | The customer signed. Deposit (if required) is paid. |
| Declined | The customer explicitly declined. |
A separate Expired flag fires when the estimate passes its expiry date without action. It can still be approved post-expiry — but the customer sees a banner explaining the expiry.
What triggers each transition
| From | To | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Sent | You click Send |
| Sent | Viewed | Customer opens the link (any device) |
| Viewed | Approved | Customer signs the estimate |
| Viewed | Declined | Customer clicks Decline |
Note
There's no "recall" action. Once an estimate is sent, the customer's link stays live until they approve, decline, or it expires. If you sent the wrong version, edit and resend — the customer's link refreshes to the latest.
What changes when
| Status | What changes |
|---|---|
| Sent | Automated follow-up clock starts (default: nudge at 3 and 7 days). |
| Viewed | You get a real-time notification. |
| Approved | The linked job (if any) is created or scheduled. The activity timeline records the signed PDF. |
| Declined | The estimate is read-only. The reason (if the customer typed one) shows on the estimate page. |
Filtering by status
The Estimates page has a status filter at the top. Common views:
- Sent + Viewed — what's outstanding.
- Viewed only — high-intent, no decision yet (good follow-up list).
- Declined — for the why are we losing deals analysis.