Creating Vendor Quotes

Learn how to create quote requests for vendors.

Creating a New Quote

From a Project

1. Open the project
2. Go to the Quotes tab
3. Click New Quote
4. Fill in quote details:
   • Select the Vendor
   • Enter Description (brief summary)
   • Set Due Date (when you need the quote back)
   • Add Scope of Work (detailed requirements)
5. Click Save

The quote is created with status Draft and an auto-generated quote number.

From Estimate Items

Pull items directly from your project estimate:

1. Open the quote (in Draft status)
2. Click Add Items from Estimate
3. Browse available estimate items by category
4. Select items using checkboxes
5. Click Add Selected Items

Items are added with:

• Name: the selection's client-facing name if the item has one, otherwise the estimate item's name
• Description: the selection's details (manufacturer, model, color, style, size) if the item has a selection, otherwise the estimate item's description
• Quantity calculated as: item qty × assembly qty
• Cost from the estimate item price
• Tax calculated from the estimate item tax percentage

The Name column in the picker shows the name each line will be saved with.

Using the estimate item's own name on vendor documents

A selection's name is written for the homeowner, which is not always the right label for a vendor. ReadyBuild support can turn on a company setting so that quote and purchase order lines added from the estimate always use the estimate item's own name and description, even when the item has a selection. Contact ReadyBuild support if you want it turned on. It does not change invoices or credit memos. Lines already on a quote pick up the new rule the next time their selection or estimate item changes.

Long names and partial failures

A quote line holds up to 255 characters for the name and 255 for the description. Longer values are shortened to fit, and the line is still added.

If some of the selected items can't be added, the ones that could are added and appear on the quote. An error message says how many items failed and why, for example 1 of 2 items couldn't be added to the Quote. Name cannot be blank. Fix the cause, then add only the items that failed.

Keeping Prices in Sync with the Estimate

The cost on a quote line item is a snapshot taken from the estimate item when it was added. When someone later edits that estimate item's price, ReadyBuild automatically updates the cost on any quote line items that reference it — as long as the quote has not been finalized.

Quote status	Price auto-updates?
Draft, Requested, Quoted, Awaiting Approval, Ready to Purchase	Yes
Declined, Purchased	No — the original snapshot is preserved

This keeps vendors quoting against current pricing without anyone re-adding items. Finalized quotes (Declined or Purchased) retain their historical pricing. Every auto-update is recorded on the quote's Changes tab.

You can also edit an estimate item directly from the quote's items table: click the assembly to open the editor, change the price, and save. The change is written back to the estimate and synced to eligible quotes.

Unlinked Estimate Items

A quote line stays tied to the specific estimate item it was added from. If that link breaks — the item was deleted or disabled, its assembly/area was disabled, or an option swap replaced the item — the quote line is kept (its snapshot is not removed) and displays a "Not linked to an estimate item" message beside the item name. Re-add the item from the estimate to restore automatic price updates.

Keeping Names in Sync with the Estimate

A quote line's name and description follow where they came from. When someone renames the selection or changes its details (manufacturer, model, color, style, size), or renames the estimate item or edits its description, ReadyBuild updates the matching quote lines. Which of those a line follows depends on the company setting above.

Quote status	Name and description auto-update?
Draft, Requested, Quoted, Awaiting Approval, Ready to Purchase	Yes
Declined, Purchased	No — the vendor already has them

An update replaces the line's name and description, including any you edited on the quote by hand. If the source has no name at all (for example, a blank selection name on an item with no name of its own), the line keeps the name it has. Every update is recorded on the quote's Changes tab.

Quote Details

Basic Information

Field	Description
Quote Number	Auto-generated unique identifier
Revision	Revision number (increments when requoted)
Description	Brief summary of the quote request
Due Date	When you need pricing back from the vendor
Requested By	User who requested the quote
Requested Date	When the quote was requested

Vendor Information

Field	Description
Vendor	Supplier or subcontractor contact
Vendor Email	Primary email for sending the quote request
Vendor CC	Additional email addresses to copy

Vendor Selection

Select a vendor from your contacts. The vendor email auto-populates from the contact record. You can override the email if needed.

Scope of Work

The Scope of Work field is a rich text area for detailed requirements:

• Specifications and technical details
• Site conditions and constraints
• Timeline requirements
• Special instructions

A thorough scope helps vendors provide accurate quotes.

Display Options

Control what vendors see on the quote:

Option	Description
Include Full Work Scope	Show the complete scope of work to vendor
Show Item Detail	Display individual line items
Show Description	Show item descriptions
Show Totals	Display calculated totals

Adding Line Items

Add Item Manually

1. In the Items section, click Add Item
2. Enter item details:
   • Name - Item identifier
   • Description - Specifications
   • Quantity - How many needed
   • Cost - Expected cost (optional, vendor will provide)
   • Tax - Expected tax amount
   • Product Link - URL to vendor catalog/product page
3. Save the item

Edit Items

Click on any item field to edit:

• Name, description, quantity, cost, tax
• Changes save automatically

Delete Items

Click the delete icon on an item row to remove it.

note

Items can only be added, edited, or deleted when the quote is in Draft status.

Attachments

Include supporting documents with your quote request:

Upload Files

1. Click Upload Files
2. Select files from your computer
3. Files are uploaded and attached to the quote

Add Existing Files

1. Click Add Files
2. Browse project files
3. Select files to attach

Attachments are sent with the quote email and visible to vendors.

Field Measure Indicator

If any items on the quote come from estimate assemblies marked as requiring field measurement, a Field Measure indicator appears. This alerts vendors that measurements need to be verified on site.

Quote Notes

Add internal notes to track communications:

1. Click Add Note in the sidebar
2. Enter your note
3. Notes are timestamped with the user who created them

Notes are internal only - vendors do not see them.

Duplicating a Quote

Create a new quote based on an existing one:

1. Open the original quote
2. Click Duplicate
3. A new quote is created with:
   • New quote number
   • Same vendor and details
   • Same title, long description, scope of work, and vendor view options (show item detail, show description, show totals)
   • Same line items (costs recalculated from the current estimate prices)
   • Same attachments
   • Draft status
   • Revision number incremented

Quote History

The Changes tab tracks all modifications:

• Field changes (who, when, old/new values)
• Status changes
• Item additions and deletions
• Acknowledgement updates

Next Steps

• Send the quote to your vendor
• Record the response when pricing comes back