THE TROJAN TOOLKIT
Estimate Generator
Build a clear scope, calculate the total and give your customer something useful to review.
Trojan Document Studio
Put the project into focus.
One working document. Exact decimal math. Your scope and terms.
Your business
Your customer
Document identity
Add your actual logo and choose a readable accent.
Your work, on your terms.
Document fields and logos stay in this browser workspace. Saving is optional. JSON and CSV downloads contain the details you entered.
Saved records are available to other people using this browser profile. Turning saving off stops new saves. Clearing browser data can remove saved work. Keep exported backups.
A PRACTICAL FIELD GUIDE
Give the customer a scope they can evaluate
This free estimate generator organizes customer details, quantities, selling prices, manual tax settings, scope and exclusions in a reviewable document. Use it after considering internal costs, then preserve the estimate before revisions or invoicing. The customer should understand what the price covers, what remains undecided and the next step. Clear presentation should support that discussion rather than conceal uncertainty.
Explain the work before scheduling
Separate deliverables into readable lines and state assumptions and exclusions. If access, measurements or product choices remain unconfirmed, describe that uncertainty instead of implying every project detail is settled.
Present a requested deposit clearly
Show the estimate total and any requested deposit as separate figures. The remainder describes what would remain after that amount. A requested deposit is not a payment receipt, a verified acceptance or confirmation that the project has been booked.
Move from planning to an invoice
When the scope is ready for billing, explicitly copy the estimate into the invoice workflow in the same browser tab. Review the invoice date, due date and amount paid. The transfer creates a new billing document; it does not turn the estimate into proof of payment.
How to use it
- 01
Start with the customer and reference
Enter the issuing business, the customer, an estimate number, the prepared date and an optional valid through date. Use a reference your team can recognize. Review the agreed currency before entering prices; no exchange rate conversion takes place.
- 02
Enter customer facing scope and prices
Add descriptions, quantities and unit prices for the proposed work. Keep internal wages, overhead and target margins in the job calculator or your own records. The estimate should communicate what the customer receives and the selling price for that scope.
- 03
Make the calculation choices explicit
Configure an item discount if appropriate, then select which items, shipping or additional fees are taxable and enter the manual rate. Discounts apply to items before tax; shipping and fees are outside that discount. Inspect the preview rather than assuming every charge is treated alike.
- 04
Explain the boundaries of the proposal
Use the scope, exclusions, payment terms and notes fields to record what remains subject to confirmation. State the next action the customer should take. Keep any requested deposit distinct from an amount already received so the document does not imply a payment occurred.
- 05
Save the estimate before the next stage
Export the editable JSON record and calculation CSV, and inspect the print or PDF output. Save to the optional local records if useful. When creating an invoice from the estimate, review the copied scope and totals and enter the correct billing details.
FROM INPUT TO DECISION
Worked example: scope, tax and a requested deposit
Fictional USD estimate: two taxable lines totaling $350, a $50 fixed item discount, a manually entered 10% rate, no shipping or additional fee, and a requested $100 deposit.
| Document detail | Example | What the customer can review |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed work | 2 units at $125 and 1 unit at $100 | Quantity and price are visible for each line |
| Item discount and tax | $50 discount; $30 tax | Tax uses the $300 net taxable item base |
| Total estimate | $330 | The deposit does not reduce the estimate total |
| Requested deposit and remainder | $100 requested; $230 remainder | A request for payment, not a record that it was received |
| Scope note | Confirm the selected finish before scheduling | An unresolved decision stays explicit |
The 10% rate is only a calculation example. When the estimate is copied to the invoice workflow, the recorded amount paid begins at zero and must be entered from the actual payment record.
Clarify a change before changing the price
When the customer adds work or changes a product, revise the description as well as the price. Preserve the earlier version so the difference remains understandable.
Keep price construction separate from presentation
Inspect internal costs in the job profit calculator, then present the deliverable in the estimate. Neither tool verifies whether entered costs or tax treatment fit the actual transaction.
Questions & limits
The estimate is prepared from your inputs. It does not inspect a property, verify measurements, retrieve supplier prices, determine tax rules or establish legal acceptance.
The document engine rounds using the chosen currency’s minor unit. Local records are optional and manually saved. Estimate transfer uses the current browser tab and requires an explicit action; it does not send customer details in a public URL.
Can I start with the job profit calculator?
Yes. Inspect internal costs there first. The estimate can explicitly import a prepared quote amount for review; internal cost categories are not transferred into the customer document.
Does the deposit reduce the tax calculation?
It affects the displayed remainder, not the taxable base. Tax follows the configured taxable charges after the item discount. Confirm the transaction’s appropriate treatment separately.
What happens when I create an invoice from the estimate?
An explicit transfer copies document information in the same browser tab. Billing details reset for review and amount paid starts at zero. Check the invoice before saving.
Is a saved estimate a permanent backup?
No. Browser storage can be cleared and does not synchronize automatically. Download JSON for restoration and retain a reviewed PDF or printed copy when useful.
Help better prospects reach the estimate stage
Trojan can organize service information, qualification questions and project examples around the work you want to quote. Connect a useful website with a clearer next step for the customer.
Improve your estimate request path