Estimates
Create clear estimates, request approval, and preserve the decision record.
An estimate explains proposed work before it becomes authorized work.
Build the proposal
Open the job's Estimate tab and confirm the customer and vehicle. Add the services, parts, labor, quantities, prices, and diagnostic items required to explain the proposed work. Resolve variable or unidentified parts before sharing. Keep each line understandable enough for the service advisor and customer to discuss.
Review before sending
Check the scope, totals, customer, vehicle, and contact route. If a diagnostic template item belongs to the current job, it must be approved before inspection execution.
Request a decision
Open Share and review the recipients, subject, message, validity, signature requirement, and email-verification setting. The first send starts with the customer profile email; later shares may retain the job's recipient list, so review it each time. Add other addresses in To with Enter, a comma, or a semicolon; remove an address from its recipient chip if it should not receive the estimate. Reveal Cc or Bcc only when the message needs them. TorqueOps sends one email using standard email semantics: To and Cc recipients are visible to the recipients, while Bcc recipients remain hidden.
Every To, Cc, and Bcc recipient can view, approve, and sign for the job when email verification is required. Add only people authorized to make that decision. Choose Send to publish and email the proposal, or Copy new to publish and copy its link for delivery through another channel.
Copying the approval link does not send an email. Use it when the shop will deliver the live portal link through another supported channel. Provider readiness and plan conditions can affect email delivery; keep the decision record current regardless of the channel used.
Share a revision or resend the current version
Adding private draft scope does not automatically change what the customer sees. Review the unshared-item indication in Estimate. To change or remove a published line, use Pause and edit; customer decisions stay unavailable while that publication is paused.
Use Update or Copy new to publish the reviewed changes. Send current emails the existing publication; Copy current copies its existing link without publishing pending edits, sending a message, or resuming paused decisions. The job keeps the same customer URL. Use Withdraw estimate when that proposal should no longer accept decisions; its history remains readable.
Record approval accurately
Approved items may proceed to work; declined or undecided items must not be represented as authorized. When scope changes, update the estimate and request a new decision rather than relying on an informal assumption.
Keep follow-up work separate
After a completed digital inspection, an advisor selects red or yellow findings and chooses Create follow-up estimate. This creates a separate draft job and estimate for the same customer and vehicle. Review and authorize that proposal independently; it is not appended to the original diagnostic estimate. See Digital inspections.
If the decision is blocked
Check quote validity, paused or withdrawn status, and whether scope changed after sending. Requote an expired or revised proposal before asking for a new portal decision. If sharing fails, keep the dialog and draft, read its recovery message, and resolve any pending delivery before sending again. For unavailable email, review Integrations and Troubleshooting. Treat the copied approval link as private; see Data handling.