A quotation template is the starting structure of every quote: its sections, lines and the standard wording of what is included and excluded. This guide shows how to clone a starter, add a section with a stage tag, add lines from the catalog, edit the scope and see a quote start from your template.
Open Estimating › Catalog › Catalog (/app/catalog) and click Templates. The list shows Code, Name, Mode and Sections. In a row menu you can choose View, Edit, Clone or Delete. View opens the Quotation template sheet: the template code, the default mode, the default engagement and the name, then the scope, then the sections.
The easiest start is a clone. In the row menu of finishing choose Clone. The name is prefilled Finishing (copy); type Finishing Premium and click Clone template. The toast says Quotation template cloned. and the copy appears with the next code, TPL-0005, and the same 5 sections.
Open TPL-0005. In Add section type Stairs and Railings as the Section title and choose Finishing as the Stage type (the other choices include Site prep & excavation, Foundation, Structure (RCC), Masonry, Roof, Plaster, MEP rough-in, Waterproofing, Flooring, External works and Handover). Click Add section. The toast says Section added. and it appears as section 6.
Inside the section, under Pick from catalog (price, unit and cost code), search stair and choose ITM-STAIR-RAILING — Stair / balcony railing. The description, Itemized mode and quantity 1 fill in. Click Add line. The toast says Line added.
Leave Custom line (no catalog item) selected, type Granite stair treads as the Line description and click Add line. A custom line has only a description, a mode and a quantity. Each line also has Default qty, Qty per area and Include in sell when (Always include, Without material (labour only), Labour + formwork or With material (supply & fit)).
Change a description in its box and leave the box: the toast says Line updated. Do the same with a Section title: Section renamed. To delete a line click its bin: Delete this line? names the line; Delete line confirms and the toast says Line deleted. Delete section asks the same way and says how many lines go with it and that quotes already made are unaffected; the toast says Section deleted.
On the sheet click Edit. You can change Default mode, Default engagement (Without material (labour only), Labour + formwork or With material (supply & fit)) and Template name. The code stays. Click Save template. The toast says Quotation template updated.
On the sheet click Edit scope. Two boxes open: Included in scope (one per line) and Excluded from scope (one per line). Add Stair and balcony railings to the included box and Furniture and curtains to the excluded box, then click Save scope. The toast says Scope updated. and the sheet lists 10 inclusions and 6 exclusions.
Open Estimating › Quotes › Quotations, click New quotation and go to Template & terms. The Quotation template list now offers TPL-0005 — Finishing Premium beside finishing, grey_structure and turnkey.
On a 10 marla site, a quote from the starter shows Suggested dimensions from site area: 10 marla · 27 line suggestions. A quote from your clone shows 10 marla · 28 line suggestions: the same quantities plus the new section Stairs and Balcony Railings. Step 4, What's included, starts with your inclusions and exclusions.
In the row menu choose Delete. The dialog says This soft-deletes the template. Sent quotations keep their frozen snapshots. Click Delete template. The toast says Quotation template deleted.
| Mistake | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Saving a template without a name | This field is required. | Type a Template name. |
| Adding a section without a stage tag | The section funds no project stage | Choose a Stage type such as Finishing. |
| Editing the scope and expecting old quotes to change | Quotations already created keep their own wording | Edit the scope on the quote itself. |
| Item | Meaning / rule |
|---|---|
| Stage type | The project stage a section funds |
| Include in sell when | Limits a line to one engagement |
| Qty per area | Takeoff coefficient: quantity is about site area times this |
| Scope | One line per item; new quotes start with it |
| Clone | Copies sections, lines and scope under a new code |
How do I make my own quotation template? Clone the nearest starter, name the copy, then add sections, lines and scope wording to it. Add template creates an empty shell instead.
Does changing a template change quotes I already made? No. A quote copies the template's sections, lines and scope when it is created, and quotations already created keep their own wording.
Who can edit quotation templates? The Owner and the Estimator hold the catalog permissions. The other seeded roles have none.
BuildFlow runs this whole workflow. See what BuildFlow does and what it costs, or browse all step-by-step guides.