Estimate Statuses

Overview

This article defines the five statuses associated with estimates in Buildwise, where to find them, and what happens when you change the status of an estimate.

Status Definitions
View Estimate Status
Change the Status of an Estimate

Status Definitions

Notes

An estimate must have either a Manually Approved or Client Approved status for Buildwise to add the estimated costs to your project reporting. Without this, the estimated columns throughout the system for that project will remain blank.
A project can have only one estimate with Manually Approved or Client Approved status. If you try to approve a second estimate on the same project, Buildwise shows: You can only have one approved estimate, you must cancel approval and duplicate the estimate to continue editing.
The status of an estimate is linked to the document Lock functionality. For details, refer to the article Lock an Estimate or Change Order.

Status	Description	Notes
	Draft is the default status of a newly created estimate. The estimate remains in Draft status until you change it or share it through Buildwise to your client. Your client cannot approve a Draft estimate.	Estimate is editable Unlocked by default but can be locked at any time Status can be changed at any time
	Status is automatically updated to Released when the estimate is shared with clients through Buildwise. Refer to the article Share Estimates. You can also manually select the Released status if you shared the estimate directly through a PDF download or by sharing a web link with your client.	Estimate is locked and cannot be edited Changing this status to Draft or Declined requires a warning confirmation. Changing it to Manually Approved does not.
	Manually Approved status is selected to indicate the client has approved the estimate. However, we strongly recommend that your client digitally sign the estimate through Buildwise to create a legally binding agreement.	Estimate is locked and cannot be edited Changing this status requires a warning confirmation
	Status is automatically updated to Client Approved when the estimate is digitally signed by the client through Buildwise. Note: You cannot select this status, as it can only be initiated through digital signing.	Automatically locked and cannot be edited This status can only be changed back to Draft, with a warning confirmation
	Declined status is set when your client clicks Decline on the estimate, or you can select it manually. This status cannot be updated.	Status is permanent Changing to this status requires a warning confirmation for all statuses except Draft

View Estimate Status

The status of an Estimate is displayed in three locations, on the Buildwise Estimates dashboard, the Project Estimates dashboard, or on the specific estimate page. The estimate status can be changed on any of the estimate page tabs (Estimate, Summary, SOW, and Share).

View statuses on the Estimates Dashboard
View statuses on the Project Estimates Dashboard
View status on the Project Estimate

Estimates Dashboard

In the left sidebar, click Estimates. The Estimates dashboard lists estimates for all Active projects. The status is displayed for each estimate.

Project Estimates Dashboard

On the project dashboard > Estimates tab, the status is displayed for each estimate created for the project.

Project Estimate

The status is displayed on the Project Estimate page.

Change the Status of an Estimate

Buildwise will automatically change the status when you share an estimate with your client and when they digitally sign the document through Buildwise. You can also manually change the status using the status dropdown.

On the Project Estimate page, click the status dropdown to select the new status.

Depending on the estimate's current status, a warning confirmation popup may open. The table below shows what to expect when you manually change an estimate's status.

Warning: Once an estimate is changed to Declined, the status cannot be updated.

From status >>	To status
Draft	Any status	You can manually update the status of a Draft document to Released, Manually Approved, or Declined at any time. Note: If you select Declined, you will not receive a warning confirmation.
Released	Manually Approved	You can select Manually Approved status to indicate approval within Buildwise.
Released	Draft	If you revert the Released status to Draft, a Warning! confirmation popup opens: Warning! This Estimate has been released to your client. Are you sure you want to update? Click Yes to confirm.
Released	Declined	If you change the status of a Released document to Declined, a Warning! confirmation popup opens: Warning! By unlocking you risk changing your baseline estimate for all financial reports Click Yes to confirm.
Manually Approved or Client Approved	Draft or Released	Note: You can only change the status of a Manually Approved or Client Approved estimate while its project has no expenses and no approved change orders. A Client Approved estimate can only go back to Draft. If you change the status of a Manually Approved or Client Approved document to Draft or Released, a Warning! confirmation popup opens: Warning! This Estimate has been approved by your client. Are you sure you want to revert this to [Draft/Released] mode and re-send? Click Yes to confirm. Moving an estimate back to Draft unlocks it and removes the client's signature and the status dates.
Manually Approved or Client Approved	Declined	Only a Manually Approved estimate can be changed to Declined. A Client Approved estimate cannot. If you change the status of a Manually Approved or Client Approved document to Declined, a Warning! confirmation popup opens: Warning! This Estimate was already approved. You will not be able to edit this once declined. Are you sure you want to proceed? Click Yes to confirm.

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