Change Orders

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Handling change orders is very simple. If the changes are small or there are not too many you can just add them to the original estimate and then present your customer with the new estimate with the changes added. To separate the change order items on the estimate you could enter "Change Order" in the task field for each item and then print the estimate with all the items grouped by task. Now all the change order items will be grouped together with subtotal.

Full Version Only

If you have a lot of changes or you do not want to change your original estimate, you can just create a change order for the original estimate. Then print it and have your customer sign it.

You can also print a blank change order sheet for a project, which you can use on site. You can fill it in by hand and have your customer sign it. When you get back to the office you can enter the information in to the Quick Estimator™ 2005. To do this, open the original estimate for the project and click Print. Select Blank Change Order from the Select Report drop-down list under Office Copies. You can also print it from the Printing Centre.

Clicking Main Menu Change Orders on the Menu Bar will display a list of all your change orders. You can sort the list by any column by clicking the column heading. Click the same column heading again to sort in the opposite direction.



To find a change order just click a field in any column you want to search (i.e. Change Order Name) and start typing. Quick Estimator™ 2005 will move to the nearest match. Keep typing until you find the one you want. If there is more than one match (i.e. you have two change orders named "Smith Change Order") just hold down the Shift key and hit Enter. Quick Estimator™ 2005 will move to the next match.

F If you have the Full version you can also find change orders by change order barcode. If you have a barcode scanner you can scan a change order barcode on a change order for example into the Find By Barcode field and Quick Estimator™ 2005 will open that change order if found. If you don't have a barcode scanner, you can type the barcode number in instead and hit the Enter key. You will find the barcode number printed beside the barcode. See the example below.



Click the Add New Change Order button to add a new change order.

Double-clicking a row will open the Estimates screen where you can view or edit the complete details for the estimate.

The Change Orders screen is where you create, view and edit change orders. All items in a change order can be divided into five categories, or they can be displayed in one list. Use the Item List View drop-down list to switch between views. If you have the full version you can also view the items by Assembly. This will only apply if you have used assemblies in the change order.



Use the Browse drop-down list to browse through your change orders. You can also search for a change order by typing a change order name in the Browse drop-down list. As you type the list will filter out the closest matches. Keep typing until you find the one you want. Hit the Enter key to move to that change order.

F If you have the Full version you can also find change orders by change order barcode. If you have a barcode scanner you can scan a change order barcode on a change order for example into the Find By Barcode field and Quick Estimator™ 2005 will open that change order if found. If you don't have a barcode scanner, you can type the barcode number in instead and hit the Enter key. You will find the barcode number printed beside the barcode. See the example below.



You can check the Customer View check box to hide all cost information and only show selling prices. This is useful if you are showing the change order to the customer on your laptop. Uncheck it to return to normal view. It is also a handy way to see the selling price for individual items.

Clicking the Options button will display the drop-down menu shown below.


Select Add New Change Order to add a new change order.

Select View / Edit Introduction to view or edit the introduction for the change order. This will open the Estimate Introduction screen.
Select View / Edit Legal Notice to view or edit the legal notice for the change order. This will open the Estimate Legal Notice screen .
Select Expand Item List to expand the item list area all the way to the bottom of the Change Orders screen. This hides all the information at the bottom and gives you more room to view and edit items. This is useful if the change order has a lot of items. Select this option again to return the screen to normal view.

Select Custom Fields to view or edit the custom field information for the change order.

Select Add / View Assemblies to view, edit, or add assemblies to the change order. See the Adding Assemblies topic to learn more about adding assemblies to an estimate or a change order.

F Select Add / View Super Assemblies to view, edit, or add super assemblies to the estimate. See the Adding Super Assemblies topic to learn more about adding super assemblies to an estimate or a change order.

Select Adjust Price to adjust the total price for the change order. This will open the Adjust Price screen. See the Adjusting The Price topic to learn more about this screen. This feature is useful if you want to round the price up or down to whole dollar amounts or to add a contingency to your change order.

Select Recalculate to recalculate and refresh all numbers.

Select Schedule to open the Project Schedule screen to view or edit the schedule for that project.

Select Job Tracking to open the Job Tracking screen where you can view or edit job tracking information for the current change order. See the Job Tracking topic to learn more.

F Select Create Quick Estimator Invoice to use the built-in invoicing feature to create an invoice from the change order. See the Built-in Invoicing topic to learn more.

F Select Create QuickBooks® Invoice to copy the change order to QuickBooks®. QuickBooks® must be running with you company file open. See the QuickBooks Invoicing topic to learn more.

F If you have created a built-in invoice Quick Estimator invoice, the Invoice Payments option will be available. Select this option to open the Invoice Payments screen. See the Built-in Invoicing topic to learn more.

Select Delete Change Order to delete the current change order.

Creating A New Change Order

If the Change Orders screen is already open, click the Options button and select Add New Change Order, otherwise click Main Menu then Change Orders on the Menu Bar on the Main Menu. and click the Add New Change Order button.

The first step is to choose the estimate that this change order will be linked to from the Estimate drop-down list. A change order must be linked to an existing estimate.

If you are not using the Replication feature, the Change Order # will be automatically entered for you. You can edit the number as required. If you are using the Replication feature then you will have to enter the Change Order # yourself. The replication feature is only available in the Full version.

When you select an estimate, a default name will be entered in the Name field. You can change this to something more meaningful.

Select the payment terms for this change order from the Terms drop-down list. If you have setup a default terms in the Setup / Defaults section, then those terms will already be selected. You can change them if you want.

The current date will already be entered in the Date field. If you want to change the date, click anywhere in the Date field to display a drop-down calendar. Select the date you want from the calendar. See the Entering Dates topics to learn more about the drop-down calendar.

Select the estimator for this change order from the Estimator drop-down list. If you have setup a default estimator in the Setup / Defaults section, then that estimator will already be selected. You can change it if you want.

Select the introduction you want to use for this change order from the Introduction drop-down list. The introduction will be printed at the top of your change order. Typical uses for the introduction would be to give a brief outline of what the change order is for and/or to convey some other information or notes to the customer. If you have setup a default introduction in the Setup / Defaults section, then that introduction will already be selected. If you want to edit the introduction for this change order click the Options button and select View / Edit Introduction. This will open the Estimate Introduction screen shown below.

Use Ctrl + V to paste text in that you have copied from another application. You can click the Edit In Word Processor button to open the text in a small word processor where you can format it. See the image below. When you have finished typing the introduction, click the Close button.

Select the warranty you want to use for this change order from the Warranty drop-down list. If you have setup a default warranty in the Setup / Defaults section, then that warranty will already be selected. You can change it if you want..

Click the Options button and select Show Legal Notice to enter any legal information you want printed on the change order. This will open the Estimate Legal Notice screen shown below.

Use Ctrl + V to paste text in that you have copied from another application. . If you have setup a default legal notice in the Setup / Defaults section, then that legal notice will already be entered. You can edit or delete is as required.

The legal notice will be printed just above the signature / agreement area on the customer change order. Some states or provinces require certain legal notices to be presented to home owners prior to entering in to a contract for home improvements.

If you do not require a legal notice, you can just leave it blank or use it for another purpose such as more detailed warranty information or any other default information you want to have printed on your change orders. When you have finished typing, click the Close button.

To add items to your change order, first select the category by clicking any the category buttons If you have selected Not Grouped or Grouped By Assembly in the Item List View drop-down list then these buttons will not be visible.

There are seven different ways to add individual items to the change order which are listed below. Some of these options will only be available in the Full version. These options give you great flexibility when adding items to a change order.

1.

Type a partial or full item name in the Item field and press Tab or Enter and the item will be looked up in the cost book. If the item is not found you will be asked if you want to add it to the cost book.

If you click Yes, the small screen shown below will open. This lets you add basic information about the item.

If you have select Grouped By Category in the Item List View drop-down list, the

Category will be set to the category selected on the Change Orders screen. The Name will be filed in with what you had typed into the Change Orders screen. Enter the rest of the information for the item and click the OK button. This will save the item to the cost book and return you to the Change Orders screen where the item will have been updated with the information you entered. Click the Cancel button to not add the item to the cost book.

If you click No when asked if you want to add the item to the cost book, you can carry on entering the rest of the information for the item in the change order without adding it to the cost book.

If you don't want to be asked every time you enter an item that is not in the cost book, click the Cancel button. You can switch this back on from the Setup / Defaults screen under General.

2.

F Type * in the Item field and press Tab or Enter to select an one or more items from your Cost Book Favorites list. This opens a screen exactly like the Cost Book Item Selector screen but which only shows items you have added to your Favorites list. The favorites list allows you to add your most used items to a list so that you can easily locate them without having to browse through all your cost book items. See the Cost Book Favorites topic to learn more about managing favorites.

3.

Type an Item code in the Item field and press Tab or Enter and the item will be looked up in the cost book. (Only applies if you use Item Codes (CSI Codes)). If the code is found the item will be added to the change order.

4.

F Type an item barcode number in the Item field and press Tab or Enter and the item will be looked up in the cost book. If the item is found it will be added to the change order.

5.

F Scan an item barcode into the Item field using a barcode scanner and the item will be looked up in the cost book. If the item is found it will be added to the change order.

6.

Click the button to the right of the item field to open the Cost Book Item Selector screen where you can add multiple items at once. This screen allows to easily find and choose items from your cost book and add them to the change order. If you have selected Grouped By Category in the Item List View drop-down list then only items from the category chosen on the Change Orders screen will be available on the Cost Book Item Selector screen. See the Cost Book Item Selector topic to learn more about this screen.

7.

F To enter a note or heading item type - followed by the text you want in the Item field and press Tab or Enter. None of the other fields will apply and they will be set to blank.. This is useful if you just want to add a note item that does not have a quantity or price or if you want to add a group heading to organize the items in the estimate. These items will be formatted in bold text both on screen and when printed. You must leave the - (dash) at the beginning for it to be recognized as a note. If you remove it Quick Estimator™ 2005 will assume it is a regular item.

In the Variation / Type field you can enter information like color, sizes, type or any other information you want to give your customer about an item. This is optional. If you have setup multiple variations for an item in the Cost Book, then these variations will be available from the drop-down list.

Next enter or select a task that you want to group this item by in the Task drop-down list. If you have selected a default task for the item in the Cost Book, then that task will already be entered for you. Using tasks is optional but will give you more control and options when printing your change order. You can then print your change order grouped by task so that all the items will be grouped together with their own subtotals. You are not limited to what is on the list, you can type in what you require. To add to or edit the list of tasks, simply double-click the Tasks drop-down list. This will open a screen where you can add, edit or delete tasks. See the Project Tasks topic to learn more about this screen.

The Supplier field will already be filled in if you have entered a supplier for the item in the Cost Book. You can change the supplier or if one has not been entered just select one from the list. Double-click the Supplier field to open the Suppliers screen where you can add, edit or delete suppliers. Having suppliers assigned to items allows you to print purchase orders.

The Unit field will already be filled in but you can change it by selecting a new unit from the drop-down list. You are not limited to what is on the list, you can just type in what you require. If you change the unit you will also have to change the unit cost.

Next enter the quantity in the Quantity field. If you used the Cost Book Item Selector to add an item then the quantity will already be entered. Once you enter the quantity, the total cost for that item will be calculated. You can change the quantity at any time and every thing will be recalculated. You can also double-click the Quantity field to open the pop-up Calculator to help you calculate the quantity.

The Unit Cost field will already be filled in if you have entered unit costs for all the items on the Cost Book. You can change the cost if you want.

The overhead, profit and taxes will all be calculated and the totals will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

You can also add a description or note to any line item. You can have a different note for customers and your crew. This is useful if you would like to give more information about a product or describe how you to install it. To do this check the Show Line Item Notes check box. A blank line will appear below each item where you can type free screen text. It is divided into two sections. The left section is for customer notes and the right is for crew notes. Use the two small buttons to the right of the Show Line Item Notes check box to increase or decrease the height of the field. When typing use the Enter key to move to a new line. You can include as much text as you require. Uncheck the Show Line Item Notes check box to return to normal view. If you have added customer or crew notes to items in the Cost Book and have checked the Add Notes To Estimate check box, then those notes will automatically be added to the change order when you add the item

Each line item will be given a number as it is added to the change order. This number is used to sort the items on screen and on printed reports. You can edit these numbers to resort the items or you can use the up and down buttons at the bottom of the details area to move items up or down in the list.

To delete an item, click the button to the right of the item you want to delete.

Click the Options button and select Add / View Assemblies to add one or more Assemblies to the change order. Assemblies are a powerful way to create estimates and change orders. See the Adding Assemblies topic to learn more about using assemblies in estimates and change orders. See the Assemblies topic to learn more about creating assemblies.

Click the Options button and select Add / View Super Assemblies to add one or more Super Assemblies to the estimate. Super Assemblies are a combination of regular assemblies are a powerful way to create estimates and change orders. See the Adding Assemblies topic to learn more about using super assemblies in estimates and change orders. See the Super Assemblies topic to learn more about creating super assemblies.

Items that belong to an assembly are color coded down the left side in green. Items that belong to a super assembly are color coded in orange. This makes it easy to tell which items were added individually and which ones were added as part of an assembly or super assembly. Items that are not in your cost book such as items you just typed in or notes are color coded in blue.

You can lock an item that is part of an assembly or super assembly by checking the box. This prevents the quantity of the item from being changed when you change the assembly or super assembly quantity. This will only apply to items that belong to assemblies or super assemblies.

You can adjust the price of your change order before tax by clicking the Options button and selecting Adjust Price. This will open the Adjust Price screen. See the Adjusting The Price topic to learn more about this screen. This feature is useful if you want to round the price up or down to whole dollar amounts or to add a contingency to your change order.

Click the Options button and select Recalculate to recalculate and refresh all numbers.

Enter the number of days the change order is valid for in the Valid For Days field. If you have set a Default Estimate Valid For Days on the Defaults section of the Setup / Defaults screen, then that default will be entered for you.

The Completed check box can be checked later once the work is completed.

Click the Print button to open the Change Order Print Options screen. See the Printing Change Orders topic to learn more about printing change orders.

Click the Close button to close the Change Orders screen. If this is a new change order, you will be asked if you want to save it or not.

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