By Gravun Team · Published October 1, 2026 · Last updated October 1, 2026.

From Quote to Paid: How to Send an Estimate, Get It Signed and Collect Payment

Short answer: Send a clear written estimate soon after the first conversation, ideally the same day. Let the customer sign and accept it online. Take a deposit at signing. Invoice the day the work is done, with a pay-now link. Follow up on a fixed schedule until you get a yes, a no, or the money.

Key points

• An estimate or quote is a price before the work. An invoice is a bill after the work. A proposal is a quote with a sales case attached.
• A good estimate states the scope, the price, what is not included, the payment terms and an expiry date.
• Electronic signatures are broadly recognized in the US and Canada for ordinary business agreements. Some document types are excluded.
• A deposit at signing protects your cash and confirms the customer is serious.
• Most late payments come from slow invoicing and no follow-up, not from bad customers.
• On Stripe's US standard rate, a $4,000 card payment costs $116.30 in fees. A bank debit for the same amount costs $5.00 (as of October 2026).

What is the difference between an estimate, a quote, a proposal and an invoice?

An estimate and a quote both tell the customer the price before work starts. A proposal does the same and also explains why they should pick you. An invoice asks for payment after work is done or a milestone is reached.

Many owners use "estimate" and "quote" as the same word. The safe habit is to say on the document whether the price is fixed or can change.

What should every estimate include?

Every estimate should answer five questions: what you will do, what it costs, what is not included, how and when the customer pays, and how long the price is good for. If one of those is missing, expect a dispute or a delay.

Use this checklist.

What is the step-by-step process from first call to money in the bank?

The process has nine steps. Each one has a clear handoff, so nothing sits waiting on someone to remember it.

1. Capture the request. Write down the name, phone, email, address and what they need while you are still on the call. Do not trust memory.
2. Qualify and scope. Ask enough questions to price it. Visit the site or ask for photos if you need to. Confirm budget and timing.
3. Build the estimate. Use saved prices so you are not working out the numbers from scratch each time. Add the scope, exclusions, terms and expiry date.
4. Send it fast. Send by text and email with one link. Tell the customer when it is coming, then hit that time.
5. Follow up. Use the schedule in the next section. Stop when you get a clear yes or no.
6. Get the signature. The customer reviews, signs and accepts online. Both sides get a copy.
7. Collect the deposit. Ask for it at signing, in the same flow. Book the job once it lands.
8. Do the work and record changes. Any extra work gets a written change order with a price, approved before you start it.
9. Invoice the same day, then remind. Send the invoice with a pay-now link when the job is done. Send reminders before and after the due date. Send a receipt and a thank-you when paid.

How fast should I send a quote, and how often should I follow up?

Send the quote the same day if you can, and within one business day if you cannot. Then follow up on a fixed schedule over about two weeks.

We are not quoting a statistic here, because we could not verify one. The reasoning is simple. The customer has the problem on their mind today, and may be asking more than one business.

Here is a suggested follow-up schedule. It is a starting practice, not a rule. Adjust it to your job size and how your customers like to be reached.

Three tips make this work:

• Give every message a reason. A new detail, a date, an answer. "Just checking in" is easy to ignore.
• Make no an easy answer. A fast no saves you both time. Ask for it plainly.
• Stop when asked. If a customer says stop, stop. Follow the rules on consent for business texts and emails where you operate.

Are e-signatures legally valid?

Yes, in general. Electronic signatures are broadly recognized in the United States and Canada for ordinary business agreements such as estimates, quotes and service contracts. There are exceptions for some document types.

United States. The federal ESIGN Act, at 15 U.S.C. § 7001, says a signature, contract or other record "may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form." It also sets consent rules where a law requires that consumers get information in writing. Section 7003 lists exceptions. These include wills, family law matters such as adoption and divorce, court documents, and certain notices such as foreclosure or eviction notices on a primary residence.

At the state level, most states have adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA). A New York City Bar Association report dated January 16, 2026 states that UETA has been enacted in all 49 states other than New York, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Canada. Part 2 of the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) provides for electronic alternatives "where federal laws contemplate the use of paper." That part covers federal laws. Most everyday business contracts fall under provincial law.

For the provinces, this part relies on Adobe's published summary of Canadian e-signature law, which is a vendor summary and not the statutes themselves. It names Ontario's Electronic Commerce Act, 2000, the Electronic Transactions Acts of British Columbia and Alberta, and Quebec's Act to establish a legal framework for information technology. It lists common exclusions as wills, trusts created by wills, and powers of attorney for financial affairs. It adds that British Columbia excludes certain documents that transfer interests in land.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check with a lawyer in your state or province before you rely on it for your contracts.

How do I ask for a deposit, and how should I set up a payment schedule?

Ask for the deposit in the estimate itself, as a normal term, and collect it at the moment of signing. Customers accept a deposit far more easily when it is written down from the start than when it comes up later.

A worked example, with stated assumptions. Take a $12,000 project, four weeks long, with $4,500 of materials. One setup is 40% at signing ($4,800), 40% at the midpoint ($4,800) and 20% on completion ($2,400). The first payment covers materials. The last payment is small enough that a slow final check does not hurt your cash.

Three rules for deposits:

• Put the refund terms in writing. Say what happens if the customer cancels, and what happens if you do.
• Tie payments to milestones, not dates. "Due when cabinets are installed" is clearer than "due March 15".
• Check local limits. Some places have rules about deposits for certain kinds of work, such as home improvement. Ask a lawyer or your trade association what applies to you.

Which payment methods should I accept, and what do card fees cost?

Offer at least a card option and a bank payment option. Cards are the easiest for customers to use. Bank payments cost you less on large invoices.

The figures below are Stripe's standard published rates, taken from Stripe's own pricing pages on 1 October 2026. Other processors charge different rates. Check the processor's page before you decide, because prices change.

What that means on a real invoice, using the US rates above:

• A $4,000 invoice paid by card online costs $116.00 plus $0.30, so $116.30.
• The same $4,000 paid by ACH Direct Debit would be 0.8%, or $32, but the cap applies. The fee is $5.00.
• A $300 invoice paid by card costs $8.70 plus $0.30, so $9.00.

For small invoices, card fees are a fair price for getting paid on the spot. For large invoices, show the bank option first.

Rules on passing card fees to customers differ by place and card network. Check with your processor before you add a surcharge.

What are the most common mistakes between quote and payment?

The most common mistake is delay: a slow quote, no follow-up, and an invoice sent days after the job. The rest are gaps in the paperwork.

• Quoting by voice only. Put every price in writing.
• Vague scope. "Fix bathroom" invites argument. List the work.
• One follow-up, then silence. Many customers simply get busy. A schedule fixes this.
• No deposit on jobs with materials. You end up financing the customer's project.
• Extra work with no change order. This is the top cause of a disputed final invoice.
• Invoicing late. Every day you wait to invoice is a day added to getting paid.

What should I write in a follow-up text and email?

Keep it short, name the job, give one clear next step, and make it easy to say no. Copy these and change the parts in brackets.

Follow-up text (day 1):

Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Business]. I sent the estimate for [job] yesterday. Did it come through okay? Happy to answer any questions. You can review and sign here: [link]

Follow-up email (day 7):

Subject: Your estimate for [job]

Hi [First name],

I wanted to follow up on the estimate I sent on [date] for [job] at [address]. The total is [amount], and the price is good until [expiry date].

If you would like to go ahead, you can review and sign it here: [link]. A deposit of [amount] books your start date. The earliest date I have open is [date].

If something in the scope or price is not right for you, tell me and I will see what I can change. If you have decided to go another way, no problem at all. A quick reply lets me close the file.

Thanks, [Your name] [Business] | [Phone]

Payment reminder (invoice overdue):

Hi [First name], a quick reminder that invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. You can pay online here: [link]. If it is already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this note.

How does this work in Gravun?

Gravun is the business operating system for any kind of business. It keeps the whole quote-to-paid flow in one app, with one login and one bill, on web, iPhone and Android. Here is how the steps above map to it.

• Capture. Forms create leads, and every text, email and website chat lands in one inbox, tied to the contact.
• Build. You write estimates from a price book, so your prices are consistent from one job to the next.
• Send and sign. Customers can view, sign and accept estimates online. Signatures are handled by Gravun Sign (e-signatures).
• Follow up. Sequences send scheduled follow-up texts and emails, so the day 1, day 7 and day 14 messages go out without you remembering them.
• Get paid. Invoices support online payment, deposits and reminders. Payments and refunds are recorded against the customer.
• Do the work. Jobs, the shared calendar and tasks sit in the same place as the estimate and the invoice.

Pricing is per user per month, in USD, as shown on gravun.com on 1 October 2026. Starter is $25 and includes the CRM, deal pipeline, invoicing and payment collection, and automated follow-up sequences. Professional is $59 and adds two-way SMS (up to 2,500 messages a month), unlimited two-way email and two-way calling (up to 500 minutes a month). Scale is $99 and adds higher limits, invoicing automation and more. See /pricing for the full list, and /platform for what each part does.

Who it fits. Owners who quote, sign and invoice many times a week and want one tool for all of it. Trades and home services are a strong fit.

Who it may not fit. If you send two invoices a month, a simple invoicing tool or your accounting software may be all you need. If you are happy with separate tools that already work well together, switching has a cost. Gravun is also new. It launches in 2026, so we have no long track record or customer reviews to point to. See how it stacks up against other tools at /compare.

Frequently asked questions

Is a quote legally binding?

A quote can become a binding agreement once the customer accepts it, for example by signing. That is why the scope, price, exclusions and expiry date should be clear. The rules vary by place, so check with a lawyer for your situation.

Can I charge more than my estimate?

It depends on what the document says and on local law. If you call it an estimate, state that the final price may change if the scope changes. Get any change approved in writing before you do the extra work.

How long should a quote stay valid?

There is no fixed rule. Pick a period that fits how fast your material and labor costs move, such as 30 days, or shorter if prices change quickly. Whatever you choose, print the expiry date on the quote.

How much deposit should I ask for?

There is no single right number. A common approach is to set the deposit so it at least covers the materials you must buy up front. Some places limit deposits for certain kinds of work, so check your local rules.

What is the fastest way to get an invoice paid?

Send it the day the work is finished, include a pay-now link, and offer more than one payment method. Then send a reminder before the due date and another after it. Most delays come from late invoices and no reminders.

Should I accept credit cards if the fees are high?

For most small invoices, yes, because customers pay faster when it is easy. For large invoices, offer a bank payment option as well. On Stripe's US standard rates as of October 2026, a $4,000 card payment costs $116.30 and an ACH debit costs $5.00.

How many times should I follow up on a quote?

A reasonable practice is four or five touches over two weeks, mixing text, phone and email. Give each message a reason, and make it easy for the customer to say no. Stop as soon as they ask you to.

Do I need separate tools for estimates, signatures and invoices?

No. You can use separate tools, and many businesses do. A single system saves retyping the same customer and job details three times and keeps the estimate, signature, invoice and payment in one record.

Try it on your next quote

The best test is a real job. Start the 14-day free trial at gravun.com/free-trial. No credit card is needed, and you can cancel anytime.

Sources

All checked on 1 October 2026.

• Stripe pricing, United States: https://stripe.com/pricing
• Stripe pricing, Canada: https://stripe.com/en-ca/pricing
• 15 U.S. Code § 7001, General rule of validity (ESIGN Act), Cornell Legal Information Institute: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/7001
• 15 U.S. Code § 7003, Specific exceptions (ESIGN Act), Cornell Legal Information Institute: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/7003
• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Part 2, Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-8.6/page-5.html
• New York City Bar Association, report on enacting the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in New York (January 16, 2026): https://www.nycbar.org/reports/modernizing-new-york-electronic-signatures-esra-ueta/
• Adobe, Electronic signature laws and regulations, Canada (a vendor summary, used for the provincial laws): https://helpx.adobe.com/legal/esignatures/regulations/canada.html