Build a Contractor Foreman estimate from a scope list and send it

1. From the main menu open Estimates (under Financial) and click + Estimate; on the Details tab choose the Project, then fill the required Title, Customer and Invoice Type.
2. Open the Items tab, add sections, and use Add Items / Modify Section to enter each line by hand, import from the Cost Items Database, import a CSV built on the Estimate Import Template, or Import From Estimate or Template.
3. Click View/Email PDF, pick a template, then click the Email (envelope) icon, tick the client in the Directory list and add CC addresses.
4. Review the subject and message and click Send. Every scope line still has to be typed or matched to a cost item first, which is where the hours go and where a missed line becomes unpaid work.

Turn this scope list from the Johnson bathroom walkthrough into a Contractor Foreman estimate with 20% markup on materials, show me the total, then send it to the client for signature.

1. 01

   Find the job and any earlier version

   The agent locates the project with list_projects, then calls list_estimates for it. A draft or a sent estimate for the same scope means a revision, so it asks whether to start a new estimate instead of creating a duplicate the client might sign by mistake.

2. 02

   Turn each scope line into a priced item

   Every line gets a Contractor Foreman item type (material, labor, equipment, subcontractor or other), a quantity and a unit. Lines with no price in your note are not guessed: the agent lists them and asks for a unit cost or a lump figure before it builds anything.

3. 03

   Apply your markup rules

   Markup follows what you said per item type, for example 20 percent on materials and none on subcontractor quotes you pass through at cost. The agent shows subtotals by type and the grand total so the numbers can be checked before anything is saved.

4. 04

   Save the draft, then wait for the send

   create_estimate stores the draft on the project. Sending to the client is a separate step that asks for your OK, and the agent names the recipient it will use so a wrong contact on the project is caught before the email leaves.

5. 05

   Stop when the project does not exist yet

   Contractor Foreman can save an estimate with no project and create the project once it is approved, but this flow builds on an existing project. With no matching job, the agent says so and stops rather than attaching the estimate to a similar name.

Draft estimate E-2291 saved: Johnson bathroom (P-0157)
14 lines: Material $3,240 (20% markup), Labor $4,680, Subcontractor $2,150 (plumbing, at cost)
Total: $10,070
Asked before building: unit cost for "niche tile", left as $0 line
After your OK: sent to Laura Johnson <laura.j@example.com> for e-signature

• Contractor Foreman lets clients review and e-sign an estimate without creating an account, and records the signature with a timestamp and IP address.
• An Approved or Sent estimate in Contractor Foreman is locked, and has to be switched back to Bidding or Draft before its lines can change.
• When a client approves a Contractor Foreman estimate online, the option to create the project Gantt schedule from the estimate lines is not offered; it appears only when the status is set to Approved manually.
• The Contractor Foreman estimate email supports CC but not BCC, attaches the PDF automatically and logs every send in the estimate Activity History.
• Pricing from the 1build local cost database inside Contractor Foreman estimates is available only on the Plus, Pro and Unlimited plans.

send_estimate asks for your OK by default. To run it on a schedule without you, switch confirmation off for that tool in your dashboard.

Sources: Contractor Foreman KB: How to create an Estimate and add Estimate Items · Contractor Foreman KB: CC contacts when you email an Estimate for approval · Contractor Foreman KB: Updating an Estimate that is not in Bidding · Contractor Foreman KB: Creating a Gantt chart from the Approved Estimate

curl https://cotlet.dev/api/v1/contractor-foreman/create_estimate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COTLET_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"project_id":"84557","title":"Johnson bathroom remodel","items":[{"name":"Demolition labor","type":"labor","quantity":16,"unit_cost":55,"markup_percent":0},{"name":"Porcelain floor tile","type":"material","quantity":60,"unit_cost":8.5,"markup_percent":20}],"notes":"Includes removal of existing tub surround. Excludes permit fees."}'

{
  "estimate_id": "E-2291",
  "project_id": "84213",
  "title": "Johnson bathroom",
  "status": "draft",
  "lines": [
    {
      "name": "Demolition labor",
      "total": 968
    },
    {
      "name": "Tile",
      "total": 621
    }
  ],
  "total": 1589
}

MCP: add https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 with the same key; the tool is contractor-foreman_create_estimate. Example data.

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