How to get an estimate approved and signed online
An estimate nobody signs is just a price the customer can shop around. Asking for a signature turns it into an agreement on scope and price, and asking for it online means the customer can say yes from the couch the same evening instead of "we'll think about it". Here's how to set up an estimate so approving it takes one tap.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
What a signable estimate needs
- Scope in plain words: what you'll do, the materials, and what's not included.
- The price, broken into lines the customer can follow, with taxes shown.
- How long the price holds, such as 30 days, because materials and schedules change.
- Deposit and payment terms: how much, when and how. SignMaster records the approval; collect the deposit through your usual payment method.
- An acceptance line above the signature, such as "I accept this estimate and authorize the work described above."
That acceptance line is what turns a price sheet into something the customer agreed to. For bigger jobs, the signed estimate is often followed by a full contract; for small ones, it may be the only agreement you have, so make the scope precise.
Send it for approval in SignMaster
- 1
Export the estimate as a PDF
Save the estimate from your estimating tool, spreadsheet or invoicing app as a PDF, start a new envelope and upload it.
- 2
Offer the options as a choice
If you priced good, better and best, place a Radio group with one choice per option, so the customer picks exactly one. A Calculated field can multiply a quantity they enter, such as the number of windows, by your unit price.
- 3
Make approving one tap
Put an Approve button and a Decline button under the acceptance line, plus a Date signed field. Approving is recorded like a signature on the certificate, and a decline arrives with the customer's reason.
- 4
Set the deadline and follow-ups
In Message & settings, set Sign by to the date the price stops holding. The customer sees "Please sign by" that date, and reminders go out three days before, the day before and that morning, plus one the day after if it's still unsigned.
- 5
Send, or approve it on the spot
Click Send for signature. If you're still at the kitchen table, open the envelope and tap Sign in person so the customer approves it on your phone before you leave.
Sign by vs Expires
Sign by is a soft deadline: the link still works after it, and reminders call it overdue. Expires shuts the link off for good. For an estimate, Sign by is usually the better choice, so a customer who comes back a day late can still say yes and you decide whether to honor the price.
After you send
The envelope shows when the customer opened it. An estimate opened twice and not signed is a good moment to call: they're interested and probably have a question. If they want a change to the scope, they can send you a Request changes note from the signing page. Make the change and send a fresh estimate; the old one closes.
When they approve, you both get the signed PDF with a certificate of completion showing who approved it, when and from which device. Use the approved estimate's number in your schedule and on the invoice so the paper trail lines up.
Questions? Answers.
Is an estimate approved online legally binding?
An approved estimate with clear scope and price is generally an agreement, and the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws say an electronic approval can't be denied legal effect for being electronic. Whether it's enforceable as a full contract depends on what it says.
Can the customer approve without drawing a signature?
Yes. An Approve button records their agreement with one tap, and it's logged on the certificate of completion like a signature.
Can I collect a deposit when they sign?
Not through SignMaster; it doesn't take payments. State the deposit and how to pay it in the estimate, and send your invoice or payment link once it's approved.
What's the difference between an estimate and a quote?
Loosely, an estimate is your best guess at the cost and a quote is a fixed price. Whichever you send, say clearly whether the price can change and why.