Before you can send professional quotes to clients, you need to configure your Quoter with your products, pricing, and templates. This one-time setup takes about 30-45 minutes and saves hours on every quote afterward.
To access setup, go to Quoter Setup from your dashboard sidebar. You'll see cards for each setup area.
Step 1: Build Your Products Catalog
Your products catalog is the foundation of your Quoter. Products are complete offerings you sell to clients—full roofing systems, gutter packages, or any standalone service.
Click the Products Catalog card to open the product builder.
What Counts as a Product?
Products are complete items clients can purchase: GAF HDZ Shingles, Standing Seam Metal Roof, 6" Seamless Gutters, TPO Flat Roof System, and so on.
Each product becomes a selectable option in your quotes. When you offer Good/Better/Best pricing, each tier is a separate product.
Three Ways to Add Products
When you click Add Product, you'll see three options:
1. Catalog Template *(Recommended for getting started)*
Choose from pre-configured templates from manufacturers like GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, and Malarkey. These come with professional product descriptions, color options with images, and suggested pricing structure.
Important: Catalog descriptions focus on product features and benefits. We recommend rewriting them to describe your actual scope of work—what's included in your installation, your warranty terms, and what the client is paying for. This makes your quotes clearer and reduces questions.
2. Import from InstaQuote
If you've already configured packages in InstaQuote, pull them directly into your Quoter. All your descriptions, colors, and images transfer over.
3. Create Custom
Start from scratch with a blank product. Best for unique offerings or products not in the catalog.
Editing a Product
Click Edit Product on any product card. You'll see three tabs:
Basic Info Tab
Package Name
The name clients see on the quote. Be specific and professional (e.g., "GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles" or "6-Inch Seamless Aluminum Gutters").
Headline
A short tagline shown on product cards (max 100 characters). This is your quick pitch.
Description
This is where you sell the product. List what's included, warranty info, and benefits. Use bullet points for easy scanning.
Tip: Click the Write with AI button to help draft descriptions. The AI can format your bullet points, suggest what to include, or brainstorm selling points for different tiers.
Pricing Tab
Choose how this product is priced:
- Squares: Best for roofing products (e.g., $425/sq for GAF HDZ)
- Quantity: Best for per-unit items (e.g., $18/linear foot for gutters)
- Custom: Best for variable-based pricing (e.g., price by ridges, valleys, etc.)
Squares Mode (Most Common for Roofing)
Set your Base Price per Square (price per 100 sq ft of roof area).
Pitch-Based Additional Pricing
Steeper roofs take more time and increase labor cost. Add extra cost per square for each pitch level.
Waste Factor
Materials need overage for cuts, starter strips, and caps. Set your default waste percentage:
- Use Project Waste – Uses the waste % you set in project settings when creating the quote
- Custom Waste – Set a specific % for this product
Quantity Mode (For Per-Unit Products)
For gutters, siding, or anything priced by unit rather than squares, set your Price per Unit (linear foot, each, etc.). No pitch pricing or waste factor needed.
Colors Tab
Add color options so clients can visualize their choices.
- Click Add Color
- Enter the color name
- Click Select Image to upload a photo or choose from your image library
When you import from catalog templates, colors and manufacturer images are already included. You can add or remove colors to match what you actually stock.
Tip: The first color in your list becomes the default shown on product cards.
Creating Your Good/Better/Best Tiers
For effective tiered pricing, create 2-4 products representing different quality levels. When building a quote, you can select each product as a package—this allows you to send Good/Better/Best options in a single quote. The customer will see all packages and select the one they want.
Tip: We recommend adding the tier label to your product names so clients can easily identify options: "GAF 3-Tab Shingles (Good)", "GAF Timberline HDZ (Better)", "GAF Timberline UHDZ (Best)". This makes comparison straightforward and helps guide their decision.
Step 2: Create Your Line Items
Line items are for job-specific additions—things that vary from job to job based on what you find or what the client needs.
Click the Line Items Library card to manage your items.
What Are Line Items For?
Line items cover work that isn't part of your standard product package: additional layer cost, additional plywood, skylights, and so on. These are things you add when needed, not on every job.
Creating a Line Item
- Click Add New
- Fill in the details:
Item Name – What appears on the quote (e.g., "Replace Plywood Decking (per sheet)")
Description – Details about what's included
Price – Your charge for this item
Type:
- Included – Automatically added to all package totals
- Optional – Shown separately, client can accept or decline
- Recommended – Suggested but not included in main total
Quantity Based on Squares
Toggle this ON if the item should scale with roof size. When enabled, you can also configure Waste Factor settings.
Tip: Click Write with AI to help draft professional item names and descriptions.
Build your line items library over time as you encounter common job-specific items.
Step 3: Create Introduction & Conclusion Templates
These text blocks appear at the top and bottom of every quote PDF. Write them once, reuse on every quote.
Click the Introduction & Conclusion card, then choose which type to manage.
Introduction Templates
Your intro sets the tone before they see pricing. Include a thank you, brief company background, what makes you different, and key credentials.
Example Introduction:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide this estimate for your roofing project. For over 15 years, ABC Roofing has served the Dallas-Fort Worth area with quality craftsmanship and premium materials. We're a GAF Master Elite contractor (top 3% nationwide). Every installation includes full project management, daily cleanup, final walkthrough inspection, and our 10-year workmanship warranty.
Conclusion Templates
Your conclusion is your call-to-action. Include quote validity period, deposit/payment terms, how to accept, and contact information.
Example Conclusion:
This estimate is valid for 30 days. To proceed, select your preferred option, sign the agreement, and submit your 50% deposit. We'll schedule your installation within 24 hours. Questions? Call us at (555) 123-4567. Thank you for choosing ABC Roofing.
Creating Multiple Templates
Create different templates for different situations: standard residential, insurance claims, commercial, repair-only, and so on. When building a quote, you select which template to use.
Step 4: Set Up Your Tax Rates
Create tax rate profiles for the areas you serve. Instead of typing "8.25%" on every quote, you'll select "Dallas County" from a dropdown.
Click the Tax Rates card.
Adding a Tax Rate
- Click Add New Tax Rate
- Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Dallas County - 8.25%")
- Enter the percentage as a number (8.25 or 7.25)
- Click Create Tax Rate
Tip: Name them clearly with location and percentage so you can quickly identify the right one. Create separate entries for each area you serve, and review annually since rates change.
Step 5: Configure Email Templates
Click the Email Templates card to create templates for the emails that accompany your quotes.
When you send a quote, the client receives your company branding, your subject line and message, a button to view the quote, and the PDF attached.
Tip: Click Write with AI to help draft your emails.
Example Email Template:
Subject: Your Roofing Estimate from ABC Roofing
Body:
Hi [Client Name], Thank you for the opportunity to provide an estimate for your roofing project at [Address]. Click the button below to view your estimate, or see the attached PDF. Call me at (555) 123-4567 if you have any questions. Best regards, Mike Smith ABC Roofing
Create different templates for different situations as needed.
Optional: Advanced Pricing
If you price jobs based on measurements (valleys, ridges, linear feet) rather than just squares, set up Advanced Pricing.
Click the Advanced Pricing card.
This is covered in detail in the Advanced Pricing article. Skip this during initial setup if you use standard per-square pricing.
Optional: Connect QuickBooks
If you use QuickBooks for accounting, connect it so approved quotes automatically sync as estimates.
On the sidebar, go to Company Settings > Integrations and click Connect QuickBooks. Follow the authorization flow to link your account.
Once connected:
- Approved quotes automatically create estimates in QuickBooks
- Client info syncs to QuickBooks customers
- No double data entry required
You're Ready
With setup complete, you can build quotes in minutes:
- Products are ready to add as Good/Better/Best options
- Line items for job-specific additions are saved
- Intro/conclusion templates add professionalism
- Tax rates are pre-configured for your areas
Next up: Building & Sending Your First Quote