Quote Variations

Quote variations let you record changes to a quote after it has been accepted (for example, extra work, reduced scope, or a price change), while still keeping a clear record of the original agreement. When you use quote variations, you will usually see two versions of the quote:

• Current quote (sometimes called Net quote): your latest agreed totals (original quote plus any accepted variations)
• Original quote (sometimes called Base quote): the first version of the quote, kept as a reference. If a quote has no variations, you will only see the quote details view.

• Creating a Quote Variation

  You can create a variation from either directly from a job or the quote page.

  You can only create variations on jobs that have an accepted master quote.

  Open the New Variation screen

  From a job

  1. In the menu, select .
  2. Drill down on the name of the job you wish to create a variation for.
  3. On the job detail screen, select Create Variation.

  From the quote

  1. In the menu, select .
  2. Find and open the master quote.
  3. In the quote options, select Create Variation.

  Choose how to begin your variation

  When you create a new variation, you'll be asked to choose how you'd like to begin:

  Start From Scratch

  Use this option to add entirely new tasks or costs. Best for scope expansion with new work. You'll start with a blank variation and add new items.

  Amend Existing Tasks & Costs

  Use this option to modify items from your current quote or job. Best for scope adjustments to existing work. You can select specific tasks and costs to include and modify.

  Selecting existing items to amend

  If you choose Amend Existing Tasks & Costs, you'll see a modal where you can:

  • Filter the items displayed using the dropdown filters:
    • All Items / Current quoted items / Unquoted job items – Choose whether to show all items, only items from your current quote, or only unquoted items added directly to the job
    • Tasks & Costs / Tasks / Costs – Filter by item type
    • All Phases or select specific phases – Filter by phase
  • Search for specific items by task, cost, or phase name.
  • Select the items you want to include in your variation:
    • Check the boxes next to the items you want to amend
    • Items that are already being modified in another draft variation will be locked and cannot be selected
    • The selection status bar shows how many items you've selected
  • Select Continue to proceed with creating the variation.

  You can't select items that are currently being modified in another variation that's still in Draft status. These items will be locked and show a lock icon.

  On the Variation Details screen

  After choosing your approach and selecting items (if applicable), the variation details screen is displayed with your selected items. You can now:

  • Edit the variation information in the General section
  • Add new tasks or costs
  • Modify existing items (quantities, rates, billable status, etc.)
  • Remove items (they will be marked as "Cancelled" rather than deleted)
  • Import additional items from the job using Amend Existing
  • Organise items into phases

  Review the variation summary in the header to see the financial impact of your changes, then select one of the final options.

  Final options

  Once a variation has been issued, the financial details it contains cannot be changed (similar to quotes).

  • Save as Draft – Save your variation to continue editing later
  • Issue – Send the variation to your client for review
  • Issue & Accept – Issue and immediately accept the variation (for internal use)
  • Print – Print the variation document
  • More – Access additional options (Copy, Delete, etc.)

  Variation detail screen

  The variation detail screen works similarly to the quote detail screen, with these key features:

  • Change indicators – Items show visual markers for their status (Increased, Reduced, Updated, Cancelled)
  • Variation summary – The header shows the financial impact of your changes compared to the current quote
  • Amend Existing button – Allows you to import additional tasks and costs from the current quote or unquoted job items
  • Phases tab – Organise your variation items into phases
  • Notes tab – Add internal notes about the variation
  • Documents tab – Attach supporting documents

• Viewing and Managing Quote Variations

  You can view and manage variations from both the job and the quote module.

  Viewing variations in a job

  Financial tab

  In the Financial tab of a job:

  1. Navigate to the job detail screen.
  2. Select the Financial tab.

  The quotes and variations section shows:

  • Master quote clearly indicated at the top level
  • All variations nested under the master quote in a parent-child relationship
  • Previously accepted, or declined quotes appear faded out

  Budget tab

  The Budget tab provides a comprehensive view of your project scope:

  1. Navigate to the job detail screen.
  2. Select the Budget tab.

  The Budget tab shows:

  • A timeline visualisation at the top showing your master quote and all accepted variations
  • Breakdown of all tasks grouped by phase
  • Breakdown of all costs grouped by phase
  • Summary section showing Cost and Sell amounts by phase, with subtotals, tax breakdown, and totals

  The Budget tab displays the current approved budget, which includes your original master quote plus all accepted variations (the latest agreed scope).

  For more information about the Budget tab, see About the Budget Tab.

  Viewing task and cost variation history

  In the tasks and costs table, each line shows a variation label such as V1 or V2. Use the expand/collapse arrow on the variation label to show or hide that line's history.

  When expanded, a history panel appears directly beneath the line, showing a simple record of what happened in that version (for example, New, the updated amount, and when it was accepted). To hide the panel, select the variation label again to collapse it, or use the X in the history panel.

  Viewing variations in the quote module

  Variation Information tab

  1. In the menu, select .
  2. Find and open the master quote.
  3. Select the Variation Information tab.

  The Variation Information tab shows:

  • A timeline visualisation of your master quote and all variations (if permitted by your plan)
  • A table listing all variations with details:
    • Variation number and name
    • Status
    • Amount
    • Actions menu
  • A Create Variation button to create a new variation

  Viewing a specific variation

  From the Variation Information tab, click on a variation in the table.

  The variation detail screen opens with these tabs:

  • Details – View and edit tasks, costs, and variation information
  • Phases – View items organised by phase
  • Notes – View and manage internal notes about the variation
  • Documents – View and manage attached documents

  Managing variation statuses

  Issuing a variation

  To send a variation to your client:

  1. Open the draft variation.
  2. Select Issue from the actions menu.

  The variation status changes to Issued and can now be sent to your client via email or print.

  Accepting a variation

  When your client accepts a variation:

  1. Open the variation.
  2. Select Accept from the actions menu.
  3. If the variation includes items that need to be removed from the job, you'll see options to handle these:
     • Keep tasks/costs in job – Items remain in the job with estimate set to 0
     • Remove tasks/costs from job – Items are removed (only if they have no linked activities)
  4. If there are optional items in the variation, you can select which optional items to include.

  The variation status changes to Accepted and the job is automatically updated.

  If you select Issue & Accept when creating a variation, these steps happen automatically.

  Declining a variation

  If your client declines a variation:

  1. Open the variation.
  2. Select Decline from the actions menu.

  The variation status changes to Declined and the job is not updated.

  Deleting a variation

  You can delete a variation if it is no longer needed:

  1. Open the variation.
  2. Select Options > Delete.
  3. Confirm the deletion.

  Deleting a variation is permanent and cannot be undone.

  Copying a variation

  To create a copy of an existing variation:

  1. Open the variation you want to copy.
  2. Select Options > Copy.

  A new draft variation is created with the same items and details. You can then modify the copied variation as needed.

• How Quote Variations Affect Jobs

  When you accept a variation, the associated job is automatically updated based on the changes in the variation.

  How tasks are affected

  • New tasks (Increased) – Added to the job with the estimated time and costs from the variation
  • Increased estimates (time or rates) – Update the job's estimated time and costs
  • Decreased estimates (Reduced) – Update the job even if actual time already exceeds the new estimate (progress may show as over 100%)
  • Cancelled tasks:
    • If the task has no actuals recorded and no linked activities: You can choose to remove it from the job or keep it with estimate set to 0
    • If the task has actuals recorded or linked activities: The task remains in the job with estimate set to 0

  How costs are affected

  • New costs (Increased) – Added to the job with the quantity, unit cost, and unit price from the variation
  • Updated costs – Sync quantity, unit cost, and unit price to the job
  • Cancelled costs:
    • If the cost has been invoiced or has actuals: The cost remains in the job
    • If the cost is estimated only and has no linked activities: You can choose to remove it from the job or keep it

  Other changes

  • Billable/non-billable status (Updated) – Changes automatically sync to the job
  • Non-financial updates (such as task descriptions or cost notes) – Sync to the job

  Important note about linked activities

  If cancelled or reduced items are linked to existing activities (such as timesheets, notes, or invoices), they will remain on the job regardless of whether you choose to keep or remove them.

  You'll see this warning message when you accept a variation with these items:

  Some items you removed in this variation may still be linked to existing activities (such as timesheets, notes, or invoices). These tasks or costs will remain on the job.

  In this case:

  • The estimate for tasks/costs is set to 0 (or reduced to the new amount)
  • Actual time/costs remain unchanged
  • Remaining time and progress are calculated based on the new estimate

  Handling removed items when accepting a variation

  When you accept a variation that includes cancelled items, you may be prompted to choose how to handle them:

  Keep tasks/costs in job

  • Items remain in the job
  • Estimates are set to 0
  • Items can still accumulate actual time or costs
  • Items remain visible in job reports and views

  Remove tasks/costs from job

  • Items are removed from the job (only if they have no linked activities like timesheets or invoices)
  • Items will not appear in job reports or views
  • This option is only available for items with no actual time, costs, or other linked activities

  This choice applies to all cancelled items in the variation. You cannot choose differently for individual items.

  Optional items in variations

  If your variation includes optional tasks or costs, you can choose which optional items to accept when accepting the variation:

  1. When accepting a variation with optional items, you'll see a list of all optional items.
  2. Select the checkbox next to each optional item you want to include.
  3. Only the selected optional items will be added to the job.

  Unselected optional items will not be included in the job budget or scope.

• Printing Quote Variations

  Printing a variation document

  1. Open the variation in either the job or quote module.
  2. Select Print or Email.
  3. Select your print template (if you have multiple templates configured).
  4. Preview the document to ensure it shows the information you want.
  5. Print or email the document to your client.

• About the Budget Tab

  The Budget tab provides a comprehensive view of your job's budget, including the original quote and all accepted variations.

  The Budget tab is available on jobs that have an accepted master quote. It is available on Standard and Premium plans only.

  What the Budget tab shows

  The Budget tab displays:

  • Timeline visualisation – A chart at the top showing your master quote and all accepted variations chronologically
  • Tasks table – All tasks from your current scope (master quote plus accepted variations), grouped by phase
  • Costs table – All costs from your current scope (master quote plus accepted variations), grouped by phase
  • Summary section – Financial summary showing:
    • Cost and Sell amounts by phase
    • Subtotals for cost and sell
    • Tax breakdown (if applicable)
    • Total cost and sell amounts
    • Gross Profit Margin
    • Gross Profit %

  Viewing the Budget tab

  1. Navigate to the job detail screen.
  2. Select the Budget tab.

  The Budget tab displays:

  • Timeline chart at the top (if your plan includes this feature)
  • Current scope tasks grouped by phase
  • Current scope costs grouped by phase
  • Summary of financial totals

  The Budget tab shows your current approved budget, which is the master quote plus all accepted variations (the latest agreed scope).

  Understanding the timeline visualisation

  The timeline chart shows:

  • Master quote – Displayed as the baseline
  • Each accepted variation – Shown chronologically with the variation number and amount
  • Visual budget line – Shows how the total budget has changed over time with each accepted variation

  This visualisation helps you:

  • See at a glance how your project budget has evolved
  • Track all approved scope changes chronologically
  • Understand the cumulative effect of all variations

  Tasks and Costs tables

  The tasks and costs tables in the Budget tab show:

  • All items from your current scope – This includes items from the master quote and all accepted variations
  • Items grouped by phase – Each phase can be expanded to see the tasks or costs within it
  • Read-only view – You cannot edit items from the Budget tab. To make changes, create a new variation.

  The tables show:

  • Task/Cost name
  • Time or quantity
  • Cost and sell amounts
  • Whether items are billable
  • Any other relevant financial information

  How the budget relates to the job

  The budget shown in the Budget tab represents your contractually agreed scope:

  • It reflects what you have agreed with your client through the master quote and accepted variations
  • It does not include items from draft, declined, or in-progress variations
  • It may differ from unquoted items added directly to the job

  Budget tab vs Financial tab

  The Budget tab and Financial tab serve different purposes:

  Budget tab	Financial tab
  Shows your approved contractual budget (master quote + accepted variations)	Shows broader financial picture including actual costs, invoicing, and profitability
  Read-only view focused on what was quoted and agreed	Includes quotes, variations, estimated billing, and job costing
  Includes timeline visualisation of budget changes	Allows you to create invoices and track what's been billed
  Best for understanding your agreed project scope	Best for managing day-to-day financial operations

  Understanding your current scope

  The Budget tab always displays your current scope, which is your original master quote plus all accepted variations (cumulative). This represents the latest version of what you and your client have agreed to for the project.

  If you need to compare the current scope to the original quote, you can:

  • View the master quote in the Quote module to see the original items
  • Look at the timeline visualisation to see how the budget has changed
  • Review individual variations in the Variation Information tab to see what changed in each variation

• FAQs

  I can't see quote variations

  Quote variations may not be available for every organisation. If you cannot see variation options, check with your system administrator to confirm the feature is available for your organisation and your access level.

  What permissions do I need to use quote variations?

  To work with quote variations, you typically need the same access you would need to manage quotes on a job. This usually means you must be able to view the job and its quote, and have permission to create and edit quotes (including adding or changing tasks and costs). Some organisations also limit who can issue, accept, decline, or delete variations, so if you can see the quote but cannot take these actions, ask your system administrator to review your role settings.

  Can I edit the original quote after creating variations?

  The original quote is kept as a reference point, so it is generally not editable once variations are used. Changes should be made through variations.

  What happens if I delete a quote?

  If a quote is deleted, its variations are also deleted.

  Can I have more than one variation on a quote?

  Yes, you can create multiple variations for the same quote. You can keep drafts while you work, and issue and accept variations as they are agreed.