How to turn an estimate into an invoice in AcboBooks

In this lesson you will

Create an estimate with an expiry date
Turn an estimate into an invoice
Bill part of an estimate with a progress invoice
See how much of an estimate has been billed

Before you start

Create and send an invoice

Create Estimate for Harbor Dental Group with a branding package and 16 hours of consulting

Create the estimate

Step 1: Fill in Create Estimate

Choose Customers → Create Estimate. Pick the Customer, set the Expires date and add lines the same way as an invoice. Pick the tax rate under Subtotal, as on an invoice; it carries over to the invoice you create from the estimate. AcboBooks fills in an Estimate #; type your own if you use a different numbering scheme. Click Save Estimate.

Customer.
Expires: the date the quote is good until.
The lines, from your items.
The tax rate, here State Sales Tax (8%). These services aren't taxable, so the tax is $0.00.
Save Estimate.

Create Estimate with callouts on customer, expiry date, lines and Save Estimate

Tip: An estimate posts nothing to your books, so you can make as many versions as you like.

Invoice the estimate

Step 2: Open it from the Estimates list

AcboBooks opens Estimates after you save. Each estimate shows a Status: OPEN until it is fully invoiced, then INVOICED. Click a row to open it.

The new estimate.
Status.

Estimates list with the new Harbor Dental Group estimate

Step 3: Create Invoice or Progress Invoice…

Create Invoice turns the whole estimate into an invoice after you confirm. Progress Invoice… bills part of it. Edit reopens the estimate while it is still open.

Create Invoice: bill everything.
Progress Invoice…: bill a share now.
Edit.

Estimate window with Create Invoice, Progress Invoice and Edit buttons

Bill in stages

Harbor Dental Group pays half up front and half on completion, so we bill 50% now.

Step 4: Choose how much to bill

In Progress Invoice, choose Percentage of the whole estimate and type the Percent to bill, or choose Selected lines (quantity or amount) to bill particular lines. Bill everything left fills in whatever remains. Check This invoice (before tax) and click Create Invoice.

Percentage of the whole estimate.
Percent to bill.
This invoice (before tax): the amount of this invoice.
Create Invoice.

Progress Invoice window billing 50% of a $4,500.00 estimate, $2,250.00 before tax

Step 5: Track what has been billed

The estimate now shows 50% billed and a Billed column per line. Come back to Progress Invoice… for the next stage. When everything is billed the status changes to INVOICED.

Billed: how much of each line has been invoiced so far.

Estimate showing 50% billed with a Billed column

Recap

Create an estimate with an expiry date.
Invoice the whole estimate in one step.
Bill an estimate in stages with Progress Invoice….
See what share of each line has been billed.

Saved in this browser only. No account needed.

Questions

Does an estimate show up in my reports?

No. Estimates post nothing to the books, so they don't appear on the Profit & Loss or A/R Aging until they become invoices.

Can I change an estimate after it is partly billed?

Edit stays available while the estimate is open. Once it is fully invoiced, change the invoices instead.

What about retainage on construction jobs?

Holdbacks are handled under Accountant → Retainage (Construction), which works alongside your invoices.

Screenshots from AcboBooks 0.2.2 with the built-in sample company. Updated October 25, 2026. Your screens may differ slightly with another version or window size.

Turn an estimate into an invoice