ℹ️ The Quote Builder lets you create, manage and send professional quotes directly from Pillar. You can enter the activities manually, or import a file (PDF, Excel, XPWE) and let Pillar AI turn it into a structured quote.
How to access Quotes
From the left side menu, click "Projects" and then select "Quotes". The list of all your quotes will open.
From here you can:
Search for a quote by name using the search bar
Use the Filters to refine the search
Enable the "Associated with construction site" button to also see quotes already linked to a construction site
See the quotes processed by Pillar AI but not yet verified in the purple bar.
Create a new quote
From the Quotes page, click "+ Create new" at the top right. The New quote window opens:
Identifier: the quote number, automatically proposed according to the numbering rule you can set in the settings.
Template (optional): choose a template to start from. If you select one, the new quote is created already with all its activities, prices and data.
Click "Create":
ℹ️ the quote opens in Draft status, ready to be filled in. If you don't choose a template, you start from an empty quote.
Create a quote with Pillar AI
In the Pillar AI box you can:
Describe the work in words in the text field: Pillar AI will generate the activities and estimate the prices.
Import a file (XPWE, PDF or Excel) by clicking the "+". Pillar AI will automatically extract the items and turn them into a structured quote.
ℹ️ The quotes generated by the AI appear in the "There are new quotes to verify" banner at the top of the page. Click to re-read and verify the information before sending the quote to the client.
Create a quote Manually
If you want to proceed manually, then click "Proceed manually".
Enter each activity you want to price and edit the fields as you like.
Create a template from a quote
ℹ️ Templates let you start from a ready-made quote instead of from scratch. By creating a quote from a template, all the information is copied: activities, price analysis, measurements, categories, header and contractual notes.
You have two ways:
Open the (⋯) menu of a quote and choose "Mark as template". Choose the quote to use and give it a Template name.
From the quote settings, in the "Templates" section, click "+ Add" and fill in name and quote.
Use a template
When you click "+ Create new", choose the template from the "Template" field and click "Create": the new quote is created already complete.
Manage templates
From the quote settings, "Templates" section, you can open the linked quote with "View" or remove a template with "Delete template". Removing a template does not delete the quote.
Quote structure
Each quote is organized into three sections (tabs), accessible from the top bar.
Works and prices
It is the heart of the quote. Here you find all the activities, which you can organize by categories (e.g. "Measured works"), super-categories and/or sub-categories. For each item you see: progressive number, description of the activity, quantity and unit of measure, unit price, total cost and price to the client, percentage margin, VAT.
In the panel on the right you have the always-visible summary with:
Total Costs (with breakdown by cost category)
Overhead set as a %
Total Margin as a percentage, also by cost category
Discount set (in % or in €)
Total + VAT
Final Price to the client
Header
In this section you can enter the cover information of the quote:
Subject — Description of the quote
Opening paragraph — An introductory text
Client — Select "Client" and choose from your contacts registered on Pillar or create a new contact, otherwise select "Other".
Address and City of the construction site
Executing company — Company name and VAT number, pre-filled from your company account.
Contractual notes
Two free-text fields, both optional, to enter information about:
Payments — to specify the payment terms (e.g. 30/60/90 days)
General conditions — to enter additional notes such as charges, start date of the works, legal warranties, etc.
Working on multiple activities together
On the "Works and prices" page you can act on several items at once and reorder them.
Multiple actions
Select the items with the checkboxes on the left (or check a category header, or "Select all visible activities"). At the bottom of the page a bar appears with the number of items and the total: from "Open menu" (or the ⌘K shortcut) you can apply in bulk: Set VAT, Set margin, Enable/Disable, Set super categories / categories / sub categories, Duplicate and Delete.
Reorder the activities
Drag the handle (⋮⋮) to the left of an item to move it. If the activities are grouped, the dragging stays within the same category. Reordering is disabled when you have a filter or a search active.
Quote statuses
Each quote has four possible statuses:
Status | Meaning |
Draft | The quote is being worked on |
Sent | The quote has been sent to the client |
Signed | The client has accepted the quote |
Rejected | The client has not accepted the quote |
To change the status, click the three dots (⋯) on the right of the quote row or at the top right inside the quote and select the desired option.
From the same menu you can also Duplicate or Delete the quote.
‼️ Attention:
Quotes can only be edited when they are in draft status.
It is not possible to edit a quote associated with a construction site. To edit it you need to duplicate it and edit the copy.
For now you can link a single quote to your construction site
💡 To get the most out of the Quote Builder
Use Pillar AI to speed up creation: import a bill of quantities in PDF, XPWE or Excel and get a structured quote in a few seconds.
Use the Price analysis table to break down costs and calculate margins precisely.
Set the margins item by item to always keep the profitability of each activity under control.
Fill in the header with all the client's details before exporting.
Use the categories (Super Category, Category, Sub Category) to organize the activities clearly.
Create templates from the quotes you reuse most often: you save time on every new quote.
Add attachments to individual items when you need to document an activity.