One source record
Build the internal and customer-facing outputs from the same quote instead of copying the total into a separate document.
CostForgeInternal and customer quote views
Controlled quote presentation
All the detail you need. Only the detail they need.
Cost the work properly behind the scenes, then choose which items appear on the customer quote. Your labour rates, cost build-up and margin logic stay with your team while the customer receives a clear scope and price.
Per-item customer visibility controls
Separate internal and customer previews
Separate internal and customer PDF concepts
Branded customer output from the same quote
Customer-ready presentation
Live commercial view
Estimate → quote → invoice
Costs
Visible
Margin
Protected
Client
Ready
The commercial problem
The working estimate and the customer quote have different jobs to do.
Your team may need staff rates, cost assumptions and a detailed build-up to price the work responsibly. The customer needs a clear scope, relevant breakdown, total, terms and decision. Maintaining two disconnected documents creates duplicate work and makes it easier for them to drift apart.
Item-level control
Decide which quote items appear to the customer while keeping the supporting lines available to the team.
Protected margin logic
Use an internal margin setting without exposing a separate internal margin line in the customer-facing output.
Cleaner presentation
Apply company identity and quote colours to a customer version focused on scope, totals, dates and terms.
A repeatable workflow
Cost, check and present without rebuilding the quote.
Visibility control is part of the quote workflow. It helps the estimator retain the reasoning behind the number while giving the customer the information needed to make a confident decision.
01
Build the working quote
Add the sections, material or service items, staff-hours labour, quantities, tax and internal margin needed to price the job.
02
Choose the visible detail
Set customer visibility item by item, then check the dedicated client preview before sending or generating the client PDF.
03
Send one clear decision
Issue the branded quote with the relevant scope, totals and terms, then collect the signed accept or decline response online.
Built for real work
For businesses that need detailed costing and a professional customer document.
The separation becomes more valuable as jobs involve more labour assumptions, subcontractors, cost packages or commercial review.
Owner-estimators
Keep the price build-up available when reviewing whether the job is commercially worthwhile.
Growing teams
Give staff one quote record to review instead of reconciling an estimate with a separately maintained proposal.
Builders
Retain detailed packages and internal assumptions while presenting a clear staged scope.
Explore pageInstallation businesses
Keep equipment and labour cost detail behind a cleaner supply-and-install proposal.
Explore pageInternal view
The commercial working
- Detailed material, service and labour lines
- Staff roles, hours and rate-derived values
- Internal margin calculation
- Items retained for costing and review
Customer view
The clear decision
- Relevant scope and selected item detail
- Customer-facing totals and tax
- Branding, dates, payment terms and conditions
- A signed accept or decline step
Hiding internal cost lines should never mean hiding the scope. The customer version should still state clearly what is included, excluded and expected.
Read the practical guideQuestions trade teams ask
Use the answers below to compare a structured quoting workflow with spreadsheets and generic accounting tools.
Can the customer see CostForge's internal margin calculation?
The customer-facing output is designed not to expose a separate internal margin line. Internal views can retain margin-related calculations for the team.
Can I hide individual items from the customer quote?
Yes. Quote items include a customer-visibility setting, so supporting costing lines can remain internal while selected scope and pricing detail appears in the client version.
Are there separate internal and customer PDFs?
CostForge has separate internal and customer-facing PDF concepts. The internal version can contain more costing detail; the customer version is intentionally cleaner.
Does hiding a cost item change the need to explain the scope?
No. A customer quote should still explain what work is included, the relevant price and tax, key assumptions or exclusions, payment terms and the acceptance step.
Build a calmer commercial process
Keep the calculation private and the scope clear.
Use one quote for the detailed commercial working and the professional customer presentation, with deliberate control over what each audience sees.
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