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Most builders still write each scope of works from scratch in a spreadsheet, then copy it into a quote, then rewrite it again when the client changes their mind. OpSpot replaces that with one chain: your price list → a scope of works for the job → a branded quote → variations → work orders for your subcontractors. You write each line once, and every later step reuses it.

This guide walks through the whole chain, with a commercial fit-out and a residential kitchen renovation as examples.

At a glance

1. Once: set up your zones (rooms or areas) and your Service Catalogue (your priced list of work).
2. Per job: open the project's Scope Of Work, add zones, and pick items from your catalogue.
3. Click Generate Quote to create a numbered, versioned quote PDF with your branding.
4. When the client asks for changes, generate a new version, then Compare to get a variation PDF.
5. When the client signs, Mark as Final Quotation and attach the signed document.
6. The labour lines become work order checklists for your subcontractors.

Step 1: Set up your zones

Zones are the rooms or areas you price by, for example Kitchen, Ensuite and Laundry on a renovation, or Reception, Open Office and Boardroom on a fit-out.

Go to Company Settings → Types and Zones and add the zones you use most. You set them up once and reuse them on every job.

Step 2: Build your Service Catalogue

The Service Catalogue is your company's price list. Go to Company Settings → Service Catalogue.

• The catalogue has one section for each Stage → Job Type pair from Stages and Statuses, for example Construction → Demolition or Construction → Joinery. Add your job types there first.
• Inside a section, add services, each with a name, default quantity, unit of measure (m², lm, each, hour) and cost.
• Group related services under a subdivision, for example Wall tiling, so you can add the whole group to a job in one go.
• Add notes for inclusions, exclusions and assumptions you repeat on every quote.
• Set a Default Margin. OpSpot shows the sell price next to each cost, so you can check margins as you build the catalogue.
• Each line has two switches: include in quote and include in work order. Use them to keep internal lines off the client's quote, or keep admin lines off a subcontractor's work order.

Materials and finishes such as tiles, tapware, appliances and boards go in Company Settings → Material Catalogue.

Editing the catalogue never changes quotes you've already sent. Each job takes a copy of the lines when you add them.

Step 3: Build the scope of works for a job

Open the project and click Scope Of Work.

1. Click + Add Zone and pick the rooms or areas this job covers.
2. Expand a zone. Each zone has two lists:
   • Labour: services from your Service Catalogue.
   • Catalogue: materials from your Material Catalogue.
3. Add items in whichever way is quickest:
   • Quick Search: find a line, type a quantity, then press Enter.
   • Add All Items: type quantities against several lines and add them together.
   • Add a whole subdivision in one click.
   • Add Item for a one-off line that isn't in your catalogue.
   • Type a note in the footer to add a job-specific note.
4. Adjust quantities, costs and margin per line. The running total shows in the sidebar.

Everything saves automatically. There's no Save button to forget.

Renaming for one client: if you'd describe a catalogue item differently for a particular client, rename it for that project only. Your master catalogue stays unchanged.

Step 4: Generate a branded quote

Click Generate Quote. OpSpot takes a snapshot of the scope and numbers it Q-001. The next one is Q-002, and so on. Older versions are never overwritten.

The PDF uses your company's quote template (Company Settings → Templates → Project Quote):

• your logo, header and footer
• merge fields such as client name and details, project number, quote version and date
• your choice of columns: quantity, unit, cost, margin %, line totals, zone totals and project total

Tip: bundle costs without itemising them. Turn off include in quote on a line and it disappears from the client's PDF, but its value stays in the totals. Use this for site establishment, waste removal or contingency you'd rather not list line by line.

Step 5: Handle client changes with variations

Clients change their minds: a different benchtop, an extra power point, one fewer partition wall.

1. Click Back to Editing, update the scope, and Generate Quote again (for example Q-003).
2. Open Quote History and click Compare on the two versions.
3. Click Download Variation PDF. It shows exactly what was added (green), removed (red) and changed, zone by zone.

That gives you a clear, dated record of every variation, which helps if a payment is disputed.

Step 6: Lock in the accepted quote

When the client signs, open Quote History and choose Mark as Final Quotation, then attach the signed document. OpSpot records who finalised it and when, and the signed file stays one click away on the quote card.

Marking a quote as final doesn't lock the scope. You can still issue later variations against it.

Step 7: Turn the scope into work orders

The scope does more than produce the quote. Labour lines marked include in work order can be picked straight into a booking's checklist, so your subcontractor gets exactly the work you quoted. When they tick items off on site, the completed work flows into subcontractor payments. See Issuing work orders to subcontractors.

Example: commercial office fit-out

Example: residential kitchen renovation

FAQ

Can I use my existing price list? Yes. Your existing price list becomes your Service Catalogue: one section per job type, with your units, costs and default margin. Ask us during onboarding and we'll help you bring it across.

Does changing my catalogue update old quotes? No. A quote is a fixed snapshot, so prices on quotes you've already sent never change.

Can I show the client a total without listing every line? Yes. Turn off include in quote on any line. It's hidden from the PDF but still counted in the total. You can also hide columns such as cost and margin in the quote template.

How do I show a client what changed between two quotes? Use Compare in Quote History and download the Variation PDF. It highlights added, removed and changed items.

Does the client sign inside OpSpot? The client signs your quote the way they do now. Then you upload the signed copy with Mark as Final Quotation, so it's stored with the job.

Related guides

• Issuing work orders to subcontractors and tracking payments
• Site checklists with photo proof
• Scheduling crews with the calendar, planner and Gantt