Getting an estimate approved in writing

A written estimate approval should identify the scope, price, exclusions and exact document version, and record who approved it and when. An electronic approval can be valid, but it does not replace required contract contents, notices or delivery steps. Check those requirements before ordering materials or starting work.

Why verbal approval can be hard to prove

A verbal agreement can leave the scope and version difficult to prove. Written approval gives both sides a record to check when their recollections differ.

Some work requires a signed writing. For example, California requires written home improvement contracts over $500, including specified contents and written changes. Check the requirements for the work and location rather than relying on a general rule about oral contracts.

What the written approval should identify

A useful written approval identifies exactly what the customer approved. "Approved" in an email body, with no version and no total, can leave uncertainty about which estimate was meant.

This fictional California water-heater example shows the fields to retain. Complete the equipment model, site details and any required notices before using it:

The version number is the field people skip and the field that saves them. If you revised the estimate after a second site visit, "approved" without a revision letter is exactly the ambiguity you were trying to close.

Text you can put above the signature line, adapted to your own terms:

By approving below you accept the scope, exclusions and total price shown on Estimate 2026-0418 rev B dated August 12, 2026 ($2,485.00). Work not described above is handled as a change order, priced and approved in writing before it starts. This estimate is valid through September 11, 2026.

Approved by (print) ______________ Signature ______________ Date __________

Are e-signatures and click-to-approve valid?

The federal ESIGN Act says a covered record or signature cannot be denied effect solely because it is electronic. A typed name or approval button can qualify when used with intent to sign. That does not establish every other element needed for an enforceable agreement.

What these laws generally look for, in plain terms:

• Intent. The person meant the act to be their signature. A button labeled "Approve this estimate" reads better than one labeled "OK."
• Agreement to transact electronically. Agree how you will exchange and retain documents; check any special consumer-consent requirements.
• Attribution. Something ties the act to that person — their email address, a timestamp, an access log. Keep those details with the document; a signature image alone may not identify the sender.
• A retainable copy. The customer can keep or print the record. If they cannot get a copy back later, you have a weaker record too.

ESIGN has exclusions, and it preserves requirements about the content of contracts and disclosures. When law requires information to be provided to a consumer in writing, electronic delivery may require specific consent and access disclosures. An ordinary email exchange does not necessarily satisfy those steps. Have your approval process reviewed for the applicable state contract and notice rules.

What a deposit adds to the approval record

A deposit referencing a particular estimate can support the approval record. Do not assume payment alone supplies a missing signature, a required notice or agreement to every term.

Treat it as a backstop, not a substitute. A payment proves money moved. It does not prove which revision they had in hand, whether they read the exclusions, or that they saw the change-order clause. Put the estimate number and revision on the deposit receipt, and confirm in writing what the deposit is being applied to.

For covered California home improvement contracts, the down payment is limited to $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less. Check the California licensing board’s contract guidance and the rules where you work before setting a standard percentage.

Check the required contract details before accepting approval

An estimate can form part or all of a contract when its contents and the approval process meet the applicable rules. The document’s title alone does not decide that.

Before sending, check whether you need:

• Required business and license information, a detailed scope and payment schedule.
• Cancellation forms, lien disclosures or other prescribed notices.
• Signatures, copies and a particular delivery method.
• Additional terms for subcontracting, long schedules or phased work.

Add the required contents and forms, using attachments or a fuller agreement where appropriate. Identify the estimate and revision in any accompanying agreement so the scope and terms stay connected. Have locally reviewed terms and an approval process suitable for the work.

Keeping the approval attached to the version it approved

In DoneQuote the customer approves from the quote link, and the response is stored with the published version and its date and time. That records quote approval; keep deposit receipts separately in your payment records.

Check approval before ordering materials

Before ordering materials, check that you have written approval for the numbered, dated scope and price. Confirm that required contract details, signatures and notices are complete too.