Estimate to Deposit to Project to Final Invoice, End to End

Every job has a shape: you quote it, you get a yes, you take a deposit so you can start with confidence, you do the work, and you send the final bill. Fee-Lion threads that whole loop together so nothing falls between the cracks and you never re-type a line item. Here’s the full run, end to end.

Quote it and get the yes

It all starts with a number the client can say yes to. Build the estimate in the app, then let the client approve it themselves in their portal, no login required.

1. From the left sidebar, open Estimates and create a new one. Add your line items, hours times rate for tasks, quantity times rate for fees and units, plus any discounts or surcharges.
2. Set your tax and a deposit % on the estimate. Defaults you’ve saved at Settings → Preferences → Estimates fill in automatically so you’re not starting from scratch each time.
3. Send it. The client opens a magic-link portal, reviews the quote, and clicks Approve, no account, no password, no friction.

Tip: Set sensible deposit and tax defaults once at Settings → Preferences → Estimates. Every new estimate inherits them, so a 50% deposit and your local tax rate are already in place before you add a single line.

Collect the deposit and kick off the project

An approved estimate is your green light. Now turn it into work and money.

1. On the approved estimate, hit Convert. You can spin it into an invoice for the deposit, a project to track the work, or both, and your line items carry straight over.
2. The deposit invoice has a Pay button. Your client pays by card in the portal and the money lands in your own Stripe account, so funds are in hand before you start.
3. Open the new project from the sidebar and shape it to the job: add custom sub-statuses to mirror your real stages, and build checklists so milestones don’t slip.

From here the project becomes your home base. Use Discussions to keep client conversation attached to the work instead of buried in email, and watch progress in the docket or card view.

Do the work, then bill what’s left

This is where the loop pays off. As you work, everything you log feeds the final invoice automatically.

• Track time against the project with the timer or manual entries, then bill those hours straight onto an invoice.
• Record expenses and attribute them to the project so you can see real margin, not just revenue.
• When the job’s done, create the final invoice. Pull in your tracked time, subtract the deposit already paid, and send it.

The client gets one more Pay button, settles the balance by card, and the job closes clean. Because the deposit was already collected and recorded, the final bill shows exactly what remains, no awkward math, no chasing.

Tip: Keep the project open while you work and let time and expenses accumulate there. When it’s time for the final invoice, the numbers are already gathered, you’re just confirming and sending.

What’s next

• Collect a deposit on an estimate
• Convert an estimate to an invoice or project
• Bill tracked time to an invoice
• Attribute an expense to a project