Default Expiration Dates on Estimates
Default expiration date settings ensure that your estimates have an expiration date applied and communicated to your customers.
When you set the default expiration date for your estimates, it'll be automatically applied to all the future estimates you create in the system. However, if you have an estimate that is an exception to the default rules, you can always change or remove the expiration date for individual estimates as needed. This allows you to adjust the expiration date for a particular customer or situation.
How to Configure the Default Expiration Date (HCP Web Browser)
To configure the default expiration date:
Navigate to your Account Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of your HCP account.
Select the Estimates tile, and then select Expiration date from the drop-down.
By default, the expiration date settings are turned off.
To enable the Default Expiration Date, click the pencil icon on the right. This action will open a modal with a checkbox:
Checking the checkbox will open the Expire after input that you can use to provide the default expiration period.
You can provide any number greater than 0 and specify if this is the number of days, weeks, or months.
Once you provide the desired expiration period, click Save to save it. From now on, each newly created estimate in your system will have the expiration date applied to it automatically.
Add or Adjust the Expiration Date on Estimates
Add, update, or remove the expiration date on the web portal.
The expiration date component is located on the Estimate Details page, under the estimate number.
If you set up the default expiration period in your default settings, the expiration date field will be pre-populated when you create your estimate. Otherwise, the component will be empty:
Click the + ADD EXPIRATION DATE button to add the expiration date to your estimate. This action will open a modal with a date picker.
Use the date picker to select the desired expiration date and click Save to confirm your choice. This will apply the chosen expiration date to your estimate.
Click the expiration date component to update the expiration date on your estimate. You can select any date you want and update the expiration date at any moment.
Specifically, you can update the expiration date if the estimate has already expired (this will change the estimate’s status from “expired“ to its previous status).
You can also remove the expiration date entirely by clicking the “x“ icon next to the date component:
Add, Update, or Remove the Expiration Date (HCP Mobile App)
On the HCP mobile app, you can add, update, and remove the expiration date in a similar way to how you do it on the web portal.
The expiration date component is located on the Estimate Details view and will be pre-populated if you have default expiration date settings set on your account.
To add the expiration date:
Tap the Expiration date field:
This will open a date picker. Use it to select the expiration date.
Once the date has been selected, tap 'Save' in the top right corner of your screen.
To update the expiration date on mobile, tap the expiration date on the estimate details view or the pencil icon next to it.
Then, select a new date.
If you want to completely remove the expiration date from the estimate, tap the 'Remove expiration date' button and confirm your choice:
How is the expiration date communicated to my customers?
The expiration date will appear on the PDF preview of the estimate:
And on the web-based customer’s preview:
How is the expiration date calculated?
The expiration date is calculated based on the following formula:
Estimate creation date + default expiration period = expiration date.
For example, if you create your estimate on March 1st, and your default expiration date period is set to "2 weeks ", your estimate will expire on March 15th.
Can I change or turn off the default expiration date settings?
You can change the default operation date by simply changing the value provided in the Expire after input.
You can turn off the default settings if you no longer want the expiration date automatically applied to your estimates. In that case, you can turn the default settings off entirely by unchecking the Default expiration date checkbox and clicking save.
When exactly will the estimate expire, and what will happen to it?
The estimate changes its status to “expired“ after the day that is indicated as the expiration date has passed.
If the estimate's expiration date passes before the estimate is accepted or declined, that estimate will be marked as "Expired" instead of approved/declined.
For example, if the expiration date on your estimate is set to March 15th, it will expire the moment March 15th ends (after midnight).
Your customers cannot approve an expired estimate. Once the expiration date passes, they can no longer click the Approve button.
Instead, they will be encouraged to contact you if they wish to accept the estimate.
What if Pipeline declines the estimate before the expiration date?
If the 'Mark Estimates as Declined' Pipeline automation is triggered before the estimate’s expiration date, the automation will take precedence, causing the estimate to be declined rather than marked as expired.
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