Quote software for mechanics, with online approval
For jobs you can't price sight unseen: the customer requests a quote, you send an itemised price, and they accept or decline on their phone.
Updated 6 October 2026
Some jobs you can’t book until there’s a price on them: a clutch, a head gasket, anything that starts with “it makes a noise”. In GoFolio you mark those services quote-first. The customer books, you send an itemised price, and they accept or decline on their phone. You hear about it straight away.
How the quote flow works
- The customer books a quote-first service from your booking page. It lands in your list as “Quote requested”, and their confirmation says you’ll be in touch with a price rather than confirming a booking.
- You build the price on the booking’s draft invoice: labour, parts, GST. These are the same lines you’d invoice from.
- Press Send quote. The customer gets an email and, in Australia, a text with a link. The status moves to “Quote sent”.
- On the quote page they tap Accept or Decline. Declining has an optional box to tell you why.
- You get the answer in GoFolio’s inbox, by email and, in Australia, by text. Then you set the date and book them in.
Sending a quote freezes the lines as they were at that moment. Keep editing the draft invoice afterwards and the quote the customer is looking at doesn’t change. Quotes never create an invoice and never go to Xero, so a declined quote leaves nothing to clean up in your books. You can send a revised quote on the same booking before they answer, or after they decline. Each new one replaces the old link, so they can’t accept a stale price.
Worked example: a clutch quote
A made-up job: clutch replacement on a 2012 Ford Ranger, manual, 214,000 km. Prices are ex-GST.
| Line | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour: remove gearbox, replace clutch, refit | 5 h | $130.00 | $650.00 |
| Clutch kit (plate, pressure plate, bearing) | 1 | $480.00 | $480.00 |
| Rear main seal | 1 | $32.00 | $32.00 |
| Gearbox oil, 1 L | 3 | $18.00 | $54.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,216.00 | ||
| GST 10% (1,216.00 × 0.10) | $121.60 | ||
| Total | $1,337.60 |
In Australia the customer gets a text like this, with the link to the itemised quote:
Coastal Mobile Mechanics: your quote is ready ($1,337.60). View and accept: gofolioapp.com/quote/…
And when they accept, you get:
Sam Taylor accepted your quote ($1,337.60). Time to book them in.
Because this one is over $1,000, the tax invoice you send when the job is done must also show the buyer’s identity or ABN, according to the ATO. The customer’s name on the booking covers that.
Quotes, estimates and extra work
The Queensland Government’s car repair guidance tells consumers that estimates are often verbal and approximate, while quotes are more specific and itemise the work. It tells them they should authorise all repairs, including when the repairer first looks at the car and any work additional to the original quote. It also tells them to check whether there’s a cost for looking at the car to write a quote. Other states have their own consumer pages. Check yours through ABLIS.
When you find more once the gearbox is out
The customer’s Accept covers the quoted lines. When you find more mid-job, ring or text them for a yes and write it in the job notes before you fit the part. A note like this, on the booking, is your record:
Extra work approved by Sam Taylor by phone, 14 Oct, 11:20am. Flywheel scored and below minimum thickness. Machine or replace. Quoted extra: replacement flywheel $395.00 + 0.5 h labour $65.00, ex-GST. Customer chose: replace.
Setting it up
New accounts come with a “Quote” service set up but switched off. Turn it on, or mark any other service as quote-first, such as “Diagnose a fault” or “Clutch replacement”. Add questions to the service so the request arrives with what you need to price it, and you can make “describe the job” compulsory.
Common questions
Can I charge for the inspection needed to quote?
That is your call and your price. Add it as a line on the booking's draft invoice. Tell the customer before they leave the car: Queensland's consumer guidance tells them to check whether there is a cost.