Sign Estimates Faster on One Link
How a homeowner goes from estimate to signed contract on one token link, no account, no login, with an audit trail and the deposit collected in the same step.
A homeowner gets an estimate, reads it, signs it, and pays a deposit, all from one link, without creating an account. That is the entire loop, and cutting the number of steps between “estimate sent” to “job booked” is the difference between a signed contract this week and a homeowner who forgets to follow up.
Why the extra login step kills deals
Every tool that makes a client create a password before they can read a contract loses some percentage of them right there. A homeowner who requested an estimate on a Tuesday evening is not going to set up an account, verify an email, and remember a password to read a PDF. They will let it sit, and a competitor’s simpler process gets the job instead.
A token link skips that entirely. The estimate, contract, or change order is attached to a unique link sent by email or text. Opening it requires nothing but a click.
What happens at each step
- The estimate or proposal goes out as a document tied to a token link. See /help/create-a-proposal for how a proposal is put together.
- The client opens the link. No login. The system records that the document was opened, so you know it has been seen before you follow up.
- The client reads and signs, typed or drawn signature, right in the browser.
- The signature is recorded with an audit trail: the signer’s name and email, the time of signing, the IP address, and the browser used. That record is what protects you if a homeowner later disputes what they agreed to. See /help/send-document-for-signature.
- A deposit can be collected in the same step, so signing the contract and paying the deposit happen together instead of as two separate asks days apart.
- The signed document files itself against the job in your dashboard, so there is nothing to manually upload or track down later.
Why the audit trail matters
A signature with no record behind it is just a name on a page. If a job goes sideways and a client claims they never agreed to a scope or a price, the timestamp, IP address, and browser detail attached to the signature is what backs up your side. This is not about distrust of clients; it is about having a real record instead of a verbal agreement or an email thread that is hard to point back to.
Where this shows up in the client experience
This same no-login pattern runs through the rest of how a homeowner deals with the business: requesting a job through a short intake form, booking a time against live availability, and reaching the crew after hours through an emergency request form rather than a voicemail that sits until morning. See the full picture at /contractor-client-experience.
What this replaces
If you are currently emailing a PDF estimate, waiting for a client to print it, sign it, scan it, and email it back, or using a separate e-signature tool that is not connected to your job records, this collapses all of that into one link and one dashboard entry. It also removes the awkward second conversation about the deposit, since that can be part of the same signing flow instead of a follow-up invoice.
See how this fits into the full contractor toolkit at /for-contractors, or get a walkthrough at /get-a-demo.
Questions people ask
Does the client need to create an account to sign?
No. They open a token link sent to them by email or text. No login, no password, no app download required.
What counts as proof the document was signed?
The system records the signature itself, whether typed or drawn, along with the signer's name and email, the time they signed, the IP address, and the browser they used. That record stands as the audit trail if a dispute ever comes up.
Can the client see when the document was opened, not just signed?
Yes. Opening the document is recorded, so you can see whether a homeowner has looked at an estimate before you follow up, rather than guessing.
Can I collect a deposit at the same time the estimate is signed?
Yes, a deposit can be collected as part of the same signing step, so you are not sending a separate invoice after the fact and waiting on a second action from the client.
What happens to the link after the document is signed?
The signed document stays available at that link so both sides can reference it later. It is filed against the job in your dashboard automatically.