Creating Proposals

• Navigating the Proposals Page

  The Proposal Page in Elevation Advisor is your central hub for managing every proposal you've created. As you begin building and sending proposals, it will populate with a running list of every job you've quoted. This view helps you quickly find, sort, and take action on proposals at every stage of the sales process. ![Figure 1: The Proposals page, with the Active Stages filter selected.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Proposals/Creating_Proposals/Images/Proposals_PSome readers

• How to Create a Proposal

  When we designed Elevation Advisor, we focused on keeping things simple to help users avoid mistakes and oversights. For this reason, the system guides you to focus on one task at a time through our proposal wizard. Step 1: Start a New Proposal Open the menu in the upper left corner and click Proposal, then Create New Proposal in the top right. Step 2: Fill Out Project Details (Takeoffs Page) The Take Offs page first asks you to eFew readers

• Adding Landscape Work Areas

  In Elevation Advisor, you organize your proposal using Landscape Work Areas to keep things clear and focused. To help better understand Proposals, we’ll use a real example of a landscape created by our co-founder’s company. In this Elevation Advisor sample design a customer called about building a new patio in their backyard. During the conversation, they mentioned missing gardening but lackSome readers

• Using the Takeoffs Screen

  Let’s start with a quick note on why we built this screen the way we did. We wanted it to be clean, easy on your eyes, and enjoyable to work in. Everything is collapsible so you can stay focused and avoid that overwhelming feeling of too much on the screen at once. The goal is to help you stay locked in on one section at a time, complete it, collapse it, and move on. Now let’s walk through how to navigate this page. Navigating the Takeoffs Screen When you first open this screen, you wiFew readers

• How to Customize Landscape Work Areas in a Proposal

  After setting the general parameters of your project, click Next to proceed to the Proposal Takeoffs screen. Here, you’ll see each of your Landscape Work Areas displayed in dark blue headers. Under each header is a list of the Sections you previously added to that area. ToFew readers

• Calculating Labor

  How to Accurately Apply Crew Labor This guide explains how to calculate and apply crew labor within Sections of a proposal. The labor calculation feature is grounded in real-world experience and designed to help contractors bid accurately, build realistic schedules, and consistently meet profitability goals. Why Labor Calculation Matters The labor calculation system was developed from field-tested time studies over the last 20 years. For examSome readers

• Working with Templates

  Templates in Elevation Advisor are one of the fastest ways to build proposals without sacrificing accuracy or control. They give you a strong starting point for any section, whether you're building beds, patios, or custom features, and help you create polished, professional proposals in record tiSome readers

Pre-Built Templates: Working with Sections

• Beds: Begin here if you are just getting started with Sections

  This guide introduces you to working with Sections in Elevation Advisor, using the Beds section as a detailed example. While we’ll focus on creating and managing beds within a proposal, the steps and best practices outlined here apply broadly to all landscape sections. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to measure, structure, and populate any section with confidence. To illustrate the process, we’ll use a real-world example from a landscape designed by our co-founder’Featured

• Project Overhead

  Project Overhead refers to job-specific costs that support project execution but aren’t direct line items like materials or labor. These costs can include logistics, coordination, travel, and on-site setup. ⚠️ General Overhead is already accounted for in your PMM Elevation Advisor offers a smarter, more transparent approach to managing Project Overhead by dividing it into two distinct sections, each with a clear purpose and pricing strategy. Project Overhead (No Markup) These arFew readers

• Custom Section

  Start in the Proposal Editor: * Click the Edit button on the appropriate Landscape Work Area. * Click the ➕ icon to add a new section. * Type the section name (e.g., “Fire Pit”), press Enter, and your section will be added. ![Figure 2: Select format if needed.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.Few readers

• Plants

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project we’ll be referencing here. In the Elevation Advisor Sample Design, plants are being added to the bark mulcFew readers

• Removal

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here. In the Elevation Advisor Sample Design , there’s a large concrete patio in the **blueFew readers

• Pavers

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend checking out the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here. In the Elevation Advisor Sample Design, there is a large paver patio is being inFew readers

• Edging

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here. In the Elevation Advisor sample design, there’s a small amount of edging located in theSome readers

• Gravel Walkway

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks you through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here. In the Elevation Advisor Sample Design, there’s a gravel walkway located in the **blueFew readers

• Lawn

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend checking out the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here. In the Elevation Advisor Sample Design, there’s a section of lawn located in the **bFew readers

• Retaining Wall

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend checking out the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and provides a more detailed look at creating sections in Elevation Advisor. Adding the Retaining Wall Section To begin: Navigate to your proposal and click Edit in the top right corner. Select Retaining Wall from the template library. Click Save toFew readers

• Concrete

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics. Adding the Concrete Section If you haven’t already added a Concrete section: Click Edit in the top right corner. Select Concrete from the template library. Click Save to add it to your proposal. Measuring the Concrete Area Start by measurinFew readers

• Irrigation

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here. In the Elevation Advisor Sample Design, irrigation is needed in the blue-outlined area.Few readers

• Build Up

  If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the Elevation Advisor Sample Design. In the Sample Design, the patio area requires a build-up of soil before hardscapeFew readers

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Markup

• Efficiency Calculator: A Smarter Way to Plan Crew Size and Profitability

  The Efficiency Calculator in Elevation Advisor is a strategic planning tool designed to help you determine whether adding workers to a project will actually improve your bottom line. Instead of guessing, it gives you a clear financial comparison between the cost of extra labor and the potential revenue gained by finishing early and starting your next job sooner. This tool is especially useful when you're facing tight deadlines, considering overtime, or evaluating whether pulling crew membSome readers

• Markup That Makes Sense: A Guided Tour of the Markup Screen

  The Markup screen in Elevation Advisor gives you full visibility into the financial structure of your proposal, and the power to adjust pricing with precision. Whether you're trying to stay competitive in a tight bid or strategically lower pricing to keep your crews busy, the Markup screen helps you make smart decisions without sacrificing profitability. Grounded in Real Business Data Every number on this screen is based on your actual business inputs: Labor, equipment, and overheaFew readers

Packages

• The Power of ISPS: Turning Psychology into Profit

  Most landscape companies lose jobs for one main reason: the homeowner gets confused or overwhelmed and just picks the cheapest option to make the decision easier. We built Elevation Advisor to fix exactly that. Instead of giving the client one flat price or a confusing spreadsheet, every proposal you create automatically uses a system we call ISPS (Integrated Sales Psychology & Strategy). You don’t have to learn psychology You don’t have to become a better salesperson You don’t haveSome readers

• Creating Packages That Sell Themselves

  Once your proposal is built, Elevation Advisor gives you the tools to turn it into a dynamic sales experience. The system provides four editable packages by default, although you can have more or fewer. You just need to defineFew readers

Accepted Proposals

• Creating Change Orders

  To many landscapers, change orders feel like a betrayal. You're deep into a job, your crews are humming, your schedule is tight, and then it hits. A client wants to add something. Or fix something. Or change something they swore was final. Suddenly you're chasing down old texts, decoding half-remembered conversations, and trying to make sense of sticky notes and voicemails. You're not just managing a job anymore, you're managing chaos. And worst of all, you're the one who has to call the next clPopular

• How Change Order Payments Work

  A change order changes what your client owes, so it changes the payment plan. Elevation Advisor works that out for you on the change order itself. There is no separate calculator to open and no math to redo by hand. Open the change order, scroll to Payment terms, and you'll see everything the new schedule is built from. Only you see this panel. ![Figure 1: Payment terms on a change order.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Proposals/Presenting_Proposals/Images/V2_CFew readers

• Upselling with the Update Package Feature

  Plenty of clients start with the package that feels safe and want more once the work is on the calendar. Elevation Advisor makes that easy: the proposal your client signed stays open to them, and they can move up to a bigger package on their own, without a new proposal or a phone call. How your client moves up The link in your client's confirmation email ("View your signed proposal") still works after they sign. The acceptance email also invites them to take another look if they want to doFew readers

Presenting Proposals

• Preparing and Sending Your Proposal

  Once your work areas, sections, and packages are built, click Preview in the top right corner of the Package Creation screen. This opens your proposal exactly the way your client will see it, and it's also where you finish it: add your photos and personal note, set the payment terms, and send it. ![Figure 1: The top of a proposal, with Go Back, Send, Print, and the hero photo controls.](httFew readers

• Client Sign-Off: Seamless, On-Site, and On Your Terms

  Elevation Advisor makes it easy to get a proposal signed, whether your client is at home with the email, sitting across the kitchen table from you, or already said yes over the phone. There are three ways to close the deal. 1. Your client signs from the email When you click Send on the proposal, your client gets an email with a View your proposal button. It opens the same proposal you prepared, with your photos, your note, and the package options side by side. See Preparing and SendFew readers