# Proposals

> Build a branded proposal from your budget with line items, alternates, tax, terms and revisions, then send each client their own copy.

Source: https://automatedconstruction.io/tidy/docs/features/proposals
Section: Features

The proposal is what your client sees: a branded PDF (also Word and Excel) with line items, alternates, totals with tax, terms, inclusions and exclusions. A project can have several proposals, and each one is a chain of numbered revisions, so you always know exactly what was sent.

## Where to find it

- Sidebar: **Proposals** (under **Bidding**).
- On a bid: the **Proposal** tab.
- From a budget: **Send to proposal**.

## Build in order

The editor walks you through **Project**, **Dates**, **Line items**, **Send**.

1. **Project**: location, assignee, bid due date, clients and the contact at each client.
2. **Dates and document settings**: **Proposal date**, **Valid until**, and **Display mode** (Itemized shows each cost bucket, Lump sum shows one price per line).
3. **Budget source**: pick the budget. With **Keep in sync** on, lines follow the budget while the revision is a draft. Lines you add by hand are never touched.
4. **Line items**: drag to reorder. Each line has a scope category (grouped by CSI division, with **Browse CSI MasterFormat** for the full list), quantity, amounts and description bullets. Tag a line **Alternate** or **Optional** to price it outside the base total.
5. **Totals**: subtotal, each tax line and the total.
6. **Terms, inclusions and exclusions**: copied from your company defaults, and editable.
7. **Send**: opens the Submit dialog with the PDF attached. Tidy tells you what is missing first, such as a client contact with no email.

A live preview on the right updates as you type and shows a DRAFT watermark until the revision is sent. **Download** gives you PDF, Excel or Word.

## Several clients

One proposal serves every client on the project. Each client gets a copy addressed to them. The preview has an **Addressed to** picker.

## Revisions

A sent revision is locked. **Revise** copies it forward as the next revision (Rev 1, Rev 2 and so on). **Compare** shows two revisions line by line, and **Restore as Rev N** brings an older one forward.

Status is worked out for you: Draft, Sent, Expired (past its valid-until date), Won or Lost.

## Company defaults

Admins set defaults in **Admin > Settings > Proposal**: **Categories**, **Units**, **Pricing & tax**, **Estimating**, **Terms**, **Email** templates, PDF **Branding** and company **Documents** (licenses, insurance) to attach.

## What it does not do yet

There is no e-signature, online accept link or client portal. Clients get the PDF by email.

## What the agent can do

The agent can create and edit proposals, add and change lines, revise, compare and restore revisions, and push budget assemblies to a draft. Sending always opens the final review in your browser for a person to click send.

## Related

- [Create and send a proposal](https://automatedconstruction.io/tidy/docs/guides/create-and-send-a-proposal)
- [Bid submission](https://automatedconstruction.io/tidy/docs/features/bid-submission)