How Client Selections and Allowances Work

Before you start

• An estimate in draft or sent status

Add options to an estimate

1. Open the estimate and add a selection group where you want the client to choose.
2. Add each option with its own description, price, and photos.
3. Decide whether the client picks exactly one option or can choose several.
4. Save. The group stays in the position you put it in — the client view keeps your order.

One pick or several

• Single choice is the default: the client picks exactly one option, and only that option's price counts toward the total.
• Allow multiple lets the client check several options — an add-on list rather than an either/or. Multi-choice groups count only after the client confirms the group, so a half-made decision never moves the price.
• Mark a group required when the estimate should not be approvable until the client has answered it.
• Keep a group internal when you are choosing on the client's behalf; they will not see it in their view.

Use your product catalog

• Products saved in the Selections catalog drop into a group as options with their price, manufacturer, model, and photos already filled in.
• Catalog photos are what the client sees next to each option, so upload the images once and reuse them across estimates.
• Each inserted option is still a normal estimate line — you can adjust its quantity, cost, and markup after inserting it.

Allowances and the over/under

• An allowance holds a budgeted amount for a decision the client has not made yet, so the estimate can be priced and signed before the finish is picked.
• When the client chooses, SiteView compares the chosen option against the allowance and shows the difference as over or under.
• Over-allowance amounts are what you bill or credit; before approval they adjust the estimate, after approval they go on a change order.
• Selections Center shows the running over/under across the whole estimate, so you can see the exposure in one place.

Track the decision

• Set a category, room, and decision deadline on each group so you can chase the choices that block ordering.
• The status on a group shows how far along the decision is, and the notes you write are visible to the client.

What happens when the client picks

• The estimate total updates to reflect the chosen options.
• Selected products can be pushed into item tracking so procurement knows what to buy.
• Selections made after approval are handled as change-order requests, not silent edits.

Troubleshooting

Related guides

• How to Create, Send, and Approve Estimates
• Client Links, the Portal, and What Clients Can See
• How to Use Project Costing