Introduction

You know the drill: site visit, scribbled notes, late-night typing, and a proposal that sounds just a bit different than last week’s. That inconsistency costs you time and clarity. In general, contractors spend 30–45 minutes rewriting each proposal from scratch. Here’s a simpler way: lock your winning structure into basic templates, speak your site notes, and let the system fill the rest. In this deep dive, we’ll break down the problem, show how basic templates work inside Donizo, and share real outcomes small teams are seeing—like saving 2–3 hours a week and cutting back-and-forth by a third.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• The Problem With Rewriting Every Proposal
• Basic Templates: What They Are And Why They Work
• How Donizo Templates Work Step By Step
• Real-World Results Contractors See
• Implementation Tips: Build Your First Three Templates
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

Key Takeaways

• Basic templates cut proposal time from 30–45 minutes to about 10–15 minutes in many cases.
• Consistent language reduces client confusion and commonly trims follow-up emails by a third.
• Branded PDFs with e‑signature get decisions faster—often 24–48 hours instead of a week.
• Voice-to-proposal plus templates standardizes scope, lowers errors, and is easy to roll out.

The Problem With Rewriting Every Proposal

What Goes Wrong

Many contractors find the “fresh start” approach leads to:

• Inconsistent wording that triggers questions like “Is cleanup included this time?”
• Missed scope details—small but costly (disposal, protection, patching)
• Slower turnaround because formatting, disclaimers, and inclusions are rebuilt each time

In general, every retype introduces risk. One missed assumption can burn an hour on the phone—or cost a change you won’t get paid for. It’s common for small teams to lose 2–4 hours weekly just clarifying inconsistent proposals.

The Cost You Don’t See

When your language shifts job to job, clients compare apples to oranges. That drags out decisions. Contractors often report that unclear offers sit for days; clearer, consistent offers move in 24–48 hours.

Basic Templates: What They Are And Why They Work

Define “Basic Template” For Field Use

A basic template is a reusable structure for a common job type: standardized headings, must-have scope lines, safety and protection notes, and acceptance terms. You still customize quantities and specific details, but the backbone never changes.

Why They Work For Small Teams

• Consistency: Every client sees the same professional structure.
• Speed: Standard sections are pre-written; you only edit specifics.
• Risk Control: Critical inclusions and exclusions don’t get forgotten.

Commonly, teams that standardize see fewer “What’s included?” emails and faster yes/no decisions because the scope reads the same every time.

Quick Comparison

How Donizo Templates Work Step By Step

The Core Workflow

1. Capture With Voice, Text, Photos
   • On site, speak the details: rooms, quantities, access constraints, protection required. Add photos to anchor specifics. Donizo’s voice-to-proposal flow turns your notes into structured content instantly.
2. Apply A Basic Template
   • Pick your “Interior Paint,” “Bathroom Refresh,” or “Soffit Repair” template. The template drops in your standard scope sections, inclusions/exclusions, and cleanup/disposal language.
3. Edit The Specifics
   • Update quantities, materials, and any client-specific choices. Because the heavy lifting is done, this edit usually takes 5–10 minutes.
4. Generate A Professional PDF
   • Export a clean PDF. On paid plans, add your logo and company details for custom branding and remove watermarks.
5. Send For E‑Signature
   • Email the proposal with client portal access. Clients can review and e‑sign for a legally binding acceptance. Contractors often report that digital acceptance eliminates the “printer/scanner” delay entirely.
6. Convert To Invoice In One Click
   • Once accepted, turn the proposal into an invoice and track payments inside Donizo. No retyping.

Plans In Plain Terms

• Discover (Free): Unlimited proposals, voice/text/image input, e‑signature, PDF export (with watermark).
• Ascension (Paid): Everything above plus custom branding, invoicing and payment tracking, basic templates, analytics dashboard, priority support, and PDFs without watermark.
• Autopilot (Paid): Everything in Ascension plus advanced templates, margin estimator, multi-language support, and work report exports.

Field Example

You finish a bathroom site visit at 5:20 pm. In Donizo, you:

• Record a 90-second voice note listing demo limits, fixtures to protect, tile area in square feet, and grout color choice.
• Select your “Bathroom Refresh” basic template.
• Tweak quantities and add two photo callouts.
• Send a branded PDF with e‑signature by 5:35 pm.

Contractors commonly see clients sign that evening or the next day when the proposal lands while the walk-through is still fresh.

Real-World Results Contractors See

Time Savings You Can Feel

• Many small teams report saving 2–3 hours a week on admin once their top three templates are in place.
• In general, proposal turnaround drops from 30–45 minutes to about 10–15 minutes per job with voice capture plus templates.

Fewer Clarification Calls

• It’s common for standardized inclusions/exclusions to reduce back-and-forth by a third, especially on recurring job types like repainting, small repairs, and fixture swaps.

Faster Decisions And Smoother Cash Flow

• Branded PDFs with e‑signature tend to move decisions in 24–48 hours rather than “sometime next week.”
• Converting accepted proposals to invoices in one click keeps momentum—no re-entering line items.

A Small Crew Story

A two-person remodel team built three templates: “Interior Paint (Room-Based),” “Bath Refresh (No Layout Move),” and “Cabinet Install (Client-Supplied).” After two weeks, they noted:

• Proposal time down to about 12 minutes average
• Noticeable drop in “Is protection included?” questions
• Same-day signoffs on two jobs after switching to e‑signature
• Immediate invoice conversion on acceptance, with payment tracking inside Donizo

Implementation Tips: Build Your First Three Templates

Pick High-Frequency, Low-Variance Jobs

Start where you repeat yourself: interior paint, vanity swap, tile repair, light framing fixes. These see the biggest gains.

Structure That Works

• Introduction: Short job summary clients can read in 10 seconds
• Scope: Room-by-room or area-by-area
• Inclusions: Protection, surface prep, disposal, cleanup
• Exclusions: Anything not included (permits if not applicable, hidden conditions)
• Options: Clear add-ons the client can choose now
• Schedule Window: When you can start and expected duration
• Acceptance: E‑signature terms and next steps

Voice Prompts You Can Reuse

• “Rooms and surfaces; special access or parking; protection needed; material selections; measurements; photos of tricky areas.”
• Keep a short checklist on your phone so your voice notes are consistent.

Keep Pricing Flexible

Templates set language, not fixed prices. Use ranges in early drafts if you need a sanity check, then finalize before sending. In Autopilot, advanced templates and the margin estimator can speed consistent pricing, but the basic template alone already removes most rewriting.

Maintain A Change Log

Any time a client question repeats, add a line to your template. Contractors often find that three or four iterative tweaks eliminate most confusion for good.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Templates Should I Start With?

Start with three: your most frequent, repeatable jobs. Many contractors see immediate gains with just those three. Add more only when a pattern emerges.

What Should A Good Template Include?

A clear intro, structured scope, inclusions/exclusions, schedule window, and acceptance terms. If clients often ask the same questions, bake those answers into the template once.

Will Templates Lock My Prices?

No. Templates standardize wording and structure. You still edit quantities, materials, and pricing per job. If you want more pricing consistency later, Autopilot offers advanced templates and a margin estimator.

Do Clients Really Sign Digitally?

Yes. E‑signature in Donizo creates a legally binding acceptance. It’s common for digital acceptance to speed decisions because clients can sign from their phone in minutes.

How Do I Remove Watermarks On PDFs?

Use a paid plan. Ascension and Autopilot include custom branding with your logo and company details and remove watermarks on PDFs.

Conclusion

Rewriting proposals is a time sink you don’t need. Basic templates give you a consistent backbone; voice capture drops in the site specifics; branded PDFs with e‑signature get you a quick, clean yes; and invoice conversion keeps the momentum. Most small teams can build three solid templates in an hour and start saving time the same day. If you’re ready to move faster with fewer mistakes, spin up your first template in Donizo, capture your next job by voice, send for e‑signature, and convert to an invoice when it’s accepted.