Generating Reports and Bid Sheets

This article explains how to use Stimaro's Reports area to preview, customize, and export bid sheets, proposal documents, and internal estimate reports.

Reports turn your estimate data into documents you can review, share, print, or submit.

Open Reports

To open the Reports area:

1. Open a project.
2. Click Reports at the top of the project workspace.
3. Or use Ctrl+8.

The Reports workspace is organized into three main areas:

The basic workflow is simple: choose a template, preview it, adjust the available fields, and export.

Choose a Template

The left panel shows the available report templates.

Templates are organized by purpose. Some are intended for customer submission, while others are designed for internal review or detailed estimating analysis.

Client-Facing Templates

Client-facing templates are designed for documents you may submit or share outside your company.

Examples include:

Internal Templates

Internal templates are useful for reviewing the estimate before submission.

Examples include:

Detailed Templates

Detailed templates help you inspect specific parts of an estimate.

Examples include:

Specialized Templates

Specialized templates support more specific workflows.

Examples may include:

• Move Money Analysis
• Prevailing Wage Certification
• Subcontractor Scope
• Alternates & Allowances

The templates available in your workspace may depend on your Stimaro setup, plan, and onboarding configuration.

Preview a Report

Click a template in the left panel to preview it.

Stimaro renders the report in the center preview area using your current project and estimate data.

The preview shows the report as it will appear when printed or exported, including:

• Project information
• Customer or recipient information, if selected
• Estimate items
• Quantities and units
• Unit costs and totals
• Markup and overhead details, depending on the template
• Company branding, if configured

Use the preview to confirm that the report looks right before exporting.

Customize Report Fields

The right panel shows fields and options for the selected template.

Different templates expose different controls. Common options include:

As you update these fields, the report preview refreshes so you can review the changes before exporting.

Use Your Brand Kit

Stimaro can apply your company branding to reports.

Brand settings may include:

• Company logo
• Signature image
• Accent color
• Secondary color
• Primary font
• Secondary font

Your Brand Kit helps keep exported reports consistent across templates.

If your logo or signature is not appearing, check your Brand Kit settings and confirm the image has been uploaded correctly.

Export a Report

After choosing a template and reviewing the preview, export the report.

To export:

1. Confirm the report preview looks correct.
2. Check any variables or toggles in the right panel.
3. Choose the export format.
4. Click Export.
5. Select a location on your computer.
6. Save the file.

Common export formats include:

Some templates may support more export formats than others.

If Open after export is enabled, the exported file will open automatically after saving.

Common Report Workflows

Submit a Bid to an Owner

Use this workflow when you are ready to submit pricing externally.

Recommended template: Bid Form

Typical steps:

1. Open Reports.
2. Select Bid Form.
3. Choose the customer or recipient.
4. Enter the prepared-by name.
5. Confirm the bid totals and sections are correct.
6. Export as PDF.
7. Send the PDF through your normal submission process.

Send a Proposal Summary

Use this workflow when you want a more polished summary or cover document.

Recommended template: Proposal Letter

Typical steps:

1. Select Proposal Letter.
2. Choose the recipient.
3. Enter the prepared-by name.
4. Confirm the company branding.
5. Review the proposal summary.
6. Export as PDF.

Review an Estimate Internally

Use this workflow before final approval or partner review.

Recommended template: Estimate Review Package or Bid Snapshot

These reports are useful for:

• Leadership review
• Partner sign-off
• Internal quality checks
• Reviewing totals, cost categories, and markup assumptions

Export as PDF for review meetings, or use Excel if your team wants to inspect tabular data.

Share a Rate Table

Use this workflow when reviewing rates with vendors, subcontractors, or internal teams.

Recommended template: Rate Table

Export as PDF for a fixed-format document, or Excel if the recipient needs to edit or compare rates.

Build a Report Package

For larger submissions, you may want several reports combined into one PDF.

Use the package builder to combine multiple templates into a single report package.

A typical bid package may include:

1. Proposal Letter
2. Bid Form
3. Schedule of Values
4. Bond Submission

To build a package:

1. Open Reports.
2. Click Build Package.
3. Select the templates you want to include.
4. Arrange them in the correct order.
5. Review the package.
6. Export as one PDF.

Package exports use continuous page numbering so the final file reads as one combined document.

View Export History

Stimaro keeps a record of exported reports.

Use export history when you need to see what was exported previously or regenerate an earlier report.

The history view may show details such as:

• Export date and time
• Template name
• Export format
• File size

This is useful when comparing a current estimate to a previously exported version, or when confirming what was sent during a prior bid submission.

Regenerate a Previous Export

If you need to recreate a past export, open the export history and select the prior report.

Regenerating a report can help answer questions such as:

• What did the bid look like when it was submitted?
• Did a later rate change affect the bid total?
• Which report version did we send to the customer?

Use regenerated exports carefully when preparing final submissions. Confirm whether you need the historical version or the latest version of the estimate.

Custom Templates

If the built-in templates do not match your company's preferred format, Stimaro may support custom templates.

Depending on your setup, you may be able to:

• Duplicate an existing template
• Edit a template for your company's format
• Build a new template from a prior bid document
• Use AI-assisted template cloning, if enabled for your account

AI-assisted template cloning requires an active Stimaro sign-in and may depend on your account configuration.

If you have a standard bid form, proposal format, or customer-specific template, send it during onboarding so Stimaro can help determine the best setup path.

Template Variables

Templates pull information from your project, estimate, bid, and selected report settings.

For example, a report may automatically populate:

• Project name
• Bid date
• Customer or recipient name
• Prepared-by name
• Total bid amount
• Number of estimate items
• Direct costs
• Markup values

You do not need to manage these variables for normal exports. They are handled automatically when you choose a template and fill in the available fields.

Variables become more important only if you are editing or creating a custom template.

Troubleshooting

The Preview Is Blank

Confirm that the project has estimate data. Some reports need items, bid totals, or rates before they can render.

Try opening the Bid tab first to confirm the estimate has items and totals.

My Logo Is Not Showing

Check your Brand Kit settings.

Make sure the logo has been uploaded and that the file is supported. PNG files are recommended for logos and signatures.

The Report Is Missing a Section

Check the right panel for section toggles. Some templates let you show or hide sections such as direct costs, markup breakdowns, alternates, or terms.

I Need a Different Layout

If the built-in template does not fit your submission format, try one of these options:

• Use a different built-in template
• Build a package with multiple templates
• Duplicate and customize a template, if enabled
• Ask Stimaro about setting up a custom template during onboarding

Can I Export to Word?

Stimaro does not export directly to Word in the standard report flow.

If you need a Word-style workflow, export to PDF and use your preferred document tool to convert or reference the file.

Recommended First Report

For your first export, start with Bid Snapshot or Bid Form.

Use Bid Snapshot if you want to review the estimate internally before sending it.

Use Bid Form if you are preparing a customer-facing bid submission.

After exporting, open the file and confirm:

• Project name is correct
• Customer or recipient is correct
• Bid items are included
• Totals match the bid sheet
• Branding looks right
• The document is ready to share