In this article, you will learn how to lock estimates after they've been approved. 

Locking estimates after approval helps prevent accidental changes, ensures pricing accuracy, and protects you and your team from miscommunication. It also provides a clear record of what was agreed upon with the client, keeping everyone on the same page.

Locking estimates after approval

1. From the top navigation bar, select your profile icon > Account
2. Scroll down to Account preferences
3. Under Estimate change restrictions, choose your preferred option:
   
   1. Lock after approval: Prevents any changes to an estimate once it's been approved by the client. Ideal for maintaining a clear, finalized agreement.
   2. Allow edits after approval: Lets you continue making changes to the estimate after it's been approved. Helpful if your jobs often involve adjustments or last-minute updates.
4. Select Save

Viewing locked estimates after approval

If your account is set to lock estimates after approval, your team will no longer be able to make edits to the estimate while it is approved. This applies to estimates that were manually signed and set to "Approved" by your team and estimates approved/signed by your customer from the client portal. 

To refund any potential deposits or make approved changes, you may update the estimate to an unapproved status. If a deposit was not collected during approval, you can apply a deposit to a locked estimate without affecting its approved status.