What is the difference between a simple and a calculated quotation?
Every quotation starts from a template, and when that template was created, a choice was made between a simple and a calculated quotation. That is an important choice: it determines how you calculate, whether recalculation is possible and how far you can analyse afterwards.
You make the choice with the Calculated checkbox in the Blank quotation window, when you create a new quotation template. Every quotation you then draw up from that template takes over the choice.
How do I see the difference?
How you can tell | Simple | Calculated |
|---|---|---|
URL at the top | calc = false | calc = true |
Tabs in the quotation | no extra tabs | Detail, Parameters, Direct costs, Margins, Overview |
Opening a quotation line | only formatting options | the tabs Line detail, Lay-out, Parameters and Analysis |
The price of a line | you type it straight into the line | you change it in the substructure, unless you tick 'Custom price' |
Colour of the price | normal text colour | your brand colour (accent colour as soon as 'Custom price' is on) |
What can a simple quotation do?
As the name says: draw up a quotation quickly and simply. Only the selling price is kept — no cost price, no margin.
As a result, no recalculation is possible, and you cannot work with posts and parameters, cannot add indirect costs, cannot adjust the margin and cannot carry out an in-depth analysis afterwards.
All the other options of the quotation do keep working as usual: importing a measurement, sending an email and having it signed, introduction and end, replacement codes, creating a revision, keeping files, placing a supply order …
What can a calculated quotation do?
A calculated quotation gives you a grip on your figures, both while drawing up the quotation and during the recalculation and the financial analysis afterwards. In it you can:
- work with posts — the substructure of your quotation lines;
- use parameters and formulas in those posts;
- set your margin, add a commission and charge on direct or indirect costs;
- hide certain costs in the substructure of a post from your customer;
- request an analysis of the entire quotation and per post.
Those are options, not obligations. In a calculated quotation you can perfectly well draw up a quotation with only item lines, and adjust the prices manually the way you would in a simple quotation.
Updated on: 04/09/2026
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