---
canonical_url: "https://buildwithwave.com/docs/workflows/commercial-estimates-fast"
title: "Get a commercial estimate fast"
description: "When a facility manager or business owner needs a number quickly, describe the property and loss once and have a priced estimate ready to send."
group: "workflows"
lane: "how-to"
status: "published"
publishedAt: 2026-10-09
updatedAt: 2026-10-09
sidebarOrder: 40
tags: ["workflow"]
relatedSlugs:
  - "estimates/pdfs-in-chat"
  - "estimates/export-pdf"
  - "collaboration/share-links"
  - "workflows/put-wave-to-work"
sidebarLabel: "Commercial estimates"
---

Give a business the number it needs while the situation is still fresh. Describe the property and the loss once, let Wave ask what it needs, and send a clean estimate the same day.

## How it works with Wave

1. **Start with what you have.** Type or say the loss, or paste an intake message or First Notice of Loss straight into the Home box. Wave creates the job and fills in the customer, contacts and loss facts it finds. See [Create a job](/docs/jobs/create-a-job) and [Capture a First Notice of Loss](/docs/estimates/filing-an-fnol).
2. **Add the layout.** Photograph a sketch or floor plan and send it in chat. Wave reads the labeled lengths and widths, puts them on the rooms and asks you to double-check them. See [Ask Wave about photos](/docs/estimates/photos-in-chat).
3. **Answer Wave's questions.** Wave asks focused questions about the affected areas. Tap a choice or type the answer. See [Answer Wave's questions](/docs/estimates/chat-questionnaire).
4. **Organize large properties.** Assign rooms to units, suites or sections with a sentence like "the kitchen and bath are in Unit 2B", and the estimate groups them with a subtotal for each. See [Estimate a multi-unit loss](/docs/estimates/multi-unit-estimates).
5. **Cover each type of work.** Keep mitigation and repairs as separate estimates on the same job, each with its own total. See [Several estimates on one job](/docs/estimates/estimates-on-one-job).
6. **Send one packet.** In the Export dialog, tick the estimates, drying log and photos you want, and download one PDF that opens with your Cover page. Photos you marked with **Add to export** on the Files tab are picked for you. Or send a share link. See [Customize reports](/docs/estimates/customize-reports).

## Tip

Photos taken while you walk the property speed up every later step. Add them in the job's chat as you go, and ask Wave "Anything in this photo I forgot to scope?" before you send.

## Related

- [Ask Wave about documents](/docs/estimates/pdfs-in-chat)
- [Export reports](/docs/estimates/export-pdf)
- [Share an estimate](/docs/collaboration/share-links)
- [Put Wave to work in your workflow](/docs/workflows/put-wave-to-work)