Overview
The centre section of the bills page (Stage 6) contains optional client documentation — templates such as cover letters, terms and conditions, health and safety statements, or any other recurring documents you include with your quotations. These templates are created once in System Preferences and can be tailored per job without affecting the master copy.
Setting up templates
Templates are created and managed in Tools > System Preferences. Here you can draft your standard cover letter, terms and conditions, and any other documents you regularly send with quotations. Once saved, these templates appear in the centre panel of the bills page for every job.
Set up your standard terms and conditions, cover letter templates, and any other recurring documentation in System Preferences. This saves time on every future quotation — you will not have to rewrite these documents from scratch each time.
Using templates on a job
When you select a pre-set document from the centre panel, Ensign loads a draft version of the template. This draft is specific to the current job — you can edit it freely without affecting the master template stored in System Preferences.
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Click on the document you wish to include from the centre panel of the bills page.
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A draft version of the template opens. Review the content and make any amendments specific to this particular job — for example, updating the client's name, adjusting payment terms, or adding project-specific notes.
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Once you are satisfied with the content, save your changes. The amended draft is stored against this job only.
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When you generate a merged PDF or export individual documents, the amended draft is included automatically.
Edits made to a draft on the bills page affect only the current job. Your master template in System Preferences remains unchanged. If you want to update the master template for all future jobs, make the changes in System Preferences directly.
Common pre-set documents
Typical documents you might set up as templates include:
- Cover letter — a standard introduction to your quotation, with placeholders for client and project details you can amend per job
- Terms and conditions — your standard contract terms, which you can adjust for specific client requirements
- Health and safety statement — a declaration of your health and safety policies relevant to the project
- Scope of works — a description of what is included in (and excluded from) your quotation
- Amendments or qualifications — any caveats, assumptions, or exclusions specific to the tender
Next steps
To control the visual presentation of your bills, see Bill Document Settings. To combine your documentation into a single tender package, see Generating a Merged PDF.