Estimate Submissions
Tracking how project costs evolve over time is a critical part of preconstruction. Traditionally, preconstruction teams have managed cost history in external spreadsheets or separate platforms, making it difficult to explain cost changes to owners and stakeholders, and leaving no clear audit trail of what was submitted and when. Estimate Submissions solves this by giving you a formal, time-stamped way to record and share estimate values directly within Ediphi. Each submission is a deliberate action and serves as the foundation for our Cost Trendline feature, which lets you visualize how costs have changed across milestones over the life of a project.
In this article
Creating a Submission
Submissions can be initiated from two places: the Estimate List page for a Milestone, or from within an estimate itself via the side panel. Only Primary estimates within a Milestone can be submitted.
- Locate the Primary estimate within a Milestone and click the Submit button. This button is available on the Estimate List view, or within the estimate itself in the side panel.
- A Submit to Cost Trendline modal will open, displaying key information about the estimate, including the Estimate Name, Submitting Under (Milestone), Grand Total, and Last Submitted date (if applicable). Fill in the required fields before submitting:
- Version label: A label that will appear in the version history, Cost Trendline, and other views. Required.
- Submission date: A date picker to specify when the estimate was submitted. Required.
- Lock estimate: A checkbox to lock the estimate after submission. Optional, but defaults to on for Project Owners/Global Admins, or off for Members with Write access or below. Note that locking prevents changes to the estimate's values, not the ability to submit it again in the future.
- Click Submit to Cost Trendline to complete the submission.
Once submitted, a Submitted tag will appear on the estimate in the Estimate List, and the side panel within the estimate will display the last submission date. The submission will also appear in the estimate's Version History alongside regular Versions, and will be reflected in Cost Trendline visualizations.
Note: While similar in form, Submissions are a bit distinct from regular Versions. Versions are internal snapshots for reference or rollback. Submissions are formal, time-stamped actions, and are permanent records that cannot be deleted.
You always have the ability to go to your Version History and create a new estimate from that Submission, or Restore the estimate to that Submission if needed.
Permissions
Submission permissions follow the existing estimate access model. Any user who can edit an estimate can also submit it. Only Primary estimates within a Milestone can be submitted.
| Action | Global Admin | Project Owner | Member (Write - Estimates) | Member (Read - Estimates) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit an estimate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Submit a locked estimate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Unlock a Submitted estimate | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hide a Submission from Cost Trendline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Note: Locked estimates can still be submitted. The lock prevents changes to estimate values, not the ability to capture the current state. This supports scenarios like corrections or re-submittals.
FAQs
When I submit an estimate, will it also send it to my client?
No. Submitting an estimate does not trigger any notifications outside of Ediphi. It only captures the estimate at that point in time and incorporates it into the Cost Trendline.
Can I submit options with this workflow?
This feature is not built for submitting options aside from baselines estimates (hence why you can only submit the Primary estimate of a Milestone). If you want to memorialize an option, we recommend creating a regular Version.
Can I delete a submission?
No. Submissions are permanent records and cannot be deleted. Because submissions represent values shared with owners and stakeholders, they must be preserved for audit trail purposes. If a submitted estimate is deleted from a project, its associated submissions will still remain in the Cost Trendline. If you want to remove a submission from view, you can hide it from the Cost Trendline at any time.
What happens to a submission if the estimate is moved to a different Milestone?
The submission retains its association with the original Milestone, since it represents the historical cost data at the time it was submitted. Moving an estimate does not retroactively change where that submission appears.
I’m a project Member with Estimate Write access, and I submitted an estimate but it’s now locked. Can I unlock it?
No. Only Project Owners and Global Admins have the ability to unlock estimates in a project. To unlock the estimate, please contact your Project Owner and/or Global Admin.
What happens if two users submit the same estimate at the same time?
Both submissions will succeed and will be assigned sequential version numbers (e.g., v5 and v6). If you end up with duplicates you don't need, you can always hide one of them from the Cost Trendline.
Is there a limit to how many submissions I can create?
No. You can create unlimited submissions for an estimate. This is intentional; the feature is designed to support scenarios like re-submittals, corrections, and multiple alternate options.
Can I submit a locked estimate?
Yes. Locking an estimate prevents changes to its values, but it does not prevent you from submitting it. This is by design; users often need to submit a locked estimate multiple times (for example, after a correction has been approved).
Who can hide a submission from the Cost Trendline?
Any user who has permission to submit an estimate (Admins, Project Owners, and Members with Estimate Write access) can also hide submissions from the Cost Trendline.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!