Free Contractor Estimate Template
Build Professional Estimates Using a Free Template
Stop juggling spreadsheets and rewriting the same line items for every job. This free Contractor Estimate Template helps you organize material and labor costs, apply markup, and generate clean, client-ready estimates in minutes. Whether you're a general contractor or specialty trade, this template gives you a repeatable system for quoting jobs with confidence.
What Should Be Included in a Contractor Estimate?
A strong contractor estimate should clearly outline scope, pricing, and assumptions. It’s not just a number — it’s a breakdown of how that number was calculated.
This template helps you include:
- Detailed line item descriptions
- Quantities and unit costs
- Labor costs by task or phase
- Subcontractor expenses
- Equipment and permit fees
- Overhead and markup
- Clear subtotal, tax, and total price
When your estimates are structured and transparent, clients trust them more — and you protect your margins.
Why Clear Construction Estimates Increase Close Rates
Clients want clarity. If your estimate looks rushed or vague, it creates hesitation.
Using a standardized contractor estimate template helps you:
- Present a professional, organized quote
- Reduce back-and-forth clarification questions
- Justify your pricing with line item detail
- Win more jobs through improved presentation
Professional estimates don’t just protect profit — they improve sales performance.
Contractor Estimate Template Overview
This free Contractor Estimate Template is delivered as a Google Sheets file that you can duplicate and customize for your business.
It includes:
1. Estimating Worksheet
Enter your:
- Line items
- Quantities
- Unit pricing
- Labor costs
- Markup percentage
The sheet automatically calculates totals and estimated profit so you can confirm margin before sending the estimate.
2. Cost Category Management
Organize your estimate into reusable categories such as:
- Materials
- Labor
- Subcontractors
- Equipment
- Permits & Fees
- Overhead
This makes it easy to duplicate estimates and maintain consistency across projects.
3. Client-Facing Estimate
The spreadsheet generates a clean version of your estimate that’s ready to export as a PDF and send directly to your client. Internal cost breakdown and markup can remain separate from the client-facing view.