Free Estimate Template

Our free estimate template makes sending out a customizable, professional estimate easy. It’s perfect for business owners starting out or exploring software instead of pen and paper. The template is part of an extensive free toolkit where you can store client information, convert their estimates to invoices, and get paid for your work.

If you’re just looking for a quick-start job estimate template that you can reuse as often as you like, download the free PDF or Excel documents and start sending out estimates right away.

Your work estimate template should include:

• Your business’s name, logo, and contact details
• Your client’s name and contact details
• Estimate number for record-keeping purposes
• A breakdown of the type of work you’ll be providing, along with a detailed description
• The approximate cost estimate of completing the work, factoring in labor, material costs and quantities, any special discounts or rates, and sales tax
• Optional line items for added services or tasks 
• How long the estimate is valid for
• Terms and conditions such as deposit amounts or invoice payment terms

A job estimate template is a blank copy of your estimate form, which you can complete to create a detailed project estimate after a consultation. 

You can find estimate templates such as fill-in PDFs, MS Word or a Google Doc, Excel or a Google Sheet, free quoting tools, or even software like Jobber. These templates are essential to keeping your business efficient and consistent.

Here’s what a work estimate template can do for you:

• Help you stay organized and include all necessary information
• Reduce room for error by including mandatory form fields
• Make you look more professional than handwritten estimates
• Cut down on repetitive data entry and save you time
• Help you track rates, prices, expenses, and accounts receivable
• Set client expectations with clean project estimate details
• Protect your business with terms and conditions
• Make filing easier with digital copies of all estimates

With our free template, you can easily add the specific details for that job, get the estimate approved, complete the work, invoice the client, and get paid faster—all with just a few clicks.

No matter the industry, every project estimate needs the same elements. Line items, cost estimate totals, and terms and conditions are just a few examples.

The main difference is your services, which are specific to your industry. Start by deciding what services you’d like to offer, create a list of standard line items for bids and estimates, and set prices for each service. These details help you assemble an estimate and send it to your client faster.

Quotes and estimates seem similar, but there’s one big difference: budget flexibility.

An estimate is a rough but educated guess at how much time, work, and materials will be involved in completing a job. Providing an estimate gives you some wiggle room in case unexpected details pop up during the work.

A quote, on the other hand, tells a client exactly how much they’ll be paying for the job. Sending a quote can mean higher profits if you come in under budget—but it also means you have to think of everything that could complicate the job and cut into your profits.

(And yes, you can use the free estimate template as a proposal template or quote template!)

There’s a big difference between estimates and invoices.

An estimate describes what the finished work will look like and how much it’ll cost to complete. This is the first step in any project. An estimate sets the expectations for the client, and you don’t move forward until they sign off on it.

An invoice is the final bill you send to the client for the completed work. The invoice is the last step of the project. Depending on how much the work has changed during the project, the invoice amount might differ from the amount on the estimate.

Pro tip: You can use Jobber’s free invoice template to bill your clients once the job is complete.

That depends on how you’re doing it! If you’re using pen and paper, it could take a while to write down your contact details, add the customer’s information, write in all your line items from memory, and tally up the costs in your head.

With a free estimate template, some of that information is already in place, and the calculations are done automatically, including taxes and discounts. Filling in the details specific to the project should only take a few minutes, and then the estimate can be sent to the client for approval.

Estimating and quote management software like Jobber makes it easy to create a detailed estimate using your desktop or mobile app.

With Jobber, you can:

• Set up client files for storing estimates, project details, and invoices
• Let new leads request work through booking forms on your website or Google Business Profile
• Create estimates with add-ons, packages, and images
• Convert estimates into jobs and invoices
• Give clients the option to approve estimates and pay deposits online
• Communicate with clients using email and SMS
• Schedule teams, route work, and track time and expenses
• Get paid faster using automated follow-ups and credit card processing

Learn how Jobber can help you create estimates and win work faster.

An estimate template is a blank form designed to help you quickly and consistently create job estimates. It includes pre-formatted sections for key details like line items, costs, terms, and branding.

Yes! Use the PDF template for a quick solution or customize it in Jobber to add your branding, terms, and unique details.

You can download the template as a fillable PDF or the Microsoft Excel estimate template—or use Jobber’s free software to customize and manage your estimates digitally.