Free Construction Estimate Template
Customize our estimate template for construction with details like your company name, client information, line items, final price, terms and conditions, and more. Download the basic PDF, or click “Customize Template” to create a professional-looking estimate, convert it to an invoice, and send it to your clients via email or text.
Professional construction estimates help you win more business
- Add your company name, branding, and terms
- List detailed line items and costs
- Track sent estimates and convert to invoices
How to create a construction estimate
- Download Jobber’s free construction estimate template PDF or Excel file and save it to your computer. Be sure to include “estimate” or “quote” in the file name for easy organization and to make it clear for your customers.
- Add your company contact info so customers can reach out if they have any questions. Include your business name, website, phone number, email address, and office address (if you have one).
- Enter your customer’s contact info, estimate number, and the estimate date.
- Describe the construction services you’re providing and any materials you’ll use, including prices for each.
- Include your subtotal, applicable taxes, discounts, and fees before the total.
- Add your estimate terms and conditions.
- Save the estimate as a PDF file and send it to the customer via email or text.
Looking for an even easier way to create and send professional estimates fast? Try Jobber’s free estimating software.
What should be included on your construction estimate template
Your construction estimate should include the following information:
- 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 project cost estimate, factoring in labor costs, material costs, and quantities, markup, profit margin, any special discounts or rates, and sales tax
- Optional line items for added services or tasks that would enhance the work
- A detailed mention of anything that specifically won’t be included in the work
- How long the estimate is valid for
- Estimate terms and conditions (e.g., deposit amount, invoice payment terms)
You’ll find spaces for all of this information in our sample cost estimate for construction.
Best practices for creating a construction estimate
Follow these tips to create a professional and accurate estimate for potential clients:
- Use a professional template – Download Jobber’s free estimate template to create a professional-looking estimate complete with your company information, construction project details, pricing, and more.
- Include your business information – Provide the prospective client with your company name, contact details, and license number to make it easy for them to get in touch.
- Break down costs clearly – List the materials you’ll use, estimated labor hours, and pricing for each service.
- Factor in contingencies – Add a contingency percentage (like 5%-10%) to cover any unexpected costs.
- Specify your payment terms – Include your accepted payment methods and when the client will be expected to pay you.
- Include an expiration date – Add how long the estimate is valid (like 30 days) to account for potential material price fluctuations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our construction estimate form makes it easy to send out customizable, professional-looking estimates. It’s perfect for business owners who are just getting started or exploring software instead of pen and paper. The template is part of a larger 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 construction proposal template that you can reuse as often as you like, download the free PDF. You can start sending out estimates right away, using our construction estimate example as a starting point. -
A construction cost estimate template is a blank copy of your estimate form, which you can fill out to create a detailed estimate after a consultation. You can find templates as fill-in PDFs, Microsoft Word or Google Docs, Google Sheets or Excel spreadsheets, free quoting tools, or even construction software like Jobber. These templates are essential to staying efficient and consistent—and creating a profitable construction business.
Here’s what a general contractor construction 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 and protect your business with terms and conditions
• Make filing easier with digital copies of all estimates
• Simplify construction projects for your project managers
With job estimate templates, it’s easy to add in 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 estimate has the same necessary elements. Line items, estimate totals, and terms and conditions are just a few examples of information you might find in a construction estimate sample.
The main difference is your service categories, which are specific to the construction 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.
Our construction bid template helps you assemble an estimate for a specific project and send it off 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. This gives you some wiggle room in case any unexpected details pop up during the work.
A quote, on the other hand, tells a client the actual costs of completing a job. This 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 estimate template as a construction quote template!) -
The main difference between an estimate template and a bid template is that an estimate is used to provide an approximation of costs, while a bid is a firm offer to complete the project at a specified price.
A construction estimate template should include the estimated costs for materials, labor, equipment, permits, and overhead.
Estimates can change as more details about the project emerge, but the initial goal is to help clients understand the potential costs before finalizing the contract.
A construction bid template should include a detailed cost breakdown, project timeline, and your terms and conditions.
Bids are used to compete for a project and are legally binding once accepted.
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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. Job estimating sets the expectations for the client, and you don’t move forward until they sign off on the estimate.
An invoice is the final bill you send to the client for the completed work. This is the last step of the project. The amount on the invoice might be different from the amount on the estimate, depending on how much the work might have changed during the project.
This is also the point where you can talk to the client about consumer financing. -
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 an estimate template, some of that information is already in place and the calculations are done automatically, including tax rate and discounts. It should only take a few minutes to fill in the details that are specific to the project, then send off the estimate to the client for approval.
This is especially helpful for any type of larger commercial project—for example, if you need a new home construction estimate template. -
To create a simple construction estimate template, you can use tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
If you’re looking for more advanced features, like job costing, optional line items, and invoicing—construction estimating software like Jobber may be a better fit.
Jobber’s pre-built quote templates make it easy to create professional quotes that can be customized with your company details and branding in minutes.
You can even suggest premium materials like natural stone, hardwood flooring, or high-end appliances directly on the quote. Your clients can select the options they want and watch their quote automatically update before they approve.
Plus, to keep work moving forward, Jobber automatically sends a follow-up to customers you haven’t heard back from, so you can be sure you’re never leaving work on the table.
Looking for more options? You can also try estimating software like QuickBooks, Procore, or Buildertrend.
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Estimating and quote management software like Jobber makes it easy to create an estimate using your desktop or mobile app.
Here’s what you can do with estimating software:
• Set up client files for storing estimates, job details, and invoices
• Let new leads request work through your website or Local Services Ads
• 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 more about how Jobber can help you create estimates and win work faster.
Construction Estimate template vs. free estimating software
Construction service providers looking for a fast and easy way to create job estimates can download Jobber’s PDF or Excel estimate templates. They are simple to use, customizable, and completely free. If you want more, Jobber’s free estimating software can help you improve your workflow and get paid faster. You can store client information and create up to five customizable quotes, jobs, and invoices per month.
Features
Add details like your company name, contact information,
client details, line items, total cost, and terms and conditions
client details, line items, total cost, and terms and conditions
You can send up to five free estimates per month with Jobber.
In the client hub, customers can request new work,
quickly review and approve quotes, see upcoming scheduled jobs,
pay invoices, and even refer friends for your services.
quickly review and approve quotes, see upcoming scheduled jobs,
pay invoices, and even refer friends for your services.
Once your client approves a quote, you can automatically
convert it to a job.
convert it to a job.
Create a job and assign it to your team with only a few clicks.
When the job is done, instantly generate a professional
digital invoice and send it to your customers via text or email.
digital invoice and send it to your customers via text or email.
Manage your field operations from the road or the job site with
the Jobber mobile app.
the Jobber mobile app.