Contractor estimate template that lands the remodel

What belongs on a contractor quote template

This contractor estimate template is made for general contractors who run the job and hire the trades. Phases, your own crew, subcontractors, materials, permits and the payment schedule all sit on one page the homeowner can follow. It works for basements, remodels, additions and repair work. Fill it in online and send a PDF, or have the Word and Excel versions emailed to you.

A contractor estimate should show the customer how the job gets built, not only what it costs. List the work by phase, keep your own crew apart from your subcontractors, name the materials and allowances, and write down permits, schedule and payment stages so nothing rests on assumption.

1. Scope by phaseBreak the job into the order it is built: demolition, framing, rough ins, inspections, drywall, finishes. The customer sees the sequence and you can bill against it.
2. Own crew laborYour carpenters and laborers on their own lines, by job or by hours, so the customer can see what your company does directly.
3. Subcontractor linesElectrician, plumber and HVAC as separate lines with the trade named, and a note that licensed work is done by a licensed contractor. The electrical quote template shows what a good sub bid looks like.
4. Materials and allowancesMaterials you priced exactly, plus allowances for items the owner has not chosen yet, such as light fixtures or tile, each with a dollar figure.
5. Permits and inspectionsWho pulls the permit, what the fee is, and which inspections the schedule depends on. An unknown fee goes in as a provisional amount.
6. Site costsDumpster, portable toilet, floor and stair protection, cleanup and equipment rental. Small lines, but they add up on every remodel.
7. Schedule and milestonesA start window and the milestones that trigger each payment, such as framing inspection passed or drywall finished.
8. Change order clauseOne sentence saying extra work is priced in writing before it starts, backed by a change order form you actually use.
9. Deposit and validityThe deposit that books the start date and the date the estimate expires, since lumber and drywall prices move.

Sample contractor estimate: 600 ft² basement finish

The sample is a 600 ft² basement finish from Cornerstone Contracting for Ruth Abbott. Three material lines cover framing lumber and insulation, drywall supplies and 600 ft² of LVP at $3.20 per ft². Four labor lines follow, including electrical rough in by a licensed electrician. The subtotal before tax is $18,420, with a 10% deposit to book the start. Every figure is an example, so replace it with your own costs.

Edit the Cornerstone Contracting estimate

7 lines are filled in, from framing lumber and insulation to paint and flooring install. Put in your own general contracting rates, then download the PDF.

Open the general contracting sample

How general contractors price an estimate

General contractors usually price from cost upward: take off materials, collect sub bids, estimate crew hours, then add overhead and profit. The method you show the customer can differ from the way you build the number, so pick the presentation that suits the job and the client.

1. Fixed price by phaseEach phase carries a lump sum with your markup already inside. Clean for the owner, and it suits well defined jobs such as a basement or a garage conversion.
2. Cost plus a feeMaterials and subs at cost plus a percentage or a fixed fee for managing the job. Fair when the scope is likely to move, but you must keep and share receipts.
3. Unit pricingA rate per ft² of drywall, per linear ft of framed wall or per fixture. Handy for budget numbers and for repeat work where your unit costs are proven.
4. Time and materials with a capHours and materials as used, with a not-to-exceed figure. Good for repairs behind walls, where nobody can see the problem until it is open.

Know the gap between the markup you add and the margin you keep by running the numbers through the markup calculator, and read fixed price vs time and materials before choosing a method for a risky job.

Worked example: building a basement estimate from cost

This is one way the numbers come together for a basement like the sample, starting from what the job costs you. Every rate here is an example.

1. Materials at costFraming lumber and insulation $2,170, drywall, tape and mud $1,500, and 600 ft² of LVP at $2.65 per ft² ($1,590). Total cost: $5,260.
2. Mark up materialsA 20% markup on $5,260 is $1,052, so materials go on the estimate at $6,312.
3. SubcontractorThe electrician bids $2,000 for the rough in. Add 15% for coordination and callbacks: $2,000 x 1.15 = $2,300.
4. Own crewFraming, drywall, paint and flooring take an estimated 180 crew hours. Billed at $65 per hour, that is $11,700, which has to cover wages, payroll costs, overhead and profit.
5. Permit and totalAdd the $450 permit fee at cost: $6,312 + $2,300 + $11,700 + $450 = $20,762 before tax. A 10% deposit is $2,076.20.

Crew productivity moves this number more than anything else, so base the hours on your last few similar jobs, not on a best case. Moisture found behind old paneling is a change order, not part of this price.

What the estimate covers and what it leaves out

Mistakes that sink contractor estimates

Most disputes on a general contract trace back to the estimate, usually to something that was assumed rather than written. These come up again and again on remodels and basements.

• Lumping subcontractor work into your own labor, so you cannot show the owner what changes when they drop a bathroom or swap the electrician.
• Writing an allowance with no dollar figure, which turns every fixture choice into an argument about what was included.
• Leaving permits out, then finding the inspection schedule adds a week and a fee you never priced.
• No change order wording, so extra work gets agreed in the hallway and disputed at the final payment.
• Pricing labor at wage cost instead of a billed rate that carries payroll costs, overhead and profit.
• Forgetting the small site lines: dumpster swaps, protection film, equipment rental and the last day of cleanup.