Estimate templates · Contractor
Contractor Estimate Template — Free & Fillable
Remodels and additions are won on a clear scope, honest allowances and a payment schedule tied to real milestones. This template starts with a real kitchen remodel — demolition through finishes, with a fixture allowance and project management on their own lines — so you can adapt it to your job.
Make your contractor estimate
Prefilled with a sample kitchen remodel — every line, the terms and the notes. Change the quantities and rates to your own, add your logo and the customer’s details, and download a clean PDF. No signup, no watermark.
What goes on a contractor estimate
Order the estimate the way the job is built: demolition, structural and framing, rough-ins, installation, finishes, punch list. Installed finishes go per square foot; anything the client hasn’t chosen yet becomes an allowance; project management is its own line rather than hidden overhead.
| Line item | How it’s priced | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition | Hours or flat | $75/hr |
| Carpentry | Hours | $80/hr |
| Project management | Hours | $95/hr |
| Installed finishes | Per sq ft | Quartz $82 · LVP $7.50 |
| Allowances | Budget per selection | Plumbing fixtures $1,400 |
| Subcontracted trades | Per trade, with markup | Plumbing, electrical, HVAC |
| Engineering and permits | Flat | Engineer letter $650 |
| Dumpster | Per haul | $525 |
Example prices come from the Ridgeway Builders demo price book (Columbus, OH). Your market, crew and suppliers will differ — use them for structure, not as a rate card.
How to price a contractor job
Build the number trade by trade: your own crew’s labor in hours, subcontractor bids with your markup, materials, and the general conditions every job has — permits, dumpsters, protection, supervision. Overhead and profit are real costs; a remodel priced at cost plus 10% rarely survives its first surprise.
Use allowances for anything the client hasn’t picked: cabinets, tile, fixtures, lighting. Set them at realistic numbers for the finish level you discussed — a low allowance wins the bid and loses the client when every selection goes over.
For older homes, put a contingency or a hidden-conditions clause in writing. What you find behind the drywall is the most predictable surprise in remodeling.
Deposits and payment schedule
A deposit secures the start date and orders long-lead items like cabinets and windows — 30% is common where the law allows, but several states cap it (California: 10% or $1,000, whichever is less). After that, bill progress draws tied to milestones, not dates, so payment follows visible progress.
- SigningDeposit — long-lead items ordered
- Rough-in inspections passedProgress draw
- Cabinets and counters setProgress draw
- Substantial completionFinal balance, adjusted for allowances and change orders
Allowances, change orders and hidden conditions
Explain allowances in plain words: they’re budgets for items the client picks, and the difference — over or under — is added or credited on the final invoice. Then set the change-order process: any change to scope is written up, priced and approved before the work is done.
Add a hidden-conditions clause (rot, old wiring, structural issues found after demolition are priced as change orders), say who pulls permits and meets inspectors, include your license and insurance details, and note whether you provide lien waivers with each draw.
Frequently asked questions
What should a contractor estimate include?
Your license and contact details, the client and job address, a detailed scope in build order, labor and materials (or installed prices) per line, allowances for unchosen items, permits and general conditions, the total, the deposit and draw schedule, the change-order process, exclusions, warranty and a validity date.
What is an allowance on a contractor estimate?
A budget line for something the client will choose later, like tile or light fixtures. If their selection costs more, the difference is added; if less, it’s credited. Set allowances realistically and explain the reconciliation in the estimate.
How much deposit should a contractor ask for?
Commonly 10–30%, enough to cover mobilization and long-lead orders. Check your state first: some cap home-improvement deposits — California limits them to 10% or $1,000, whichever is less.
How do progress payments work on a remodel?
The estimate lists milestones — demolition done, rough-ins inspected, cabinets set, substantial completion — each with an amount due. You invoice each draw when the milestone is reached, so the client pays for progress they can see.
When the job is done
An approved estimate becomes your invoice — same lines, same numbers. Grab the contractor invoice template, or open the invoice generator and bill what you quoted. Not sure which document you need? Read estimate vs. invoice.
Other estimate templates by trade
Or see all estimate templates.