What is on the template
A one-trade job fits on a simple estimate. A remodel or a build does not: it runs through phases, each with its own crew, materials, and inspection, and the customer wants to see where the money goes. This construction estimate template is built for that:
- A project block - the address, the project type, the square footage, and the plans or drawings the price is based on.
- Line items with a phase column, pre-printed in build order: demolition, framing, rough-in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, insulation and drywall, cabinets and counters, flooring and tile, paint and finish, and permits. Every line belongs to a phase, so each phase's cost is easy to read and easy to defend.
- Allowances for anything the customer has not picked yet - tile, fixtures, lighting - written as an amount. If they choose above it, the difference is a change order, not an argument.
- A contingency line for what is behind the walls. On remodels 5 to 10 percent is common, written as its own line so the customer sees it.
- A payment schedule tied to the phases - a deposit at signing, payments after the rough-in inspection and after drywall, and the balance at completion.
- Acceptance - signatures for both sides and a valid-until date.
A filled-in construction estimate sample
The online version above starts from a small kitchen remodel: demolition, a new pantry wall, the sink moved, two appliance circuits and six recessed lights, new cabinets and quartz counters, a tile backsplash, fixtures, paint, and the permit. Grouped by phase, it reads like this:
| Item | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|
| Demolition | $1,800 |
|---|
| Demolition - cabinets, counters and flooring, with haul-off | 1 | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Framing | $1,600 |
|---|
| Framing - pantry wall and drywall repair | 1 | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| Rough-ins | $3,050 |
|---|
| Plumbing rough-in - move the sink drain and supply lines | 1 | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| Electrical rough-in - dedicated appliance circuits | 2 | $400 | $800 |
| Recessed lights | 6 | $175 each | $1,050 |
| Cabinets, counters and tile | $10,425 |
|---|
| Cabinets - supply and install | 18 | $350 / linear ft | $6,300 |
| Quartz countertops - template and install | 45 | $75 / sq ft | $3,375 |
| Tile backsplash | 30 | $25 / sq ft | $750 |
| Finishes | $1,375 |
|---|
| Sink and faucet - set and connect | 1 | $350 | $350 |
| Garbage disposal | 1 | $325 | $325 |
| Paint walls and trim | 1 | $700 | $700 |
| Permits | $450 |
|---|
| Building permit and inspections | 1 | $450 | $450 |
| Total | $18,700 |
Example numbers for a 10 by 12 kitchen, not a price guide. The electrical, plumbing, and paint lines use the middle of our trade price lists; the demolition, framing, cabinet, and counter lines are typical mid-range figures.
How to estimate a construction job, phase by phase
- Walk the job with the plans and list the phases in the order the work happens.
- Price each phase: materials with waste, labor hours at your rate, your subcontractors' quotes, equipment rental, and the dumpster.
- Put allowances on anything the customer has not chosen, and say on the page that overages are billed by change order.
- Add overhead and profit, and know whether you are adding a markup or targeting a margin - the markup vs margin calculator shows why a 30 percent markup is not a 30 percent margin.
- Add a contingency on remodels, and list permits and inspections as their own line.
- Set the payment schedule to the phases, so each payment follows work the customer can see.
Using it as a remodeling estimate template
Remodels have problems new builds do not: people living in the house, finishes that have not been picked, and whatever the last contractor left behind the drywall. Use the notes for dust protection and daily cleanup, carry every unpicked finish as an allowance, and keep the contingency line even when the customer asks you to drop it. It is the line that keeps a hidden rotten joist from becoming your loss.
Construction quote, estimate, or bid?
Write "Quote" at the top when you will hold the price for the scope listed, and keep "Estimate" when the numbers depend on what demolition finds. When you are bidding against other contractors, send the total in a bid proposal with your exclusions and schedule. For a small one-trade job, the contractor estimate template is simpler.
When paper stops being worth it
Phase-by-phase estimates are where the spreadsheets come out. FastEstimateMaker builds the line items from a spoken scope or a photo, prices them from your rates, and sends the estimate for e-signature. After signing, changes go out as change orders the customer signs on their phone, the invoice splits into the payments you agreed to, and job costing shows what the job really cost against the estimate.
