Free template · Excel · Estimates by trade
Free construction estimate template
A construction estimate organised by trade, with allowances for the customer's choices, a contingency, and overhead and profit shown as their own lines.
Construction estimate template
Excel workbook (.xlsx) · 20 KB · 4 sheets
| Item | Description | Qty | Rate | Amount | Tax? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site work | Excavation, gravel base, grading | 1 | 4,200.00 | 4,200.00 | Y |
| Concrete | Slab with thickened edge, 24 x 24 ft | 1 | 9,800.00 | 9,800.00 | Y |
| Framing | Walls, trusses, sheathing, labour and materials | 1 | 16,500.00 | 16,500.00 | Y |
| Roofing | Underlayment and shingles | 1 | 5,200.00 | 5,200.00 | Y |
| Doors and windows | Allowance: overhead door, entry door, 2 windows | 1 | 4,500.00 | 4,500.00 | Y |
| Electrical | Subcontract: panel, 6 outlets, lighting | 1 | 3,900.00 | 3,900.00 | Y |
| Contingency | 5% of construction cost | 1 | 2,205.00 | 2,205.00 | Y |
| Overhead and profit | 12% of the above | 1 | 5,556.60 | 5,556.60 | Y |
| Subtotal | 51,861.60 | ||||
| HST (Ontario) | 6,742.01 | 13% | |||
| ESTIMATE TOTAL | 58,603.61 | ||||
| Deposit required | 10,000.00 | ||||
| BALANCE ON COMPLETION | 48,603.61 |
Why a construction estimate needs its own layout
A construction estimate is a build-up: each trade's cost, the allowances for things the owner hasn't chosen yet, a contingency for the unknowns, then overhead and profit. Showing those layers makes the price easier to defend and the later changes easier to price.
This template lists the work by trade or phase, with allowances and contingency on their own lines and overhead and profit at the end. The example is a detached garage in Ontario.
What to include on a construction estimate, and why
- The drawings and revision you priced from. If the drawings change, the price changes. The revision number proves which set you used.
- Allowances, clearly labelled. An allowance is a placeholder for something the owner will choose. Labelling it stops it being read as a fixed price.
- Contingency. A stated contingency is more honest than padding every line, and it gives you room for the unknowns.
- Exclusions. Driveways, landscaping, finishes: whatever isn't in, say so.
- A payment schedule. Tie payments to stages the owner can see: slab poured, framing complete.
How to price it
Unit cost build-up
Quantities from the drawings times unit costs, by trade. Most accurate, most work.
Square-foot pricing
A quick first number from your past jobs. Good for a budget; follow it with a detailed estimate.
Overhead and profit
Show them as a percentage at the end, or build them into each line. Use the markup calculator to see what margin a markup gives you.
Deposits and payment terms
- Deposit at signing
- Progress payments at stages (slab, framing, completion)
- Change orders priced and signed before the work
- Holdback or retainage as the contract or provincial law requires
Put the deposit and payment schedule on the estimate itself, so the customer signs up to them and they carry straight onto the invoice. For how to record a deposit you take up front, see customer deposits and retainers.
Sales tax, GST/HST and PST on construction work
United States
In many states, a contractor on a lump-sum construction contract is the consumer of materials and pays sales tax when buying them; the customer's price isn't taxed separately. Some states tax construction services or treat time-and-materials contracts differently.
Check your state's rules for contractors before deciding how tax appears on the estimate.
Canada
GST/HST applies to the contract price once you're registered. New housing has its own GST/HST rules and rebates; check them if you build or sell new homes.
Saskatchewan charges PST on construction contracts on the total charge. Most provinces also require a holdback on construction payments under their lien laws.
Check a rate with the US sales tax calculator or the GST/HST calculator, then set it beside the tax lines in the template. Both tax lines can be renamed, so one estimate works for sales tax, HST, or GST plus PST or QST.
The example, filled in
The Estimate sheet opens filled in with the example in the preview: an Ontario builder quoting a detached garage, estimate CE-2026-07 for an example customer. The lines come to a subtotal of $51,861.60 and a total of $58,603.61, with a deposit required of $10,000.00 and a balance on completion of $48,603.61. The price holds for 30 days. The figures are made up to show the layout; they are not market rates.
In Ontario, a registered builder charges 13% HST on the full contract price.
The notes box reads: “Based on drawings rev. B. Allowance items adjusted up or down to your selections. Excludes landscaping, driveway and interior finishes. Payment schedule: deposit, slab, framing, completion.”
Lines on the price list sheet
The Price list sheet starts with the lines construction businesses usually charge for. Add your rates once and copy them onto each estimate.
| Line | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| General conditions | flat or per week | Supervision, site office, toilets. |
| Site work and excavation | flat or per cubic yard | |
| Concrete | per sq ft or cubic yard | Footings, slab. |
| Framing | per sq ft | Labour and materials. |
| Subcontracts | per quote | Electrical, plumbing, HVAC. |
| Allowances | flat | Owner's choices not yet made. |
| Permits and fees | at cost | Building permit, inspections. |
| Contingency | % of cost | For unknowns. |
| Overhead and profit | % of cost | Shown or built into each line. |
What's in the file
| Sheet | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Estimate | The printable construction estimate, filled in with the example on this page: your details, the customer, project, 15 lines, two tax lines, deposit required, scope and terms, and signature lines. |
| Price list | The lines construction businesses usually charge for, with the unit for each. Enter your own rates once and copy them onto each estimate. |
| Estimate log | One row per estimate: status (Pending, Accepted, Declined, Expired), the invoice number once billed, a follow-up date and your win rate. |
| Instructions | How to fill it in, plus the notes on this page about what to include. |
Pale yellow cells are for your entries; white cells calculate. Nothing is locked, so you can rename lines or change the layout. The Instructions sheet repeats the steps and the notes on this page.
Download the construction estimate template (.xlsx)
Or send it from AcboBooks
Need one estimate today? The free invoice generator makes a PDF in your browser. Sending them every week? AcboBooks keeps your construction price list, turns an accepted estimate into the invoice (see estimate software), tracks what each customer owes and adds up the tax you collected. It's Windows desktop software, bought once; try it free for 15 days.
Sources
Checked October 25, 2026. Tax rules change and differ by state and province; confirm with the tax agency or your accountant.
- Canada Revenue Agency: input tax credits (information an invoice needs)
- CRA RC4022, General Information for GST/HST Registrants
- CRA: GST/HST rates by province
- IRS Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records
- Federation of Tax Administrators: links to every state tax agency
- Government of Saskatchewan: provincial sales tax
Questions
What is an allowance in a construction estimate?
A set amount for an item the owner hasn't chosen yet, such as windows or tile. When they choose, the price goes up or down by the difference.
Should I show overhead and profit?
Many builders do, as a percentage at the end, especially on cost-plus or public jobs. On fixed-price residential work you can build it into each line instead.
How much contingency should I include?
It depends on how well defined the job is. Renovations with unknowns need more than new work from complete drawings. Say what it's for.
Is an estimate a contract?
Once signed with a scope and price, it can be. Many builders attach the estimate to a separate contract with the terms.
Related
- Job costing for contractors
- Markup and margin calculator
- Retainage (glossary)
- Contractor invoice template
- Accounting software for contractors
- General estimate and quote template
- All invoice and estimate templates by trade
General information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Check with your accountant or the tax agency before relying on a template for tax.
AcboBooks
Send your next construction estimate from AcboBooks
A spreadsheet estimate stops at the signature. In AcboBooks the estimate stays with the customer and the job, and becomes the invoice when the work is done, so nothing is retyped and nothing is billed twice.
More templates by trade
Get started
Outgrown the spreadsheet?
AcboBooks is desktop accounting for US and Canadian small businesses: estimates, invoices, payments and tax in one file on your own PC. Bought once.
No card. No account. Nothing to cancel.