Guide · Estimates
Free contractor estimate template
Print it, fill it in, or copy the text. No email address required.
A contractor estimate needs your business details and license number, the customer and job address, an estimate number, the date and how long the price is good for, one line per task or material with quantity and price, the total, any deposit, what's included and excluded, and a place for the customer to approve. The template below has all of it. It's free, there's no sign-up, and you can print it or copy the text.
Download the template
Download the PDF (US Letter, 1 page)
Or download the Word version (.docx) to edit on a computer, or open it in Google Docs or Pages.
Print it and fill it in by hand, or open it in any PDF app and type over the lines. Blank fields for business, customer, seven line items, tax, deposit, exclusions, terms and a signature line. No logo on it but ours in the footer, which you're welcome to cut off.
Or copy the text version
Paste this into Notes, a text message or an email and fill in the brackets.
[Your business name] [Phone] · [Email] · License #[number, if your state requires it] ESTIMATE #0001 Date: [date] Valid until: [date, e.g. 30 days out] Prepared for: [Customer name] Job address: [address] Job: [One plain sentence] ITEM QTY UNIT PRICE TOTAL Labor: [what you'll do] [hrs] hr [rate] [amount] [Material] [qty] ea [price] [amount] [Material] [qty] ea [price] [amount] [Haul-away / permit / fee] 1 ea [price] [amount] Subtotal [amount] Tax ([rate]%) [amount] TOTAL [amount] Deposit to start [amount] Balance due on completion [amount] Included: [what the price covers] Not included: [what it doesn't, e.g. "repair of damage found behind the wall"] Assumes: [e.g. "customer supplies the fixture", "power and water available on site"] Terms: Valid for [30] days. Changes to the scope are quoted before work continues. Balance due on completion by card, bank transfer or check. Approved by: ______________________ Date: __________
Fields every estimate needs
- Your business name, phone, email and license number. Many states require the license number on estimates and contracts. Check your state licensing board.
- The customer's name and the job address. Different from their billing address more often than you'd think.
- An estimate number and date. Sequential numbers make it easy to find later and to turn into the invoice.
- How long the price is good for. Material prices move. "Valid for 30 days" protects you.
- One line per task or material, with quantity, unit and price. The customer can say "skip the door handle" without throwing out the whole estimate, and you can see where the number came from.
- Labor and materials on separate lines. Material prices change; your labor rate doesn't.
- The total, and any deposit. Show both. "25% to start, balance on completion" is common for jobs where you buy materials up front.
- What's included, what's excluded, and what you're assuming. This is the section that ends arguments before they start.
- A place for the customer to approve. A signature on paper, or a typed name on a link.
Terms worth writing down
- Validity. "This estimate is valid for 30 days."
- Scope changes. "Work outside this estimate is quoted and approved before it starts." That sentence is your change-order process.
- Unknowns. "Does not include repair of corroded or damaged pipe found behind the wall." Name the thing you can't see yet.
- Who supplies what. "Customer-supplied fixture. Warranty covers labor only."
- Permits. Say who pulls them and whether the fee is in the price.
- Payment. How, and when. A payment link that takes card, Apple Pay or bank transfer gets you paid faster than "mail a check".
Rules about what a contractor estimate or contract must contain vary by state, and some states set dollar thresholds above which a written contract with specific clauses is required. This template is a starting point, not legal advice.
Examples by trade
Each of these pages has a worked sample estimate with real line items for that trade: plumbing, HVAC, electrical, handyman, painting, pool repair, landscaping, pressure washing, window cleaning, junk removal, carpet cleaning, gutter cleaning, drywall repair, flooring, fence, garage door repair, appliance repair, tree service, Christmas light installation and snow removal. If the job changes after the customer signs, use the change order template.
When a template stops being enough
A paper or text template works until you're writing three of them a day from the truck. Settle is a free iPhone app that does the same thing without the typing: you describe the job out loud, it writes the lines using the prices you've charged before, and you text it from your own phone with a PDF and a link. The customer types their name to approve, and the approved estimate becomes the invoice with one tap. There's no cap on how many you send.
Questions
Is this contractor estimate template really free?
Yes. Download the PDF or copy the text above. There's no sign-up, no email address and no watermark beyond a footer line you can cut off.
What's the difference between an estimate, a quote and a bid?
An estimate is your best approximation and can change. A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope. A bid is a formal offer, usually in response to a request. The words get mixed up in practice, so say which one you mean on the document. We have a full guide.
Should I ask for a deposit on an estimate?
For jobs where you buy materials before you start, most contractors do. 25% to 50% is common, and some states cap deposits on home-improvement contracts, so check yours. Put the deposit and the balance on the estimate so the customer sees both numbers up front.
How do I turn an approved estimate into an invoice?
On paper, copy the lines onto an invoice and add a due date and payment instructions. Our invoice template matches this one. In Settle, the approved estimate converts to an invoice with one tap and keeps the same lines.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Or skip the paperwork: say the job and Settle writes the estimate.
Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.
Download on the App StoreiPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686