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Construction Estimate Template

Price a building project by division or phase, then add overhead and profit, a contingency and your exclusions with a construction project estimate you can print as a blank PDF or fill in as a Word or Excel file

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Quick answer:A construction estimate is a priced proposal for a building project you haven't started. It should record the owner, the project, its size and the drawings you priced from, then price the work by division or phase with a quantity, unit and unit price on every line, and add overhead and profit, a contingency, pass-through costs, tax if it applies, the estimated total, exclusions and a date the price is valid until. This page has one construction project estimate as a blank print-and-fill PDF and as Word and Excel files filled in with sample values; the Excel file calculates the lines, division subtotals, overhead and profit, contingency, tax and total, with the percentages in cells you can edit.

CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE

General contractor

Business name:
Example Builders LLC
Address:
500 Example Parkway, Sampletown
Phone / email:
[Phone or email]
License no.:
[License no., if required where you work]

Estimate details

Estimate no.:
GC-2290
Date:
Nov 12, 2026
Valid until:
Jan 11, 2027
Prepared by:
[Estimator name]

Owner and project

Owner:
Jordan Example
Phone / email:
[Phone or email]
Project address:
301 Sample Road, Sampletown
Project:
Detached two-car garage with a studio above
Size:
Garage 576 sq ft; studio 384 sq ft; 960 sq ft in total
Drawings:
[Drawing set and date]
Estimated duration:
About 14 weeks after permits are issued

Division 01: General requirements

  • Description: Project supervisionAmount: 12,000.00
    Qty:
    10
    Unit:
    week
    Unit price:
    1,200.00
  • Description: Temporary toilet, fencing and site protectionAmount: 2,200.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    2,200.00
  • Description: Final cleaningAmount: 650.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    650.00
Division 01 subtotal14,850.00

Division 03: Concrete

  • Description: Footings and foundation wallsAmount: 9,800.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    9,800.00
  • Description: Garage slab, 4 in., reinforcedAmount: 5,472.00
    Qty:
    576
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    9.50
Division 03 subtotal15,272.00

Division 06: Wood framing

  • Description: Framing: walls, floor and roof, labor and materialsAmount: 26,880.00
    Qty:
    960
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    28.00
  • Description: Stairs to the studioAmount: 3,200.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    3,200.00
Division 06 subtotal30,080.00

Division 07: Roofing, insulation and siding

  • Description: Architectural shingle roofAmount: 3,900.00
    Qty:
    7.5
    Unit:
    square
    Unit price:
    520.00
  • Description: Insulation, walls and roofAmount: 3,515.00
    Qty:
    1,850
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    1.90
  • Description: Siding and trimAmount: 12,250.00
    Qty:
    1,400
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    8.75
Division 07 subtotal19,665.00

Division 08: Doors and windows

  • Description: Insulated garage door, 16 ft by 7 ft, with openerAmount: 3,650.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    3,650.00
  • Description: Vinyl double-hung windowsAmount: 5,120.00
    Qty:
    8
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    640.00
  • Description: Exterior doorsAmount: 2,300.00
    Qty:
    2
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    1,150.00
Division 08 subtotal11,070.00

Division 09: Finishes

  • Description: Drywall, studioAmount: 4,960.00
    Qty:
    1,600
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    3.10
  • Description: Interior paintAmount: 2,400.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    2,400.00
  • Description: Luxury vinyl plank flooring, studioAmount: 2,784.00
    Qty:
    384
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    7.25
Division 09 subtotal10,144.00

Divisions 22, 23 and 26: Plumbing, HVAC and electrical

  • Description: Plumbing: utility sink and hose bibAmount: 2,600.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    2,600.00
  • Description: HVAC: ductless heat pump for the studioAmount: 4,800.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    4,800.00
  • Description: Electrical: subpanel, circuits, lights and receptaclesAmount: 7,900.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    7,900.00
Divisions 22, 23 and 26 subtotal15,300.00
Subtotal
116,381.00
Overhead and profit (12%)
13,965.72
Contingency (5%)
5,819.05
Dumpster and disposal fees, passed through
1,800.00
Sales tax on work and materials, if applicable (0%)
0.00
Estimated total
137,965.77

Pricing notes

  • Sections follow construction division numbers (CSI MasterFormat numbering)
  • Overhead and profit is 12% of the subtotal; contingency is 5% of the subtotal. Unused contingency is not charged
  • Dumpster and disposal fees are passed through at cost, without overhead and profit

Exclusions

  • Permit, plan review and inspection fees (by the owner)
  • Utility connection fees
  • Survey and soil testing
  • Driveway, landscaping and fencing

Accepted by (client signature)

Print name

Date

Prices are based on the drawings and scope shown above and are valid until the date shown. Changes to the scope are priced by written change order.

Construction project estimate: sample preview. Download it below.

Key Features

Everything you need in a professional estimate template.

Owner and project details: project address, description, size, the drawing set you priced from and the estimated duration
Seven priced sections numbered by construction division, from Division 01 General requirements to Divisions 22, 23 and 26 Plumbing, HVAC and electrical, each with its own subtotal
Every line priced as quantity × unit price, with a unit column for sq ft, square, lot, week or each
Overhead and profit and contingency as percentages of the subtotal, each in an editable rate cell in Excel (12% and 5% in the sample)
Dumpster and disposal fees passed through at cost, a sales tax rate cell that starts at 0%, and the estimated total
Pricing notes, exclusions, a "Valid until" date and owner acceptance lines; blank PDF, plus Word and Excel with sample values

Download the estimate template

The PDF is a blank form to print and fill in by hand. The Word and Excel files contain the sample details shown in the preview, ready for you to replace with your own.

CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE

General contractor

Business name:
Example Builders LLC
Address:
500 Example Parkway, Sampletown
Phone / email:
[Phone or email]
License no.:
[License no., if required where you work]

Estimate details

Estimate no.:
GC-2290
Date:
Nov 12, 2026
Valid until:
Jan 11, 2027
Prepared by:
[Estimator name]

Owner and project

Owner:
Jordan Example
Phone / email:
[Phone or email]
Project address:
301 Sample Road, Sampletown
Project:
Detached two-car garage with a studio above
Size:
Garage 576 sq ft; studio 384 sq ft; 960 sq ft in total
Drawings:
[Drawing set and date]
Estimated duration:
About 14 weeks after permits are issued

Division 01: General requirements

  • Description: Project supervisionAmount: 12,000.00
    Qty:
    10
    Unit:
    week
    Unit price:
    1,200.00
  • Description: Temporary toilet, fencing and site protectionAmount: 2,200.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    2,200.00
  • Description: Final cleaningAmount: 650.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    650.00
Division 01 subtotal14,850.00

Division 03: Concrete

  • Description: Footings and foundation wallsAmount: 9,800.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    9,800.00
  • Description: Garage slab, 4 in., reinforcedAmount: 5,472.00
    Qty:
    576
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    9.50
Division 03 subtotal15,272.00

Division 06: Wood framing

  • Description: Framing: walls, floor and roof, labor and materialsAmount: 26,880.00
    Qty:
    960
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    28.00
  • Description: Stairs to the studioAmount: 3,200.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    3,200.00
Division 06 subtotal30,080.00

Division 07: Roofing, insulation and siding

  • Description: Architectural shingle roofAmount: 3,900.00
    Qty:
    7.5
    Unit:
    square
    Unit price:
    520.00
  • Description: Insulation, walls and roofAmount: 3,515.00
    Qty:
    1,850
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    1.90
  • Description: Siding and trimAmount: 12,250.00
    Qty:
    1,400
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    8.75
Division 07 subtotal19,665.00

Division 08: Doors and windows

  • Description: Insulated garage door, 16 ft by 7 ft, with openerAmount: 3,650.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    3,650.00
  • Description: Vinyl double-hung windowsAmount: 5,120.00
    Qty:
    8
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    640.00
  • Description: Exterior doorsAmount: 2,300.00
    Qty:
    2
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    1,150.00
Division 08 subtotal11,070.00

Division 09: Finishes

  • Description: Drywall, studioAmount: 4,960.00
    Qty:
    1,600
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    3.10
  • Description: Interior paintAmount: 2,400.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    2,400.00
  • Description: Luxury vinyl plank flooring, studioAmount: 2,784.00
    Qty:
    384
    Unit:
    sq ft
    Unit price:
    7.25
Division 09 subtotal10,144.00

Divisions 22, 23 and 26: Plumbing, HVAC and electrical

  • Description: Plumbing: utility sink and hose bibAmount: 2,600.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    2,600.00
  • Description: HVAC: ductless heat pump for the studioAmount: 4,800.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    each
    Unit price:
    4,800.00
  • Description: Electrical: subpanel, circuits, lights and receptaclesAmount: 7,900.00
    Qty:
    1
    Unit:
    lot
    Unit price:
    7,900.00
Divisions 22, 23 and 26 subtotal15,300.00
Subtotal
116,381.00
Overhead and profit (12%)
13,965.72
Contingency (5%)
5,819.05
Dumpster and disposal fees, passed through
1,800.00
Sales tax on work and materials, if applicable (0%)
0.00
Estimated total
137,965.77

Pricing notes

  • Sections follow construction division numbers (CSI MasterFormat numbering)
  • Overhead and profit is 12% of the subtotal; contingency is 5% of the subtotal. Unused contingency is not charged
  • Dumpster and disposal fees are passed through at cost, without overhead and profit

Exclusions

  • Permit, plan review and inspection fees (by the owner)
  • Utility connection fees
  • Survey and soil testing
  • Driveway, landscaping and fencing

Accepted by (client signature)

Print name

Date

Prices are based on the drawings and scope shown above and are valid until the date shown. Changes to the scope are priced by written change order.

Construction project estimate

An estimate for a general construction project organized by construction division, from general requirements through finishes and mechanical work, with overhead and profit and contingency rates, dumpster and disposal fees passed through, a tax rate cell, exclusions and a valid-until date.

A priced proposal — not an invoice

Download

What a construction estimate is, and which template fits

A construction estimate is a priced proposal for building work you haven't done yet. It splits the job into parts, prices each part, and then shows what you're adding for overhead, profit and risk. That way the owner can see what the total is made of before they commit.

An estimate isn't a bill. Nothing is owed on it, and on its own it isn't a signed construction contract. Billed has several estimate templates for construction work, each suited to a different situation:

  • This template: a construction project estimate. Use it to price a whole building project for an owner. It's organized by division or phase, with overhead and profit, a contingency, exclusions and a "Valid until" date.
  • Bid proposal. Use this when you're answering a formal invitation to bid. It has a base bid, alternates, allowances and acknowledged addenda.
  • Remodeling estimate. Use this for a home remodel priced by phase, with owner selections carried as allowances.
  • Demolition estimate. Use this when the job is taking down a structure or stripping out an interior.

Once the owner approves the work and you start billing, use a construction invoice. In Billed's estimating software, you can convert an approved estimate into an invoice instead of retyping it.

What's on the construction project estimate

  • Estimate number, date, "Valid until" date and who prepared it
  • General contractor: business name, address, phone or email, and a license number line marked "if required where you work"
  • Owner and project: the owner and their phone or email, the project address, a description of the project, its size, the drawing set and date you priced from, and the estimated duration
  • Seven priced sections, numbered by construction division: Division 01 General requirements, Division 03 Concrete, Division 06 Wood framing, Division 07 Roofing, insulation and siding, Division 08 Doors and windows, Division 09 Finishes, and Divisions 22, 23 and 26 Plumbing, HVAC and electrical. Each line has a description, quantity, unit, unit price and amount, and each section has its own subtotal
  • Subtotal, "Overhead and profit", "Contingency", "Dumpster and disposal fees, passed through", "Sales tax on work and materials, if applicable" and the estimated total
  • "Pricing notes" and "Exclusions", then lines for the owner to accept (signature, print name, date)
  • A footnote saying the prices are based on the drawings and scope shown, are valid until the date shown, and that scope changes are priced by written change order

The sample prices a detached two-car garage with a studio above, 960 sq ft in total, at an estimated total of $137,965.77. Every name, quantity and price in it is a placeholder, not a market rate. Each section has one blank row for an extra line. The template has no deposit line. If you ask for a deposit, state the amount and when it's due in the pricing notes.

The PDF is a blank form you can print and fill in by hand. The Word and Excel files have the same layout with sample values already filled in, ready for you to overwrite.

Organizing the estimate by division or phase

Price the job in the same order the owner reads the drawings. If the drawings and specifications follow CSI MasterFormat divisions, use those divisions as your section headings. If the job is smaller or the owner thinks in stages, organize it by construction phase instead. Either way, every line should have a quantity, a unit and a unit price, so the owner can check the arithmetic and compare it against other bids.

  • General requirements (Division 01). These are the costs of running the job rather than building any one part of it: supervision, temporary facilities and site protection, and cleaning. The sample prices supervision by the week. Dumpster and disposal fees have their own pass-through line under the subtotal.
  • Subcontracted work. Enter each subcontractor's price as its own line in the division it belongs to. The sample does this for plumbing, HVAC and electrical. Use the description to say what scope the price covers.
  • Allowances. The template has no separate allowance section. If the owner hasn't chosen an item yet, add it as a line starting "Allowance:", say what it includes, and note that the price will be adjusted to the actual cost once the owner chooses. For a remodel with a long list of owner selections, the remodeling estimate has an allowances section built in.

Overhead and profit, and contingency

On the template, "Overhead and profit" and "Contingency" are each a percentage of the subtotal: 12% and 5% in the sample, giving $13,965.72 and $5,819.05. The sample's pricing note says unused contingency is not charged. The dumpster and disposal fees sit below them as a separate amount passed through at cost, so overhead and profit isn't added to them. In the Excel file, the sales tax line applies its rate to the subtotal plus overhead and profit plus contingency, not to the pass-through fees. The rate starts at 0%.

Overhead and profit (O&P). This percentage covers the costs of running your business and the profit you need on the job. Work it out from your own books rather than borrowing a figure; the sample's 12% is a placeholder. Watch the base: the template applies the percentage to the subtotal, which is your cost. If you track overhead as a share of revenue (O%) and want profit of P% of the selling price, the markup you need on cost is (O + P) ÷ (1 − O − P). For example, 12% overhead plus 8% profit needs a markup of 0.20 ÷ 0.80 = 25%, not 20%. The construction estimating basics guide walks through this with a full example.

Contingency. A contingency is an allowance for costs you can't pin down yet, such as conditions you can't see or design that isn't finished. It's part of the job price, not extra profit, so say on the estimate what it is for. How large it should be depends on how complete the project definition is. AACE International's Recommended Practice 56R-08 for building and general construction classifies estimates by how complete the project definition is when you price it. Its accuracy ranges are stated "after application of appropriate contingency" (AACE 56R-08). An estimate built on concept drawings carries more uncertainty than one built from detailed takeoffs on finished drawings.

Exclusions, assumptions and how long the price holds

Write down what the price doesn't include, because exclusions that are left unsaid are where disputes start. The sample excludes permit, plan review and inspection fees (paid by the owner), utility connection fees, survey and soil testing, and the driveway, landscaping and fencing. Replace them with the exclusions that apply to your job, and add any assumptions the price depends on, such as site access, working hours or owner-supplied items.

Material and labor costs change, so give the estimate a "Valid until" date. The sample is dated Nov 12, 2026 and is valid until Jan 11, 2027, about two months, as a placeholder. Name the drawing set and date you priced from in the project details. If the owner accepts after that date, or the drawings change, reprice and reissue the estimate rather than editing figures by hand. Changes after the contract is signed belong in a written change order. See how to handle estimate revisions.

Licensing, permits and public work

Contractor licensing and building permits are set where the work happens, so check with your state's contractor licensing board and the local building department before you price permit lines. Two examples:

  • In California, the Contractors State License Board says that from January 1, 2025, unlicensed "minor work" is limited to less than $1,000. Even below that amount, a license is required if the work needs a permit of any kind, or if the person hires anyone to help (CSLB bulletin 24-07).
  • In the US, contractors and subcontractors on federally funded or assisted construction contracts over $2,000 must pay at least the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (US Department of Labor). Price labor on that kind of job at those rates.

If the job involves digging, record who will contact the one-call center. In the US, 811 is the free national before-you-dig service, and it asks you to contact it a few business days before you dig.

How to fill in the template

  1. Add your business details and license number (if one is required where you work), the estimate number, the date and the "Valid until" date.
  2. Enter the owner and the project: address, description, size, the drawing set and date you priced from, and the estimated duration.
  3. Price each division. Give each line a description, quantity, unit and unit price. Rename or replace divisions to match your job. The sample uses MasterFormat division numbers with plain-language titles; for example, MasterFormat calls Division 08 "Openings" (CSI MasterFormat 2020).
  4. Set the overhead and profit and contingency percentages, enter the dumpster and disposal fees, and set the tax rate if tax applies. In the Excel file, each line amount, the division subtotals, the subtotal, overhead and profit, contingency, tax and the estimated total are calculated by formulas, and the three percentages sit in their own cells. To leave out overhead and profit, contingency or tax, set its rate to 0%. To leave out the disposal fees, set them to 0.00. Don't delete those rows, because the totals refer to them. To add a line, use the blank row in a division, or insert a row between two existing lines of that division and copy the amount formula into it from the row above. The division subtotal and the overall subtotal then include it. In Word or on the PDF, work out the amounts and enter them.
  5. Edit the pricing notes and the exclusions so they match your job, then send the estimate and keep a copy.

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What's included in this estimate template

Part of the estimate What it holds
Estimate details Estimate no., date, valid until, prepared by
General contractor Business name, address, phone or email, license no. (if required where you work)
Owner and project Owner, phone or email, project address, project, size, drawings, estimated duration
Division sections Divisions 01, 03, 06, 07, 08, 09, 22, 23 and 26: description, qty, unit, unit price, amount, and a subtotal for each
Overhead and profit A percentage of the subtotal (12% in the sample; its own rate cell in Excel)
Contingency A percentage of the subtotal (5% in the sample; its own rate cell in Excel)
Dumpster and disposal fees Passed through at cost, without overhead and profit
Sales tax, if applicable Rate × (subtotal + overhead and profit + contingency); the Excel rate starts at 0%
Estimated total Subtotal + overhead and profit + contingency + disposal fees + tax
Notes and acceptance Pricing notes, exclusions, owner signature, print name, date

When this isn't for you

If you're answering a formal invitation to bid with alternates and addenda, use the bid proposal template. For a home remodel priced by phase with owner selections, use the remodeling estimate, and for taking a structure or interior out, the demolition estimate. Once the owner accepts and you start billing, send a construction invoice.

How To Send Estimates With Billed

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Create Your Estimate

Add your logo, your client's details and the line items, with quantities and units for each.

3

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Send the estimate to your client by link or email. Once they approve it, convert it into an invoice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this estimate template.

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