Should I use the Word or the Excel estimate file?

Use the Excel workbook when the estimate has many lines, sections or percentages, because its amounts and totals are formulas. Use the Word document when the estimate reads more like a short proposal; its amounts are typed text, so you check the arithmetic yourself.

Do the totals in the Word estimate update when I change a quantity?

No. In the DOCX files the amounts are plain text in table cells, with no field codes (checked November 1, 2026). After changing a quantity, work out that line, the subtotal and the estimated total again and type them in.

Why does the downloaded estimate open read-only?

Microsoft Support's page on Protected View (opened November 1, 2026) says files opened from an Internet location can open in Protected View, a read-only mode. If you trust the file, its instruction is: "On the Message Bar, select Enable Editing."

How do I send the estimate as a PDF from Word or Excel?

Microsoft Support's page on saving as PDF (opened November 1, 2026) gives these steps. Word: "If the file was previously saved, select File > Save a Copy. If the file is unsaved, select File > Save As or Save a Copy." Then: "In the drop-down list, select PDF. Select Save." Excel: "Select the File tab. Select Save As or Save a copy." Then: "In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf)."

Can I leave out the deposit or the overhead line in the Excel estimate?

Yes. Set that line's rate to 0% instead of deleting the row. The job workbook's own note says: "Don't delete these rows: the totals refer to them."

Microsoft Office Estimate Template

Estimate templates you can edit in Microsoft Word or Excel, with four layouts and the steps for each program

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Quick answer:Four estimate layouts on Billed come as Word (DOCX) and Excel (XLSX) files, each with a blank PDF form. In the DOCX files the amounts are typed text you recalculate yourself; in the XLSX files they are formulas (checked November 1, 2026). This page compares the two, links each file and quotes Microsoft Support's steps for Protected View, recalculation and saving as a PDF.

Key Features

Everything you need in a professional estimate template.

Word (DOCX) and Excel (XLSX) files for four estimate layouts

A side-by-side choice between typed totals in Word and formula totals in Excel

Valid-until dates, scope or terms notes, exclusions and acceptance lines on every layout

Rate cells in the Excel files for tax, overhead and profit, discounts and deposits

Microsoft Support steps for editing a downloaded file and saving it as a PDF

Two worked revisions, one in each program

Word or Excel: choosing the estimate file

The estimate layouts on Billed's Word and Excel estimate pages each come as a Word document (DOCX) and an Excel workbook (XLSX), plus a blank PDF form. The difference that matters when you price a job is where the arithmetic happens. The file facts below were checked in the files themselves on November 1, 2026.

	Word document (DOCX)	Excel workbook (XLSX)
Amounts and totals	Typed into table cells as plain text, with no field codes	Calculated: each line is quantity times unit price rounded to two decimals, section subtotals are SUM formulas, and tax, markup, discount and deposit lines read their percentage from a rate cell
When you change a quantity	Work out the line, the subtotal and the estimated total again and type them in	The line amount and every total that depends on it update
Pick it when	The estimate reads like a short proposal, with few lines and more wording about scope	The estimate has many lines, sections or percentages, or you expect to revise the quantities

The four layouts and their Office files

Two layouts sit on the Word estimate template page and two on the Excel estimate template page. Each one comes with sample figures you replace, a valid-until date, notes on scope or terms, a list of exclusions, and lines for the client to sign, print their name and date the acceptance.

Word job estimate, for a one-time job priced item by item. Its sample prices an office deep clean: 2,400 sq ft at 0.18 comes to 432.00, and five lines total 961.00, valid until Dec 6, 2026. Files: Word job estimate (DOCX), Word job estimate (XLSX).
Word project quote, a fixed price split into equipment, crew and delivery sections. Its sample quotes audio-visual support for a two-day conference at 3,960.00. Files: Word project quote (DOCX), Word project quote (XLSX).
Excel job estimate, with crew hours, materials and equipment in their own sections, a 12% overhead and profit line and a 30% proposed deposit. Its sample refinishes 6,000 sq ft of warehouse office floors: a 3,353.00 subtotal becomes a 3,755.36 estimated total, with a 1,126.61 deposit proposed. Files: Excel job estimate (XLSX), Excel job estimate (DOCX).
Excel itemized estimate, for supplying goods by item number, with a 10% volume discount and a delivery and installation fee. Its sample supplies 14 each of four furniture items: 11,452.00 less 1,145.20, plus 450.00, gives 10,756.80. Files: Excel itemized estimate (XLSX), Excel itemized estimate (DOCX).

The blank PDF form for each layout is offered on its Word or Excel page.

Editing the estimate in Word

Open the DOCX file and, if Word shows it read-only, turn on editing (see the Protected View section below).
Replace the sample client, site and job details, the estimate number, the date and the valid-until date.
Edit the rows of the item table, adding or removing rows to fit the job.
For each row, multiply the quantity by the unit price and type the amount. Then add the rows for the subtotal, add tax if you charge it, and type the estimated total.
Rewrite the scope notes and the exclusions so they describe this job, and leave the acceptance lines blank for the client.

Editing the estimate in Excel

Open the XLSX file and turn on editing if Excel shows it read-only.
Type over the description, quantity and unit price cells. Leave the amount, subtotal and total cells alone: they hold the formulas.
Set the percentage cells for the lines you use, such as tax, overhead and profit, a discount or a deposit. The job workbook includes a note that doesn't print, saying to set a line's rate to 0% to leave it out: "Don't delete these rows: the totals refer to them."
Check the totals once more before you save a PDF copy.

Microsoft Support's page "Overview of formulas in Excel" (opened November 1, 2026) says: "Formulas in Excel always begin with the equal sign." Its page "Change formula recalculation, iteration, or precision in Excel" (opened November 1, 2026) calls automatic recalculation "the default calculation setting" and adds: "If a workbook is set for automatic recalculation, you do not need to press F9 for recalculation."

Two worked revisions

Both start from a sample file and change one line, the way a client's request might change the scope.

Excel job estimate, two more crew lead hours: the client adds an inspection visit, so the crew lead line goes from 8 to 10 hours at 62.00. The workbook works out:

Crew lead: 10 × 62.00 = 620.00, up 124.00
Subtotal: 3,353.00 + 124.00 = 3,477.00
Overhead and profit at 12%: 417.24
Estimated total, with the tax rate at 0%: 3,477.00 + 417.24 = 3,894.24
Proposed deposit at 30%: 1,168.27

Word job estimate, six more windows: interior window cleaning goes from 24 to 30 windows at 6.00. You type the new figures yourself:

Interior window cleaning: 30 × 6.00 = 180.00, up 36.00
Subtotal: 961.00 + 36.00 = 997.00
Estimated total, with sales tax at 0.00: 997.00

When the file opens read-only

Microsoft Support's page "What is Protected View?" (opened November 1, 2026) names "The file was opened from an Internet location" as one cause of that read-only view, described there as: "Protected View is a read-only mode where most editing functions are disabled." Once you're sure the estimate file is safe to edit, the page's step is: "On the Message Bar, select Enable Editing."

Sending the estimate as a PDF

Microsoft Support's page "Save or convert to PDF or XPS in Office Desktop apps" (opened November 1, 2026) gives these steps:

From Word: "If the file was previously saved, select File > Save a Copy. If the file is unsaved, select File > Save As or Save a Copy." Then: "In the drop-down list, select PDF. Select Save."
From Excel: "Select the File tab. Select Save As or Save a copy." Then: "In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf)."

The same page warns: "Simply sharing something as a PDF is not sufficient to guarantee the recipient can't edit the file." Keep the DOCX or XLSX you priced the job in, so you can revise the estimate if the client asks.

Before you send the estimate

Set the valid-until date to how long you can hold these prices.
Read the scope and exclusions from the client's side: anything they might assume is included but isn't belongs in the exclusions.
If you propose a deposit, check that the percentage cell matches what you plan to ask for.
Keep a copy of what you sent, with its estimate number, so a later invoice can refer back to it.

Google Docs, Google Sheets and PDF versions

The same estimating layouts are also offered for other programs: see the Google Docs estimate template, the Google Sheets estimate template and the PDF estimate template, or browse all estimate templates.

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When this isn't for you

If you don't want to recalculate any figures by hand, skip the DOCX files and start from an XLSX. These are single-estimate files: if you need many estimates tracked, followed up and turned into invoices, look at estimating software instead.