Construction Estimate Template

Line items with quantities and units, material cost and labor cost separated, a direct-cost subtotal, overhead, profit, and the terms of the offer — estimate number, date, and how long the pricing stays valid. Separating material and labor is what makes the estimate defensible when the client pushes back on price.

In practice the words blur, but roughly: an estimate is an approximation of cost, a quote is a fixed offer you commit to, and a bid is a formal offer in a competitive selection — usually to a GC, against drawings and specs. This template works for all three; what changes is how firm your numbers must be before you send it.

Price by margin. Markup is a percentage added to cost; margin is a percentage of the selling price — and a 15% markup is only a 13% margin. Contractors who price by markup routinely keep less profit than they think. The template prices by true margin: price = (cost + overhead) ÷ (1 − margin), and the second sheet explains the math.

Hours × a fully-loaded labor rate — the wage plus payroll taxes, workers’ comp, insurance, and benefits, not the bare wage. The template computes labor per line as quantity × hours × rate, so unit-based work (fixtures, drops, squares) prices consistently.

The spreadsheet is the math; the proposal is the presentation. BuildWorkPro builds estimates from your product catalog with labor rates and margin applied systematically, exports a client-ready PDF proposal, sends it for legally-binding e-signature, and converts the win into a project — all included at $79/month.