Estimate or quote?
An estimate is your best calculation of what a job will cost, given what you know now. It is expected to move if the work turns out to be different. A quote is a fixed price for a defined job. Contractors, repair businesses and agencies use estimates when the scope can’t be pinned down until the work starts — a renovation behind a wall, a repair before the part is diagnosed. If you can commit to the price, send a quote instead.
What a good estimate includes
- The job: a short description and the site address.
- Line items for labor and materials, so the customer can see where the money goes. Give labor as hours × rate.
- What is excluded, and what would change the price.
- An expiry date, because material prices move.
- A clear statement that it is an estimate, not a fixed price — the default note above says so.
How to use this template
Fill in the document above; the line amounts, tax and total update as you type, and the draft is saved in this browser. Print or save as PDF prints only the estimate. The Word and Excel versions have the same layout, and the Excel one does the arithmetic. To price the work with a healthy margin first, use the markup calculator.