Free estimate generator for contractors — no signup, no document limits

How it works

1. 1

   Start from your trade

   Pick one of 12 trades and the builder loads a library of priced rows for its common work, ready to drop onto the estimate. Or start blank and build the price book as you go.

2. 2

   Price the scope

   Add lines with quantities, units and rates, tick the taxable ones, set a valid-until date and the deposit you want before you mobilise. Totals update as you type, in exact cents.

3. 3

   Export the PDF — and convert it when you win

   Download the estimate as a PDF. When the customer says yes, one click turns it into an invoice with the same client, the same lines and a matching number.

What the free estimate generator includes

• Totals that are actually right

  Every figure is computed in whole cents. Subtotal, tax, discount, deposit and balance agree with each other and with the PDF, every time.

• Tax, discount and a deposit up front

  A tax rate applied only to the lines you mark, a percentage or fixed discount, and a deposit shown as its own line so the customer knows what is due before work starts.

• A valid-until date

  Give the estimate an expiry and it is printed on the page, so a months-old number cannot be held against you once material prices have moved.

• Priced libraries for the trades

  Each trade opens with the rows it prices most — a condenser, a panel upgrade, a square of shingles — and anything you star joins your own price book.

• Two PDF templates

  Modern or Minimal, with your business details, license number and terms. A small "Made with BidPaper" credit sits in the footer; Pro (coming soon) removes it.

• Estimate to invoice in one click

  Win the job, convert the estimate, and the invoice keeps the number under an INV prefix. The estimate stays in your saved list, unchanged, for the record.

Start from your trade's template

Each one opens with its line items already priced, and comes with a sample estimate you can download first.

• HVAC estimate template

  Equipment, refrigerant, permits and startup — priced the way changeouts actually run.

• Plumbing estimate template

  Fixtures, code upgrades and the access problems that only appear once the wall is open.

• Electrical estimate template

  Panel capacity, code-required protection and the license number that has to be on the page.

• Roofing estimate template

  Squares, tear-off layers, decking allowance and the two warranties customers confuse.

• Painting estimate template

  Coats, prep and sheen — the three things that make two painting bids incomparable.

• General contracting estimate template

  Allowances, draw schedules and change orders — the paperwork remodels actually run on.

• Landscaping estimate template

  Install versus maintenance, plant warranties, and who owns the watering.

• Flooring estimate template

  Subfloor condition, waste factor and the transitions nobody counts until install day.

• Carpentry estimate template

  Rough versus finish, material grade, and rot you cannot price from the driveway.

• Concrete estimate template

  Yards, PSI, reinforcement and finish — plus the excavation nobody bid.

• Drywall estimate template

  Finish levels, texture match, and the repair that is never just one patch.

• Handyman estimate template

  Minimums, punch lists and knowing which jobs need a licensed trade instead.

Questions

Is the estimate generator free, or free until I hit a limit?

Free with no limit. Make as many estimates as you like and export every one as a PDF; nothing is held back until you pay. Pro (coming soon, $12/month or $99/year) adds extras like your logo on the PDF and premium templates, and it never caps document counts.

Should I send an estimate or a quote?

Send a quote when you can see the whole job and are committing to a fixed price; send an estimate when the number may still move. The builder prints both under the Estimate heading — the quote templates put the fixed-price language in the notes and terms, and you can do the same here.

Do I have to sign up?

No. There is no account, no email address and no trial clock. Open the builder and start typing; your business details and price book are remembered on this device for the next estimate.

What happens when the customer says yes?

Open the estimate from your saved list and click Convert to invoice. Everything carries over — client, lines, tax, discount, deposit — and the invoice keeps the estimate's number with an INV prefix, so the two reconcile at a glance.