General contracting paperwork, done properly
A remodel estimate is a small contract. It carries allowances for things the client has not chosen yet, a draw schedule so you are not financing their kitchen, and a change-order clause because the scope will move. Contractors who lose money on remodels usually did not lose it on labor rates — they lost it absorbing changes that were agreed verbally and never priced.
Pick your document
General contracting estimate
An estimate is your best professional judgment of what a job will cost, given before the work starts.
General contracting quote
A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope of work — the number does not move unless the scope does.
General contracting invoice
An invoice is the request for payment once the work is done — the document that actually gets you paid.
What belongs on general contractor paperwork
- Allowances for unselected finishes, each with a stated amount and what happens over or under
- A draw schedule tied to milestones, not dates, so payment tracks progress
- A change-order clause: how extra work gets priced and that it is approved in writing first
- Exclusions in a named list — permits, engineering, hazardous materials, landscaping repair
- Subcontracted trades identified, so the client knows who is coming and what is coordinated
- Your license number and general liability carrier
How general contractors price work
Remodels are priced either as cost-plus with a stated fee, or fixed-price with allowances. Fixed-price wins more residential work because clients want certainty, but it only works if the allowances are honest and the exclusions are complete. Overhead and profit are usually carried as a percentage of direct cost — stating it as its own line reads as more transparent than burying it in every unit rate.
The builder ships with 11 general contracting line items to start from, grouped into 3 sections. Edit the rates once and they save to your own price book.
Open the General contracting builderQuestions
- How should allowances work on a remodel estimate?
- Each allowance names a dollar amount for a category the client has not chosen yet — tile, fixtures, appliances. State that overages are billed at cost and underages credited. Vague allowances are the most common cause of remodel disputes, because the client remembers a number and you remember a category.
- What should a draw schedule look like?
- Tie draws to milestones a client can see: deposit at contract, a draw at demo complete, at rough-in inspection, at drywall, and final at substantial completion with a retainage. Milestone-based draws are easier to defend than calendar dates, because the client is paying for visible progress.
- How do I handle change orders so they actually get paid?
- Price them in writing and get approval before the work happens — that is the whole trick. Put the clause on the original estimate so it is not a surprise, then issue each change as its own numbered document with its own price and schedule impact. Verbal changes are how contractors finish a job profitable on paper and short in the bank.