General contracting quote template

Download the General contracting quote template

The same sample document in two formats. The PDF is what a finished quote looks like; the spreadsheet has live formulas, so change a quantity or a rate and the totals follow.

No signup, no email, no watermark. Sample figures — edit everything. Opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets.

See this quote filled in, in the builder — the same sample, editable.

What a General contracting quote needs on it

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.

Fixed-price the phases you fully control and quote them as a package: demo, framing, drywall, finish. Keep selections on allowances even inside a quote, because a client who upgrades tile mid-job should move the price, and a quote without allowances leaves you eating the difference.

• 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

And what every quote needs

Use a quote when you can see the whole job and control the variables: a like-for-like replacement, a measured area, a repeat job you have priced twenty times.

• A tightly written scope — a fixed price is only safe if the scope is exact
• Explicit exclusions, since anything unlisted is what a dispute will be about
• A change-order clause saying how additional work gets priced and approved
• An expiry date, because a fixed price cannot outlive your material costs

General contracting line items included in this template

These load into the builder ready to edit. Prices are starting points, not our opinion of what you should charge — set your own and they save to your price book.

Rates are illustrative US figures and vary widely by market. Price your own work.

How general contractors price this 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.

Questions

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.

What is the difference between a quote and an estimate?

A quote is a fixed price you are committing to; an estimate is an informed projection that can move. In practice many customers use the words interchangeably, so the safer approach is to label the document clearly and let the terms on the page say which one you mean.

Can I change a quote after the customer accepts it?

Not for the scope you quoted — that is the point of quoting. You change the price by changing the scope, through a written change order the customer approves before the extra work happens. Verbal change orders are how contractors end up eating costs.

How do I protect a fixed price against surprises?

Exclusions and allowances. List what is not included, and where you cannot see behind a wall, quote an allowance with a stated unit rate for anything beyond it. That keeps the headline price fixed while pricing the unknown honestly.