Put together an itemized estimate the way contractors actually price jobs: work grouped into sections with subtotals, each line tagged as labor, material, or other, then contingency, markup (or separate overhead and profit), discount, and tax on top. The math is done in whole cents, so the PDF and the CSV always agree. The estimate autosaves in your browser. There's no account, and nothing is uploaded.
Need the quantities first? Work them out with the drywall calculator, concrete calculator, or deck calculator, then type the results in as line items. When the job is done, the invoice generator makes the matching bill.
Frequently asked questions
How are markup, contingency, discount, and tax calculated?
Every line is quantity × unit cost, rounded to the cent, and the lines add up to your direct cost (labor, materials, and other costs are also totaled separately). Contingency and a single markup are percentages of direct cost. In overhead-plus-profit mode, overhead is a percentage of direct cost and profit is a percentage of cost plus overhead, so the common "10 and 10" works out to 21% over cost rather than 20%. A discount comes off after markup, and tax is applied last. All math is done in whole cents with half-up rounding, the same way accounting software does it.
What does 'tax materials only' do?
Many US states treat contractors doing real-property improvement as the consumer of the materials they install: sales tax applies to materials, not to labor. With the toggle on, tax is charged on the material lines at the cost you entered, before markup. Turn it off to tax the whole estimate after discount, which is closer to how VAT or GST usually works. Tax rules for construction vary a lot by state, country, and job type (new construction vs. repair, for example), so check with your state revenue department or an accountant before you rely on either setting.
Why do the templates have no prices?
Construction prices depend on your region, your suppliers, your crew's rates, and the month. Any number we put in would be wrong for most people and could end up in front of a client. The kitchen, bathroom, deck, and roof templates give you a sensible list of sections and line items with typical units (sq ft, lin ft, squares, hours, lump sum), and you enter your own quantities and costs. Add, rename, reorder, or delete anything the job doesn't need.
Where is my estimate saved?
In this browser's local storage, on this device only. The estimate autosaves as you type, so you can close the tab and come back to it. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account, so we never see your clients or your pricing. That also means clearing your browser data deletes the draft, and it won't follow you to another computer. Download the PDF (and the CSV if you want the line items in a spreadsheet) for anything you need to keep. "New estimate" keeps your company details, markup, and terms, and clears the client, project, and line items.
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote or bid?
An estimate is your best informed guess at what a job will cost. It's normally understood that the final price can move if conditions or scope change, which is why it's worth listing assumptions and exclusions in the notes. A quote or fixed bid is usually a firm price for a defined scope. The PDF this tool makes says "Estimate" and shows a valid-until date, and it has a client acceptance line for signing. If you need a binding contract with a payment schedule, change-order process, and lien notices, have one drafted for your state.
Can I open the estimate in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. "Export CSV" downloads every line item with its section, description, type (labor, material, or other), quantity, unit, unit cost, and line total. Amounts are plain decimals with no currency symbols, so they open as numbers in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Cells that start with =, +, -, or @ get an apostrophe in front so a spreadsheet won't run them as formulas. The CSV only has line items. Totals, markup, and tax are on the PDF. A spreadsheet copy is handy for comparing supplier quotes or tracking actual costs against the estimate as the job goes.