Free Construction Estimate Template & Generator
A construction estimate is only true against one drawing set, and it stops being true the day plan check redlines the shear walls or the architect issues the next revision. This template prices the job division by division against a named permit-set revision, so a correction on one sheet moves one line instead of reopening the whole number.
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| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division 06 — interior partition framing (linear feet), measured off Rev B | 96 | $45.00 | $4,320.00 |
| Division 08 — window allowance at installed unit rate (units not selected) | 3 | $1,250.00 | $3,750.00 |
| Division 26 — electrical rough-in, sub quote dated and held 30 days | 1 | $7,200.00 | $7,200.00 |
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Use-case checklist
What to include in a construction estimate
Construction pricing moves between the estimate and the notice to proceed. Subcontractor and material quotes behind a small job often hold for weeks rather than months, so a framing or window number can already be stale by the time the permit clears plan check. When the estimate is a single lump sum there is no line to reopen after the plan checker calls for a heavier shear wall or the owner selects windows above the allowance, so the conversation becomes a negotiation over the entire number instead of the one division that actually changed.
- drawing or scope revision used
- phase-by-phase quantities and costs
- subcontractor and supplier quote dates
- allowances, alternates, and contingency
- schedule assumptions and exclusions
Example starting lines
| Description | Qty | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Division 06 — interior partition framing (linear feet), measured off Rev B | 96 | $45 |
| Division 08 — window allowance at installed unit rate (units not selected) | 3 | $1,250 |
| Division 26 — electrical rough-in, sub quote dated and held 30 days | 1 | $7,200 |
Complete it cleanly
Start the header with the drawing set, the sheet numbers, and the revision you priced, dated, rather than the phrase plans provided, because every later dispute traces back to which sheets you measured. Break the number out by division instead of by lump sum, and keep the quantity and unit of measure visible on everything you measured yourself: linear feet of partition, square feet of insulated assembly, count of windows at an installed unit rate, cubic yards of concrete. Tag every line as measured, allowance, or subcontractor quote, and put the quote date on the line itself instead of in a footnote. Keep alternates and owner-supplied items below the total so they never inflate it, and state the expiration, what happens to unused contingency, and the change-order markup next to the total.
Worked example
Garage conversion: shell and rough-in by division
Cedar Line Construction is pricing the shell and rough-in package for a 480 sq ft attached garage conversion into a studio with a bath and kitchenette for Harborview Property Group, measured off permit set Rev B before the owner has selected any windows. The package stops after insulation and before drywall, so finishes are priced in a separate Rev C estimate once selections are made.
- Division 03 — Concrete: 16 lf thickened-edge footing at the garage-door bay and 60 sq ft slab patch, measured off Rev B
- $4,200.00
- Division 06 — Carpentry: remove the garage door, track, and opener; bay infill wall, two shear walls with hold-downs per sheet S2.1, 96 lf of partition, 4 rough openings, measured off Rev B
- $10,650.00
- Division 07 — Insulation and air sealing: R-21 in 725 sq ft of wall, R-38 in the 480 sq ft ceiling, blower-door test, quantities measured off Rev B
- $4,150.00
- Division 08 — Allowance, units not yet selected: 3 windows at $1,250.00 each installed and 1 entry door at $2,050.00 installed
- $5,800.00
- Division 22 — Plumbing rough-in only, no fixtures and no trim-out: bath group and kitchenette, sub quote dated Aug 28 and held 30 days
- $5,200.00
- Division 26 — Electrical rough-in only: 100A subpanel off the house panel, 12 circuits, mini-split circuit, sub quote dated Aug 28 and held 30 days
- $7,200.00
- Contingency at 8% of the $37,200.00 of scope above — concealed conditions inside this scope only, unused balance credited to the owner on the final invoice
- $2,976.00
- Estimate total, 15% overhead and profit on $40,176.00 — expires Sept 27, 2026 or at permit issuance, whichever comes first; work added after Rev B prices at the unit rates above plus the same 15%, so a fourth window runs $1,437.50
- $46,202.40
The $46,202.40 buys the shell and rough-in only: HVAC, drywall and paint, floor leveling and flooring, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, appliances, permit and plan-check fees, and any utility upgrade sit outside it and are priced at Rev C, while the Division 08 line is an allowance rather than a price, so windows selected at $1,900.00 installed instead of $1,250.00 add $1,950.00 plus the 15% markup, or $2,242.50. An estimate is also not a stand-in for the construction contract, and a signed proposal can become binding depending on the state you build in, so have an attorney confirm how yours reads before you send it.
When this document is the right choice
Use this estimate to set a realistic expected cost before the final scope is known. An estimate is an informed approximation, not a final invoice. State the assumptions that could move the price and replace it with a quote or invoice once scope is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write the window allowance so I am not the one eating the difference?
Put the basis on the line itself, 3 windows at $1,250.00 each installed and 1 entry door at $2,050.00, and reference the sheet the sizes come from so the allowance is tied to the openings drawn on Rev B rather than to a taste level. Carry it as its own line in the schedule of values so every draw shows the allowance against the actual supplier invoice, and say in writing that your 15% overhead and profit applies to the difference exactly as it applies to base scope. Then set the selection deadline off the window lead time rather than off politeness: units that arrive late stall flashing, the weather barrier, and the inspection that follows them, which is a schedule cost before it is a price cost.
The permit is still in plan check. How long should this estimate stay good?
Date it, but make the real trigger the permit rather than the calendar: write that the estimate prices permit set Rev B, and that a permit issued with plan-check corrections, or any drawing revision after Rev B, reopens the divisions those corrections touch. On this job that means Divisions 03 and 06, because a heavier shear wall or added hold-downs move footing and framing before they move anything else. Name which divisions get re-measured and which ones ride unchanged, so the owner is not surprised when concrete moves and the plumbing rough does not. Reissuing at the next revision is ordinary; quietly honoring a number priced off superseded sheets is how a small job goes underwater.
What has to be excluded in writing on a partial-scope estimate like this one?
Name every scope the owner will assume is included because it is obviously part of a finished room: HVAC, drywall and paint, flooring, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures and appliances, plus permit and plan-check fees, utility upgrades, structural engineering, and temporary power. Put that list directly under the total instead of in terms at the back, and say where each item goes, whether that is priced at Rev C, by owner, or by others. If you plan to advance the permit fees and bill them back, how that pass-through is recorded on your books can differ from how it lands as job cost, so confirm the treatment with your accountant before you make it a habit.
Plan check came back with corrections and I have to reissue at Rev C. Do I pay again?
Building and previewing is free, so you can re-measure Divisions 03 and 06 against the corrected sheets and walk Harborview through the revision without paying anything. A PDF download is $2.29 per document, so issuing Rev A, Rev B, and Rev C of this garage-conversion estimate costs $6.87 in total. If you are also issuing the Rev C finish estimate and change-order pricing across a few jobs a month, Unlimited at $9 per month or $69 per year covers every download.
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