Free estimate templates
Free estimate templates help you price a job before work starts. Each lists the scope, line-item prices, exclusions, how long the price is valid and any deposit due on acceptance, so the client knows exactly what they are approving.
Estimate templates by trade
Each one comes filled in with real line items and typical rates for that trade, so you can see a finished estimate before you write your own.
- Contractor estimate template
- Construction estimate template
- Handyman estimate template
- Cleaning estimate template
- Landscaping estimate template
- Plumbing estimate template
- Electrical estimate template
- HVAC estimate template
- Roofing estimate template
- Painting estimate template
- Flooring estimate template
- Moving estimate template
- Auto Repair estimate template
- Photography estimate template
- Web Design estimate template
More free tools
Get the contractor paperwork kit
Estimate, invoice, deposit invoice, change order and final notice templates in one download, sent to your inbox.
What should every estimate include?
Every estimate, whatever the trade, covers the same core parts. The trade templates below fill them in with the lines, exclusions and deposit habits that fit that kind of work.
| Part | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Scope of work | Defines what the price covers |
| Line items with quantities and rates | Shows the client where the money goes |
| Allowances | Holds a budget for items the client hasn't chosen yet |
| Exclusions | Stops assumptions about what's included |
| Validity period | Protects you when costs change |
| Deposit on acceptance | Covers materials and holds the date |
| Acceptance | A signature or online approval, with the date |
How long should an estimate be valid?
Long enough for the client to decide, and short enough that your costs haven't moved. Many service trades use 30 days. Trades with fast-changing parts prices or busy calendars, such as auto repair, moving and wedding photography, often use 7 to 14 days. Write the expiration date on the estimate, not just the number of days.
When an estimate expires, recheck your costs before you resend it. Honoring the old price is fine, as long as it's your choice.
What happens after the client accepts?
Collect any deposit, schedule the work and keep the accepted estimate as your scope. If anything changes, write a change order with the free template. When the work is done, the estimate becomes your invoice.
You can build a one-off estimate with the free generator. In Invoicefy, you send the estimate as a proposal the client accepts online, then convert it to an invoice in one click.
Questions people ask
People use the words interchangeably, but an estimate often signals an approximate price and a quote a fixed one. Whichever word you use, say in writing whether the price can change. See Estimate vs Quote vs Invoice: What's the Difference?.
Most trades give free estimates for routine work. A fee, often credited to the job, is common when the estimate itself takes real work, such as design drawings, diagnostics or a detailed takeoff.
An accepted estimate is usually evidence that both sides agreed on the price and scope. Larger jobs often pair it with a written contract covering payments, changes and cancellations. For questions about your situation, ask a lawyer in your state.
Yes. Carry the accepted lines over to an invoice, add approved changes, subtract any deposit and send it. Software that converts estimates to invoices saves you from retyping every line.
Skip the template next time.
Save your clients and items in a free Invoicefy account, send a link by email or text, and let reminders follow up.
