Estimate Template
Build a job estimate the customer can sign: price labor and materials, set how long the price holds, write the scope of work and what it leaves out, and ask for a deposit. The template totals each line, adds sales tax on taxable materials and prints an acceptance signature line. Download a PDF or Word file, and once the job is accepted, turn the estimate into an invoice in one click.
From and prepared for
Logo (optional)
Stays in your browser. PNG, JPG, SVG or WebP under 1 MB.
Name on the first line, then address, email, phone.
Details
Line items
$520.00
$1,850.00
$490.50
$85.00
Discount, tax and payments
Applied to taxable lines after the discount.
Added after tax.
Notes and terms
Balance on completion
$2,735.79
Subtotal $2,945.50
Tax $40.29
Total $2,985.79
From
Clearcoat Painting Co.
415 Birch Avenue
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 555-0142
Estimate
Estimate # EST-0318
Project: Interior repaint: living room, hallway, primary bedroom
Prepared for
Jordan and Casey Miller
27 Linden Court
Columbus, OH 43214
Job site
27 Linden Court, Columbus, OH 43214
Scope of work
Patch nail holes and minor cracks, sand and spot-prime. Two coats on walls and ceilings in the living room, hallway and primary bedroom (about 1,150 sq ft of wall area). Cover floors and furniture, clean up daily.
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall patching and sanding, 3 rooms (labor hours) | 8 | $65.00 | $520.00 |
| Paint walls and ceilings, 2 coats, 3 rooms (labor) | 1 | $1,850.00 | $1,850.00 |
| Premium interior paint and primer (gallons) * | 9 | $54.50 | $490.50 |
| Tape, plastic sheeting, rollers and caulk * | 1 | $85.00 | $85.00 |
* Taxable item
| Subtotal | $2,945.50 |
| Tax (7% on $575.50) | $40.29 |
| Estimated total | $2,985.79 |
| Deposit required | $250.00 |
| Balance on completion | $2,735.79 |
Exclusions
Trim, doors and closets; repairs to water-damaged drywall; moving heavy furniture; lead-paint abatement in pre-1978 areas.
Notes
Colors to be confirmed in writing before work starts. Estimated duration: 3 working days.
Terms
Deposit due at signing; balance due on completion. Work outside the scope above is quoted as a written change order before it starts.
This estimate is an approximation based on the scope above. Changes to the scope are priced separately.
PDF opens your browser's print dialog: choose "Save as PDF". The Word file opens in Word, Pages and Google Docs.
Deposits, invoices and job costs in one place
Jupid includes invoicing and categorizes your bank transactions automatically, so deposits and material purchases are recorded for tax time.
How It Works
Describe the job
Enter the customer and job site, how long the estimate is valid, the scope of work and the exclusions that keep the price from stretching.
Price labor and materials
Add labor by the hour or by the task and materials by the unit, mark materials taxable where your state requires it, and enter the deposit due at signing.
Get it signed, then invoice
Download a PDF with an acceptance line. When the customer accepts, Turn into an invoice copies the lines into the invoice generator with the deposit applied.
What to Include in a Job Estimate
A good estimate answers the customer's three questions (what will you do, what will it cost, what happens if something changes) before they ask. Include:
- Your business name, contact details and license number if your trade is licensed.
- The customer's name and the job site address.
- An estimate number, the date and a valid-until date.
- A scope of work that names areas, quantities and materials.
- Line items split into labor and materials, so the customer sees what drives the price and you can mark materials taxable separately.
- Exclusions and assumptions: what is not included and what you assumed about site conditions.
- The deposit due at signing and when the balance is due.
- How changes are handled, usually a written change order priced before the work.
- A signature and date line for the customer's acceptance.
Estimate vs Quote vs Bid
Customers use the words interchangeably, but they promise different things. Pick the one that matches how sure you are of the scope.
| Document | Price | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | Approximate; can change if conditions differ | Repairs, remodeling, anything with hidden conditions |
| Quote | Fixed for the stated scope until the valid-until date | Products, defined service packages, installs with a known scope |
| Bid | Fixed, submitted to compete against other contractors | Construction and public projects priced from plans and specifications |
When you know the scope well enough to commit to the number, send a price quoteinstead. In some trades the label carries legal weight: California, for example, requires auto repair shops to give a written estimate and get the customer's consent before the bill goes above it.
How to Price a Job Estimate
- Break the job into tasks and measure each one: square feet, linear feet, fixtures, visits or hours.
- Price labor as hours times a rate that covers wages, payroll taxes, insurance and a share of overhead, not just the hourly wage. Some trades price per task or per unit instead; either way, show labor on its own lines.
- Price materials at your cost plus a markup for buying, handling and waste. The markup calculator converts between markup and the margin you keep.
- Add the rest of the job cost: subcontractors, equipment rental, permits, dumpster or disposal fees, travel.
- Price the risk with a contingency or an allowance line for items the customer has not chosen yet, instead of hiding it inside other lines.
- Check the result against your target margin with the profit margin calculator before you send it.
Deposits and Payment Schedules
A deposit pays for materials you buy before the job starts and commits the customer to the date. Ten to fifty percent is common, but some states cap it on home improvement work. In California, the down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, and later progress payments may not get ahead of the work and materials delivered (Business and Professions Code section 7159.5).
For jobs longer than a few days, tie payments to milestones the customer can see, such as demolition done, rough-in inspected and final walkthrough, rather than to calendar dates. List the schedule in the Terms box so it prints on the estimate.
Turning an Accepted Estimate Into an Invoice
Once the customer signs, the estimate becomes the basis for your invoices. Keep the signed copy, then:
- Invoice the work when it is done, or in stages if you agreed to progress payments.
- Carry over the accepted lines and add approved change orders as separate lines.
- Record the deposit as already paid so the invoice shows the true balance due.
- Put the estimate number in the invoice's reference field so the two documents link.
- If the final cost will exceed the estimate, explain why and get approval before you bill it.
The Turn into an invoice button above does steps 2 to 4 for you: it opens the invoice generator with the same lines, the deposit entered as paid and the estimate number as the reference.
Worked Example
The prefilled estimate is a painting contractor pricing three rooms: drywall patching by the hour, painting as a fixed labor price, and paint and supplies as taxable materials. The customer pays a $250 deposit at signing.
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall patching and sanding, 3 rooms (labor hours) | 8 × $65.00 | $520.00 |
| Paint walls and ceilings, 2 coats, 3 rooms (labor) | 1 × $1,850.00 | $1,850.00 |
| Premium interior paint and primer (gallons) (taxable) | 9 × $54.50 | $490.50 |
| Tape, plastic sheeting, rollers and caulk (taxable) | 1 × $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Subtotal | Sum of rounded lines | $2,945.50 |
| Sales tax | 7% × $575.50 taxable | $40.29 |
| Estimated total | $2,985.79 | |
| Deposit required | −$250.00 | |
| Balance on completion | $2,735.79 |
Tax applies only to the $575.50 of materials: 7% of $575.50 is $40.285, which rounds to $40.29. The estimated total is $2,985.79 and the balance on completion is $2,735.79. The $250 deposit would also fit California's cap, which here is the lower of $1,000 and 10% of the price ($298.58). The 7% rate is an example; use your own.
Who Uses an Estimate Template
Contractors, painters, roofers, plumbers and electricians pricing repairs and remodels; cleaning and landscaping companies pricing first visits or seasonal work; auto repair shops; and freelancers pricing project work where the hours are not yet known. If you bill after the job, the contractor invoice template and the other industry templates start from the same line items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official References
- California Business and Professions Code section 7159.5
Home improvement contracts: the down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less.
- Contractors State License Board: Progress Payment Restrictions
CSLB bulletin on the down payment cap and the rule that later payments may not exceed the work and materials delivered.
- California Business and Professions Code section 9884.9
Auto repair: a written estimated price is required before work starts, and the customer must consent before it is exceeded.
- IRS Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records
What records to keep for business income and expenses, including invoices and receipts.
This template is not legal advice. Rules for estimates, deposits and home improvement contracts vary by state and trade; have an attorney or your licensing board review the terms you use for large or residential jobs. California rules verified October 2026.