What goes in a contractor estimate
A customer usually gets two or three estimates for the same job. The one that's easiest to understand often wins. A clear estimate has:
- Your business and the customer. Your name, phone and address, then theirs. Typli fills in yours from your saved details.
- An estimate number and date, plus how long the price is good for.
- The scope in plain words. Two or three sentences on what you'll do, so nobody argues about it later.
- Line items. One line per part of the job, with a quantity, a unit and a rate. "Pavers, installed: 320 sq ft" is easier to say yes to than "Patio: $8,000".
- Tax, deposit and total. What's due up front, what it pays for, and when the balance is due.
- What's not included, like permits, haul-away or repairs you can't see yet.
From job notes to a finished estimate
Type the job the way you'd jot it down on site: the measurements, the materials, anything you've agreed with the customer. Save your hourly rate and the prices you use again and again in your details, and every estimate uses them exactly. Prices in your notes ("tear-off $95 a square") are used too. Anything else gets a typical price for you to check, and once you have a price list, those lines are marked.
Pick your trade and the draft reaches for the line items and units your trade uses: squares for roofing, square feet of wall for painting, fixtures for plumbing. You can change any line, price or term before you send it.
Estimates by trade
Each trade prices work its own way. These pages have an example job, a sample estimate and tips for that trade:
Estimate, quote or invoice?
An estimate is your best price for a job before it starts. It can change if the job changes, which is why the scope and the exclusions matter. A quote is a fixed price, usually for a smaller, well-defined job. An invoice comes after the work, asking to be paid. Open a saved estimate and choose Turn into invoice: the invoice gets the same line items, so the customer can match the two, with the deposit taken off.
When the job changes after the customer says yes, make a change order from the estimate. It prices the added and removed work and shows the new total.
For bigger jobs that need a timeline and more explanation, use a proposal. To spell out what's included and what isn't before you price it, write a scope of work. To put the agreement in writing, use the contract generator.
Tips for estimates that win the job
- Send it the same day. The first clear estimate in the customer's inbox has an edge.
- Follow up in two or three days. A short estimate follow-up brings back customers who were busy, not saying no. If they say your price is too high, here's how to reply.
- Name the materials, with brand or color where it matters.
- Price the unknowns separately. An allowance for rotten wood or hidden damage, billed as found, beats a surprise change order.
- Ask for the deposit on the estimate, and say what it pays for.
- Set a valid-until date, so last season's price doesn't bind you when materials go up.
Frequently asked questions
Is the estimate generator free?
Yes. Drafting is free, with no account needed. To download the PDF or send a link, create a free account; free accounts can save 3 documents a month. Paid plans save unlimited documents, add your logo and remove the Typli footer.
Can I use my own prices?
Yes. Save your hourly rate and price list in your details and every estimate uses them exactly. You can also put prices in your notes and the draft uses them. Every line and price can be edited before you send it.
Can I send it to my customer?
Yes. Download a PDF to email or print, or send a link your customer can open on their phone.
Does it work for jobs outside the trades?
Yes. Describe any job, from cleaning or moving to design or consulting work, and you'll get an itemized estimate for it.