What it does
Pick items from your own price list and type the quantities. The estimate fills in the descriptions, your prices with markup, sales tax on materials, the deposit and the balance. Print it or save it as a PDF for your client.
When the job starts, the Job Costing tab lists the same lines. Type what each one really cost: red means over the estimate, green means under, and the profit updates as you go.
It is made for remodelers, handymen and small contractors who price jobs from their own costs. It is not a bidding tool for large commercial jobs: one estimate holds 30 lines, and it does not take payments or send invoices.
A real example
- Subtotal
- $9,359.05
- Discount
- -$150.00
- Sales tax on materials 7%
- $183.46
- Total
- $9,392.51
- Deposit due now 30%
- $2,817.75
- Balance on completion
- $6,574.76
The bathroom remodel inside the file, as Excel works it out. Your estimated profit on it: $1,555.05.
Founder of DevTonic Studios. I build the spreadsheets small businesses keep asking me for. How I make and test them
What is inside
| Tab | What it does |
|---|---|
| Start Here | Four steps to get going, in plain words |
| Dashboard | What the client pays, your profit and what you have spent, on one page |
| Settings | Your company details, tax rate, deposit and markups |
| Price List | Up to 100 items with your own costs |
| Estimate | The page your client sees, up to 30 lines |
| Job Costing | Real costs against the estimate, profit as you go |
Questions
Do I need to know Excel formulas?
No. You only type in the yellow cells. Descriptions, prices, tax, deposit and totals fill in by themselves, and the Start Here tab walks you through it in four steps.
Can I change the tax rate, deposit and markup?
Yes, all on the Settings tab: your sales tax rate, the deposit you ask for, and your own markup for labor, materials, equipment and permits.
Is sales tax added to labor?
No. The estimate adds sales tax on materials only, at the rate you set. In the example that is 7% on the materials, $183.46.
Can I add my own items and prices?
Yes. The Price List holds up to 100 items with your own costs. Codes starting with L are labor, M material, E equipment and S permits and fees.
How many lines can one estimate hold?
30 lines. The example bathroom remodel uses 20 of them.
How do I send the estimate to my client?
Print it or save it as a PDF straight from Excel. The Your cost column is for you only and does not print.
How do I get the file after I pay?
You get the download link on the screen right after checkout, and in your email receipt.
