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Free General Contractor Estimate Template

Allowances, exclusions, and a valid-until date — a contractor estimate has to protect you as much as it informs the client.

Billia's free general contractor estimate template covers the pieces that prevent disputes: a scope of work in plain language, line items with allowances where exact costs are not known yet, explicit exclusions, and a valid-until date. Build it in the free estimate maker in about a minute — no account, no watermark.

What the general contractor estimate template includes

Section	What goes in it
Scope of work	Written description of everything included — and a separate exclusions list
Line items	Labor, materials, and subcontractor costs as separate lines
Allowances	Budget figures for selections the client has not made yet (fixtures, finishes)
Valid-until date	The date your pricing expires — typically 30 days

Create your general contractor estimate in 4 steps

1. Open the free estimate maker and enter your business and client details.
2. Describe the scope of work and add line items from the table above.
3. Set the valid-until date and list any exclusions.
4. Enter your email: we send the PDF right away, and you can also download it directly. No account needed.

General Contractor estimating tips

• List exclusions explicitly ('excludes painting, permits, landscaping'). An estimate without exclusions is a blank check the client will try to cash.
• Use allowances for anything the client has not picked yet, and label them as allowances. Fixed numbers for undecided items become promises.
• Put a valid-until date on every estimate. Material prices move — 30 days is standard and fair to both sides.

Prefer Word, Excel, or Google Docs? Use the layout above as your reference — or skip the formatting and generate the PDF directly.