An estimate tells a client what a job should cost before any work starts. A clear one wins more jobs than a number in a text message, because the client can see what is included, what is extra, how much to pay up front and how long the price holds. This estimate generator builds that document in your browser and saves it as a PDF.
How to write an estimate with this tool
- Add your business. Upload a logo and enter your business name, address, email, phone and a license or tax number if your trade requires one on paperwork. Tick Remember on this device to keep these details for next time.
- Add the client. Name, company if any, email, phone and the address of the job site.
- Set the details. Give the estimate a number (EST-1024), a date and a validity period of 14, 30, 45, 60 or 90 days, or pick your own date. The Valid until date is calculated for you and printed on the estimate. Add a short project title such as "Guest bathroom refresh".
- List the items. One line per task, material or service, with quantity and unit price. Use quantities for hours, square feet or units, for example 60 sq ft of tile at $14.
- Mark add-ons as Optional. Optional items print in their own table under the total, so the client sees the upgrade and its price without it inflating the main number.
- Set discount, tax and deposit. The discount is a percentage of the subtotal. Tax is charged on the subtotal after the discount. The deposit is a percentage of the total, and the balance is what remains.
- Write the scope and terms. Say what is included and what is not, then your terms for changes and surprises. Leave the signature line ticked if you want the client to sign and date their acceptance.
- Download or print. Download PDF makes a Letter or A4 file. Save as .json keeps an editable copy you can open later.
A worked example
The sample in the form is a small bathroom job:
| Item | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition and haul-away | 1 | $650.00 | $650.00 |
| Porcelain floor tile, installed (sq ft) | 60 | $14.00 | $840.00 |
| 36 in vanity with quartz top, installed | 1 | $1,450.00 | $1,450.00 |
| Plumbing reconnection (hours) | 4 | $95.00 | $380.00 |
| Heated floor mat (optional) | 1 | $780.00 | not in total |
The subtotal is $3,320.00. Sales tax at 7.5% adds $249.00, so the estimate total is $3,569.00. A 30% deposit is $1,070.70, leaving a balance of $2,498.30 on completion. The heated floor is shown separately at $780.00 before tax, so the client can say yes or no to it without the main price changing.
Warning: Some places cap deposits by law. In California, the down payment on a home improvement contract cannot be more than $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, according to the Contractors State License Board. For the job above that would be $356.90, so you would set the deposit to 10%. Check the rules for your trade and state before you ask for money up front.
Estimate vs quote
The words are often used the same way, but there is a useful difference. An estimate is your best judgment of the cost and can change if the job turns out to be different, which is why the default terms say hidden damage is priced before extra work starts. A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope. If you want to give a fixed price, say so in the terms ("This is a fixed price for the work described") and change the title in your email to quote. The document layout is the same.
Turning an accepted estimate into an invoice
When the client says yes, use the Convert to invoice box under the buttons. Choose what to bill:
- The full estimate total: every item becomes an invoice line, with the same discount and tax rate.
- The deposit only: one line, "Deposit (30%) for estimate EST-1024", for the deposit amount. Tax is already inside the total, so the deposit line carries no extra tax.
- The balance after the deposit: one line for what is left once the deposit is paid.
Tick Also bill the optional items if the client took the add-ons. If they took only some, untick Optional on those lines and delete the others first. The tool then opens the free invoice generator with your logo, business, client, items, tax and the estimate number filled in. The hand-over uses your browser's storage on this site, so nothing is uploaded. If the invoice generator already holds a draft, the first click warns you and the old draft is kept as a backup.
What to put in the scope and terms
- What is included: materials, labor, cleanup, permits.
- What is not included: painting, electrical, furniture moving, anything the client supplies.
- Timeline: roughly how long the work takes once started.
- Changes: how extra work is priced and approved.
- Payment: the deposit, when the balance is due and how to pay.
Service businesses that quote local jobs often win more work by following up quickly. If you are looking for new local clients, the AM Jarvis Local Lead Finder finds businesses in a city and niche from Google Maps listings and scores the ones with weak profiles.
Estimate examples for other kinds of work
The same layout works for most service businesses. Three quick setups:
- House cleaning: "Deep clean, 3 bed 2 bath" 1 x $320, "Inside oven" optional 1 x $45, "Inside fridge" optional 1 x $35. No deposit, valid 14 days. The client picks the extras when booking.
- Web design: "Shopify store setup, 10 pages" 1 x $2,400, "Product upload (per product)" 50 x $6, "Monthly care plan" optional 1 x $150. Deposit 50%, valid 30 days. The terms say how many rounds of revisions are included.
- Catering: "Buffet dinner (per guest)" 80 x $38, "Staff, 5 hours" 3 x $150, "Dessert table" optional 80 x $6. Deposit 25%, valid until the date the menu must be confirmed.
For hourly work, put the hours in the quantity and the rate in the unit price, and say in the terms whether extra hours are billed at the same rate. When a job needs materials ordered from a supplier after the client accepts, the purchase order generator uses the same company details, so your order to the supplier takes a minute.
Following up on an estimate
Send the PDF the same day you visit the site or take the call, with the estimate number in the email subject. If you have not heard back in three or four days, send a short follow-up that answers the most likely objection, for example a cheaper option or an earlier start date. A week before the valid-until date, remind the client that the price expires. Hand out a business card at the visit so they can reach you without digging for the email.
Keeping a record
Use one numbering sequence for all estimates (EST-1001, EST-1002) and save each one as a .json file in a folder per client. When a client comes back a year later asking for "the same as last time", open the file, give it a new number and date, update the prices and send it. For a new client, New estimate keeps your business details, terms, tax rate and deposit, clears the client and items, and moves the number up by one.
Limits to know about
The tool applies one tax rate to the whole estimate. For jobs where labor and materials are taxed differently, use the rate for the larger part and explain the split in the notes, or make two estimates. The PDF uses the standard Helvetica font for Latin-alphabet text; for other scripts, use Print and choose "Save as PDF". Your last estimate stays in this browser until you clear site data, so keep the JSON file for anything you may need again.