Kitchen and bath remodels pack a lot of trades into a small room, and the estimate has to account for all of them. Here's how to write one that wins the job and holds up until the final walkthrough.
1. Walk the room with the client
Go through what stays, what goes and what moves. Moving a sink, toilet or range means plumbing, electrical or gas work, so find out now. Take measurements and photos, and look for signs of water damage or old wiring.
2. Write the scope by phase
Demolition, rough-in (plumbing, electrical, ventilation), drywall, tile, cabinets and countertops, fixtures, paint and final cleanup. Writing it in the order the work happens makes it easy to follow and easy to bill in draws.
3. Get your subcontractors' prices first
Get the plumber's, electrician's and tile setter's quotes before you finish the estimate, and add your markup. Pricing sub work from memory is how margins disappear.
4. Set allowances for the client's selections
For tile, fixtures, cabinets and countertops the client hasn't chosen, include an allowance for each and say that selections above it are billed as a change order.
5. Lay out the draw schedule
A deposit to schedule the job, draws at milestones the client can see (for example, after demolition and rough-in, after tile, after cabinets and fixtures), and the final payment at the walkthrough. Check your state's rules on deposits for home improvement work.
6. Say how changes are handled
Changes are priced and approved in writing before the work is done. Hidden problems, such as rotted subfloor behind a tub, are priced as a change once you find them.
7. List permits, inspections and your license
Who pulls the permits, which inspections the job needs, and your license or registration number where it's required.
8. Send it while you're still there
The best time to send an estimate is before you leave. The client is still thinking about the job, and you're not competing with the next quote they get.
Text or email a link they can open on their phone and approve with a tap, rather than a PDF they have to print, sign and scan.
A sample contractor estimate
Here’s the kind of estimate these steps add up to, made in Invoizr. Names and numbers are made up.
Common mistakes
- Pricing sub work without written quotes from the subs.
- No allowances, so the estimate assumes selections the client never made.
- Draws tied to dates instead of milestones the client can see.
Free contractor estimate template
A printable PDF with the lines contractors need most, ready to fill in by hand. No sign-up needed.
Or write it on your phone: Invoizr builds the estimate from your saved prices, sends it as a link the client approves with a tap, and turns it into an invoice when the job is done. See how Invoizr works for contractors, or try it free for 14 days.