Construction quotation
Quotation template for builders and general contractors: site preparation, structural work and finishing work. Fill it in online or download Excel or Word.
Templates by industry
- Site preparation
- Structural work
- Finishing work
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: start with "Site preparation", confirm the required quantity and client inputs, then agree completion criteria for each item.
Review and approve the quotation
Confirm acceptance evidence for "Finishing work", all line quantities, exclusions and quote validity with the customer, and retain the approved version.
Deliver and prepare billing
Confirm completed quantities, site photos, agreed test results and any remaining remedial work. When the agreed milestone is complete, prepare an invoice using actual quantities and approved changes.
A construction quotation is usually priced from drawings that are not yet final, so what it leaves out matters as much as what it includes. Grouping the work into site preparation, structure and finishes mirrors how the job will be built and later invoiced in stages. Each group can carry its own assumptions, such as ground conditions under the structure or the finish specification, so a change to one does not reopen the whole price.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Site preparation, Structural work, Finishing work: specify the planned quantity and delivery scope for each item.
- Site preparation
- Include hoarding, site office, temporary power and water, and scaffold hire for the expected duration, and state the weeks assumed, since overruns add hire cost.
- Structural work
- Name the drawing revision priced and the assumptions about the ground or existing structure; a foundation redesign after excavation is outside this line.
- Finishing work
- Give a specification level or an allowance for items the client has not chosen, such as tiles per square metre, and say that choices above it are charged as a variation.
- Site and measured quantities
- Record the site, work zones, areas, lengths or counts, and access hours.
- Materials and work stages
- Specify materials, labor, removal, disposal and making-good allowances, and completion criteria for each stage.
- Scope to agree
- Agree the start and finish of each stage, how a design change is approved, and when progress payments fall due.
Before sending
- Does “Site preparation” say what is included and what quantity the price assumes?
- Would the customer read “Structural work” the way you do, including what it leaves out?
- Can you still honour the price of “Finishing work” on the last day the quotation is valid?
Show 3 more
- Agree how quantity changes following measurement or drawing revisions will be approved.
- Confirm client-supplied materials and work that other contractors must finish first.
- Check quote validity, the customer approval method and payment milestones.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Site preparation | 12 × $180.00 | $2,160.00 |
| Structural work | 12 × $60.00 | $720.00 |
| Finishing work | 8 × $80.00 | $640.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,520.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $281.60 | |
| Total | $3,801.60 | |
Quoted net amount $3,520.00, sales tax $281.60, quoted total $3,801.60.
What the document must show
The details a quotation has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist
Frequently asked questions
What goes in the price for finishes the client has not chosen yet?
Use a provisional sum or allowance in the line description, for example a sanitaryware allowance, and state that the final figure follows the client's choice. On the invoice the actual cost replaces the allowance, with the difference shown openly.
What should the quotation say about the payment schedule?
List the stages that trigger a payment, such as completion of the frame or of first-fix services, with each stage's share of the price and the payment period. Use the same stage names as the lines, so each progress invoice can refer back to this quotation.
How is the sales tax worked out on this quotation?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $281.60 on a net amount of $3,520.00, for a total of $3,801.60. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Is this template free?
Yes. You can fill in this template and print it or save it as a PDF without an account, and there is no payment step and no watermark on the document. Saving it to your account and downloading Excel or Word files need a free account.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Read next
Reading for the Construction quotation: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist and Estimate vs quote: what binds you, with a remodeling example. The VAT and GST calculator adds tax to your quoted prices.