Measure, take photos and ask what the customer actually wants. Write the scope in their words (“replace the kitchen faucet and shut-off valves”), not supply-house codes. Note anything you can’t see yet — behind walls, under floors, in the attic.
One line per piece of work or material, each with a quantity and a price. Itemized estimates are easier to approve because the customer can see where the money goes, and easier to change because you adjust one line, not the whole number.
Keep a price list of the work you do most often. Your estimates become consistent, you stop under-pricing on a busy day, and writing one takes minutes. Your price should cover materials, your time, your overhead (truck, insurance, phone, software) and a profit.
The first clear estimate to arrive often wins. Send it the same day — by text, so the customer can open it on their phone — and follow up two or three days later if you haven’t heard back.
Itemized estimates are usually approved more easily, because the customer sees what each part costs and can choose. A single total can work for very small jobs.
You decide and write it on the estimate. Thirty days is common for small contractors because material prices change.
That depends on your state and on what the customer signs. For anything beyond a small job, ask an attorney about a written contract.
14 days free. Workers always free. No contract.
Start your free trial