Document generators
Free Estimate and Quote Generator
Turn a scope of work into a priced estimate the customer can approve. Print it to PDF and send it the same day.
Free, no signup. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is sent to us or stored.
Fill this in
Preview
What goes in it
An estimate is an offer, and its job is to be approvable. That means the scope is specific enough that both sides know what is included, the price is broken down enough to be checked, and the terms say how long the offer stands and what it takes to accept it. The arithmetic mirrors an invoice, with a deposit line that functions as the booking commitment rather than as money already received.
What to get right
- Scope specificity, which is what the customer is actually comparing.
- What is explicitly excluded, since that is where disputes start.
- How long the price holds, given material costs move.
- The deposit, which converts an approval into a booking.
Where this goes wrong
An estimate without an expiry date is an open offer, and customers do return months later expecting the price to stand after material costs have moved. Put a validity period on it. The other failure is silence about exclusions: a customer who assumed the price covered making good, disposal or a permit has a reasonable complaint, and listing what is not included costs a line and prevents the argument. Getting the estimate back the same day matters more than polishing it, because people frequently accept the first competent quote rather than collecting three.
Before you send it
- Put a validity period on the price.
- List what is excluded, not only what is included.
- Say what acceptance requires: a signature, a deposit, or both.
- Send it the same day if you can, since the first competent quote often wins.
Questions
About this tool
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
An estimate is a considered projection that may move if conditions change. A quote is a fixed price you are committing to. The wording on the document matters if there is ever a dispute, so say plainly which one you are giving.
Why does the estimate need an expiry date?
Because material prices move. An estimate with no expiry can be accepted six months later at a price that now loses you money. Thirty days is the common default.
Should I show a line-by-line breakdown?
It depends who is reading it. A breakdown builds trust with a cautious homeowner but also invites line-by-line negotiation, and it tells competitors your labour rate. Many contractors show grouped scope rather than every component.
Does the signature line make it binding?
A signature records acceptance, which helps, but what makes an agreement enforceable varies by jurisdiction and by value. For large jobs, use a contract written for your state rather than a signed estimate.
When doing it once is not enough
HVAC Estimating Software
Making one of these by hand is fine. Making forty a month, chasing the ones nobody paid, and finding last year's when a customer queries it, is a different job.
See how HVAC Estimating Software worksWhat this tool does not do
Nothing is saved, so there is no record of what you quoted when a customer queries it in six weeks. It also does not expire itself, follow up, or convert into an invoice when the work is approved, which are the three things that matter once you are sending more than a handful.
Keep going
Related free tools
Free Invoice Generator
Build a clean, itemised invoice and print it to PDF.
Open toolFree Work Order Generator
Write the job down before the technician leaves: what, where, who, and what they need to take with them..
Open toolContractor Markup & Margin Calculator
Converts between markup and margin, which is where contractors most often lose money..
Open calculatorWant this to happen without you doing it
This tool does the job once. BDEVY builds the system that does it every time, for every customer, without anyone remembering to.