A free contractor estimate worksheet in Excel format for labour, materials, subcontractors, other direct costs and allocated overhead. Calculate an internal job price using markup or target margin, then compare estimated costs with actual costs when the job is complete.
Download free estimate worksheet (XLSX, 8 KB)
Free download. No account or email required. Version 1.1.
From job costs to an estimated price
Labour uses total worker-hours and a loaded hourly rate. Materials, subcontractors and other direct costs use quantity and unit cost. Allocated overhead is a separate amount, so costs already included in the labour rate or another line should not be counted again.
Markup adds a percentage of cost. Margin expresses profit as a percentage of the selling price. The same percentage produces different prices under these two methods. The worksheet shows the calculated selling price before tax, profit after entered costs, effective markup and effective margin.
Compare estimated and actual costs
The estimated-versus-actual section compares labour, materials, subcontractors, other direct costs and allocated overhead. Positive cost differences mean the job cost more than estimated. The profit review uses the calculated estimate price, not payments received or revised contract revenue.
This is an internal estimate, not a customer quote or contract. It excludes sales tax and costs not entered. Currency selection does not convert amounts. Review the full job scope and costs before quoting.
Related estimating tools
Job pricing calculator for a quick cost-based calculation and a worked markup-versus-margin example. Contractor estimating software guide for comparing estimating workflows beyond a spreadsheet.