General contractor quote template
Build your quote
Fill this in and print it, or save it as a PDF. Nothing is uploaded — it all stays in your browser.
For
Customer name
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting service | 1 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Subtotal | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 |
Quote in phases
A general contracting quote as one number is unusable for the client and dangerous for you. Break it into phases that match how the work and the money will actually flow:
- Demolition and disposal
- Structural and framing
- Rough-in — plumbing, electrical, HVAC
- Insulation and drywall
- Finishes — flooring, tile, paint, trim
- Fixtures and fit-out
- Final clean and punch list
Now the client can see where their money goes, and you have the natural milestones for your draw schedule.
Use allowances properly
Clients cannot choose everything before you quote, and waiting for them to means never quoting. Allowances solve it:
Tile allowance: $8.00/sq ft supplied. Selections above or below this are reconciled by change order at the difference in cost.
State the allowance, state that it is supply-only if labour is separate, and state how the difference is settled. An allowance without a reconciliation clause is a gift.
Exclusions matter more than inclusions
Permits if the client is pulling them. Asbestos or lead remediation. Structural work revealed after demolition. Appliances. Window treatments. Landscaping reinstatement. Anything behind a wall you have not opened.
Every one of these is something a client may assume was in the number.
Tie draws to milestones
Deposit at signing. Draw at demolition complete. Draw at rough-in inspection passed. Draw at drywall complete. Balance at substantial completion, less a retention released when the punch list is signed off.
Milestone draws mean you are paid for progress. Date-based draws mean you are paid for time, which is a different and worse arrangement for both sides.
Change orders in writing, always
Priced, signed, before the work. This is the single largest source of unpaid work in general contracting, and it is entirely preventable with a habit.
When a quote template stops being enough
General contracting outgrows field service software faster than any trade on this site. Once you are running multiple projects with subcontractors, selections, allowances and change orders, you want construction project management — Buildertrend, JobTread or Projul. We have not verified their pricing so there are no figures here.
For a small operator running one project at a time, Jobber at $49/mo handles quoting, deposits and staged invoicing. QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo is the cheaper option, and Housecall Pro Max adds a proposal tool for presenting options.
Questions operators actually ask
What should a general contractor quote include?
The scope broken into phases, allowances for items the client has not yet chosen, explicit exclusions, the payment schedule tied to milestones, the estimated duration, and what happens with change orders. Allowances and exclusions are what separate a professional quote from a number on a page.
What is an allowance and why use one?
A budget placeholder for something the client has not selected yet — tile, fixtures, appliances. You quote 'tile allowance $8/sq ft supplied' and reconcile the difference when they choose. It lets you quote a whole job before every decision is made, which is the only way remodel quoting works.
How should payments be staged?
Against milestones, not dates. Deposit at signing, then draws at demolition complete, rough-in inspection passed, drywall complete, and substantial completion, with a retention until the punch list is done. Milestone draws align payment with progress; date-based draws pay for time.
How do I handle change orders?
In writing, priced, signed before the work happens, every time. Verbal change orders on a general contracting job are the single largest cause of unpaid work and disputed final invoices.
Should I show the schedule?
An estimated duration and sequence, yes, with a clear note that it depends on inspections, material lead times and client selections being made on time. Clients hold you to schedules; the caveats belong in the quote rather than in an argument.