Estimate/Quote Template

1. Fill in your company and customer details. Start with your business name, phone, email, and license number. Add the customer's name, address, and phone. This information appears at the top of the PDF and establishes your professionalism before the customer reads a single line item.

2. Describe the project. Select the project type, note the location in the home, and write a clear scope of work. Use the scope checklist to confirm what is included — removal, prep, install, paint, cleanup, and whether materials are part of the price.

3. Add line items. Use the quick-add buttons for common handyman charges or add custom line items. Enter a description, quantity, and unit price for each line. The totals update automatically as you type.

4. Select add-ons and settings. Check any optional add-ons the customer might want. Set your tax rate, deposit percentage, warranty level, and accepted payment methods. The estimate summary recalculates in real time.

5. Generate the PDF. Hit the button to create a clean, print-ready estimate with your branding, itemized costs, deposit and balance amounts, warranty terms, and signature lines for both parties.

A verbal quote is forgotten before you leave the driveway. A written estimate lives on the customer's kitchen counter, gets forwarded to a spouse, and sits in an email inbox waiting for a decision. It keeps working for you after you walk away.

Itemized costs build trust. When customers see each charge broken out — service call, labor hours, materials, cleanup — they understand what they are paying for. Lump-sum quotes invite suspicion. Itemized estimates invite acceptance.

Add-ons increase your average ticket. Listing optional services like paint touchup, haul-away, and minor adjacent repairs gives customers a reason to spend more without feeling pressured. The customer decides which extras to include, and your revenue per job grows 15 to 25 percent.

Deposit and payment terms set expectations. A 50 percent deposit protects you from no-shows and covers material costs. Listing accepted payment methods — including Venmo and Zelle — eliminates the awkward conversation at the end of the job when the customer says they do not have a check.

Warranty language reduces callbacks. Stating a 30-day workmanship guarantee clearly on the estimate defines what is covered and for how long. Customers know what to expect, and you have documentation to reference if a dispute arises months later.

Any job over $200. For small tasks that take less than an hour, a verbal price and a receipt after completion is fine. For anything more involved — drywall repairs, painting, assembly, shelving — a written estimate shows the customer you are professional and organized.

Multi-task bundles. When a customer has a list of five or six items they want done in a single visit, an estimate keeps everyone aligned on scope and price. It also makes it easy to show the savings of bundling tasks together versus separate service calls.

New customers. An estimate is your first impression. Repeat customers may be comfortable with a quick text message price, but new customers are comparing you to two or three other handymen. The one who sends a clean, professional estimate is the one who gets the job.