Construction Bid Estimator Spreadsheet - Contractor Quote and Margin Calculator, Excel and Google Sheets, Instant Digital Download

You finished the job, the invoice cleared, and you still cannot say what you made on it.

Multi-trade labor, materials and overhead into a margin-protected client quote.

You don't need to be good with Excel. You type into the white cells and everything else is worked out for you. The formulas are locked, so nothing breaks by accident.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
• Dashboard — Quote, margin and cost per unit, with two charts. Read-only.
• Start Here — Five steps from opening the file to a real number on screen.
• Bid Estimate — Where you build one bid. The main working sheet.
• Client Quote — The printable quote you send the client. Prices only.
• Rate Card — Your trades and their hourly cost. Enter once; used on every bid.
• Settings — Overhead and target profit margin.
• Instructions — What each sheet does, and what to do if a number looks off.
• About — Version, license and support.
• PDF Quick-Start Guide — two pages, first result in five minutes

PERFECT FOR
• General contractors and remodelers pricing jobs across several trades
• Electricians, plumbers and HVAC techs who quote by the hour
• Builders who sub work out and need every trade in one bid
• Anyone who has won a job and found out later it paid nothing

HOW IT WORKS
1. Open Rate Card. Enter your all-in hourly cost for each trade — wage plus burden, not the rate you bill.
2. Open Settings. Set your overhead percentage and the profit margin you want every job to earn.
3. Open Bid Estimate. Name the job, enter the scope size, and pick a service tier.

COMPATIBILITY
✓ Google Sheets
✓ Microsoft Excel 365
No macros. No add-ons. Works immediately.

FAQ

Q: Does this work in Excel and Google Sheets?
A: Both, and each has its own file in your download. The EXCEL- file opens directly in Excel 365 — no macros, no add-ons, nothing to install, and it works offline. For Google Sheets, open the GOOGLESHEETS- PDF and click the link inside: it takes you to a native Sheets template with the charts, their dollar figures and the protections already in place. Make a copy and it's yours. Everything you type and every number the workbook calculates is identical in the two.

Q: What is the difference between margin and markup?
A: Markup is a percentage of cost; margin is a percentage of price. A 20% markup on $10,000 gives $12,000 and a 16.7% margin. This workbook solves for margin, so 20% means you keep 20%.

Q: What should go in the rate card?
A: Your all-in hourly cost: wage plus payroll taxes, insurance, workers' compensation and any benefits. Not the rate you bill the client.

Q: What does the service tier do?
A: It multiplies labor hours to reflect job difficulty — occupied properties, tight access, heritage work. Materials are unaffected.

Q: I'm not confident with spreadsheets. Will I manage?
A: Yes. The white cells are the only ones you touch. The Quick-Start Guide has your first real number on screen in about five minutes, and if you get stuck, message me.