Contractor Estimate Template, Excel and Google Sheets: Construction Bid Calculator with Labor, Overhead, Profit

Build a bid from line items and labor hours, add overhead, profit and contingency, and print a clean client estimate. Your costs stay on your side of the file.

What it does
• Price up to 50 line items (qty x unit cost) and 30 labor lines (hours x your cost per hour by role).
• Adds contingency, overhead and profit using your own percentages, in a clear order.
• Figures sales tax only on the categories you mark as taxable, at the rate you enter.
• Shows markup and margin for the bid side by side, plus a markup to margin table.
• Prints a client estimate with prices by category, scope, exclusions, terms and signature lines.

What's inside
One ZIP file (KitgridStudio-02-bid-estimate-builder.zip) with:
• KitgridStudio-02-bid-estimate-builder.xlsx for Microsoft Excel
• KitgridStudio-02-bid-estimate-builder-GoogleSheets.xlsx for Google Sheets
• KitgridStudio-02-bid-estimate-builder-HowTo.pdf: setup steps, the cells you edit, and how to open the kit in Google Sheets
• KitgridStudio-License.pdf: your license terms
• KitgridStudio-Download-Instructions.pdf: how to download and open the files

Tabs in the workbook
• Start Here: 7 setup steps and the exact cells you fill in.
• Settings: company, client, job, estimate number, date and days valid; overhead, profit and contingency %; sales tax rate; up to 8 labor roles and 8 cost categories.
• Line Items: 50 lines with category dropdown, qty, unit, unit cost, line cost and taxed flag.
• Labor: 30 lines with task, role dropdown and hours. Cost per hour fills in from Settings.
• Bid Summary (for you): direct cost by category, contingency, overhead, profit, sales tax, estimate total, markup vs margin.
• Estimate (for the client): your header, valid-until date, price by category, subtotal, sales tax, total, scope, not included, terms and signature lines. Prints landscape, one page wide.

Sample data: A 14 x 20 ft composite deck bid with 12 line items and 8 labor lines. Type over it with your own numbers.

Tested before release
Both files were tested with the sample data in Excel (Excel for the web) and Google Sheets: all 21 expected results matched (totals, single rows, blank rows, cross-sheet values and percentages, each worked out separately), with no formula errors across 241 formulas.
No macros, no add-ins, no external links. Input cells are blue text on light amber. In the Excel file, formula cells are locked with no password so they don't get typed over by accident.

Who it's for
General contractors and any trade that bids jobs with materials, subs, rentals and crew labor.

Not the right fit if
You want a built-in price database (you enter your own costs and rates), or you only need a blank one-page estimate form with no math.

Works with
Tested in Excel for the web and Google Sheets. Uses standard functions that work in Excel 2016 and newer.
• Excel on the web (free Microsoft account): Yes
• Google Sheets (free Google account): Yes. Upload the Google Sheets file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets
• Excel or Google Sheets phone and tablet apps: Opens and edits. Setup and printing are easier on a computer
• Apple Numbers: Not supported. It may open the file, but some formulas and formatting may not carry over
• LibreOffice: Not tested

How delivery works
• Instant digital download. Nothing ships.
• After checkout, go to Your account, then Purchases, then Download Files. Use a browser on a computer or phone; the Etsy app can't download files.
• You get one ZIP file (KitgridStudio-02-bid-estimate-builder.zip). Unzip it: on Windows, right-click it and choose Extract All. On a Mac, double-click it.
• Inside: the Excel file, the Google Sheets file, the how-to PDF, the license PDF and the download instructions PDF.
• For Google Sheets, upload the GoogleSheets.xlsx file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets.
• In Excel, if a yellow PROTECTED VIEW bar appears, click Enable Editing. Excel does this for every downloaded file.

FAQ
Q: Does my client see my markup?
A: No. The Estimate sheet shows prices by category with overhead, profit and contingency spread across them. Your costs and percentages stay on the Bid Summary sheet.

Q: Can I use it for my trade?
A: Yes. Rename the labor roles and cost categories on Settings to fit your work.

Q: How do I start a new bid?
A: Save a copy of the file for each bid, then type over the job details and lines.

Q: Does it work on a Mac or in Google Sheets?
A: Use the Google Sheets version in any browser, or open the Excel file in Excel on the web. Tested in Excel for the web and Google Sheets. Uses standard functions that work in Excel 2016 and newer. Apple Numbers is not supported.

Q: Can I change the rates, categories and layout?
A: Yes. Rates and defaults sit on the Settings sheet and are examples only, so set them to match your suppliers, crew and market. To change a formula or the layout in Excel, use Review, then Unprotect Sheet (there is no password).

Save with a bundle
This kit is also in the Contractor Business Essentials bundle, together with: Job Cost Tracker; Change Order Log and Form; Labor Burden and True Hourly Cost Calculator; Overhead, Markup and Break-Even Calculator. All 20 kits are in the Complete 20-Kit Library. See the Bundles section of our shop.

License: one business. Use the kit for your own business's work, on any devices your business controls, and let your own staff use it. Change it however you like. Do not resell it, share the files outside your business, or upload them to any template site. The estimates, invoices and reports you make with it are yours. Full terms are in KitgridStudio-License.pdf.

This is a calculation tool. It is not tax, legal, accounting or engineering advice. Sample data and default rates are examples only. Check your numbers.

How this was made: Designed and tested by Kitgrid Studio with the help of AI tools. AI tools helped draft the formulas, sheet layout and instructions. Every kit is tested with sample data in Excel and Google Sheets before release.

Questions before you buy, or a file that won't open? Send us a message on Etsy. We reply within 2 business days, usually sooner. Digital files can't be returned, but if a file doesn't work as described, we'll fix it or help you get it working.

Version 1.0, 9/2026