Free Estimate Generator
Blank estimate (quote) template: PDF · Word (DOCX) · Excel (XLSX)
About the estimate editor above
- Estimate number (EST-prefixed), client details and a 30-day validity date you can adjust
- Labor and material line items with automatic totals, on a layout clearly labeled ESTIMATE
- Live preview and free PDF download
Free to use — no signup, no account. Unmetered for normal use, with an anti-abuse cap of 20 generated PDFs per device per day. Each PDF carries a one-line credit for this site, on by default — one free checkbox in the settings turns it off. Your draft autosaves in your own browser, and when you download, its content is sent to us over an encrypted HTTPS connection to create the PDF.
Estimate vs Quotation vs Invoice
| Feature | Estimate | Quotation | Invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it's sent | Before the scope is final | When the scope is defined | After delivery |
| Purpose | Good-faith approximation | Firm price offer | Request for payment |
| Final price? | Can move with scope (change orders) | Fixed within the validity window | Yes — payment due |
| Typical user | US trades & repairs (contractor, auto, landscaping) | Services & B2B offers | Everyone |
| Right tool | This page | Quotation Generator | Invoice Generator |
About this page
- Estimate the job with labor + materials and a "Valid Until" date.
- Send the PDF and get written approval (changes = change order).
- Invoice the same items once the work is done.
Where a proforma invoice fits between a quotation and an invoice: proforma invoice vs invoice vs quotation (and estimate).
What is a Job Estimate?
An estimate is your good-faith approximation of what a job will cost, sent before the work begins.
Unlike an invoice, an estimate does not request payment — and unlike a firm quote, it is an approximation: the final bill can move if the scope does. In US trades (contractors, repair shops, landscapers, handymen) the estimate is the standard first document. Done right, it protects both sides:
- For the client: an itemized picture of labor and materials before committing
- For you: a documented, dated approximation — with a validity date, so old prices can't be claimed months later
- For the job: the reference every change order and the final invoice point back to
Once the client approves — ideally in writing — you do the work, record any changes as change orders, and issue a formal invoice for the same items. Need a firm, binding price instead? Use our quotation generator; for the writing craft itself, see how to write a quote.
5 Common Estimate Mistakes
Avoid these errors to win the job and protect your margin when scope moves.
An open-ended estimate can be approved months later at outdated material prices. Always set "Valid Until".
"Job — $X" invites disputes. Separate labor from materials and spell out what counts as an extra.
Say up front that scope changes are priced in writing before the work happens — that one line prevents the end-of-job fight.
Say clearly whether prices include or exclude tax. Surprises at invoice time damage trust.
Numbered estimates (EST-2026-001) are easier to reference in change orders, invoices, and bookkeeping.