--- title: "Estimate Builder: Contractor Estimate Spreadsheet (Excel)" description: "A spreadsheet that builds your estimate while you pick items and type measurements. It works out order quantities with waste, cost, markup and your real…" url: "https://builtbyestrada.ai/products/estimate-builder/" lang: "en" --- # Estimate Builder Construction and Housing line A spreadsheet that builds your estimate while you pick items and type measurements. It works out order quantities with waste, cost, markup and your real margin, then tracks what you actually bought against the budget. The method guide is included for when you want the why. Google Sheets and Excel file + PDF guide Fare $49 founding price until January 31, 2027 · then $79 Secure checkout by Stripe, which adds sales tax where it applies. You download the file as soon as you pay. Not what you needed? [Write to us](mailto:hello@builtbyestrada.ai) within 30 days of purchase and we refund you in full. LIVE · try it A1 [Download the free version (.xlsx) ↓](https://builtbyestrada.ai/downloads/estimate-builder-free.xlsx) Free file: Start here, Takeoff, Prices and Proposal tabs. Job cost and Change orders are in the full version only. See what each one has ## What you do, what the sheet does YOU THE SHEET You pick an item from a list The sheet fills in the unit, the waste and your price You type one measurement It works out how much to order, rounded up You set your markup It shows the client price and your real margin You log what you bought It flags every line running over budget ## What the full version has - Takeoff tab: items by dropdown, measurements in, order quantities out - Prices tab: your prices and waste factors, set once - Proposal tab: ready to print or send as PDF - Job cost tab: budget vs. bought, with alerts - Change orders tab: every extra priced and signed - 60+ common items preloaded: concrete, CMU, framing, drywall, roofing, paint, flooring - PDF guide: the quantities first method with worked examples ## Who it is for Small US residential contractors and remodelers who price jobs from memory or a loose spreadsheet and want to type less and miss less. Example prices say EXAMPLE. You enter your own once on the prices tab. Estimate-Builder.zip SCREENSHOTS · full version [![Estimate Builder: the Takeoff tab, with EXAMPLE data](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/1-720.webp)](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/1-1440.webp) Takeoff: tab with EXAMPLE data [See the whole tab](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/1-1440.webp) [![Estimate Builder: the Prices tab, with EXAMPLE data](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/2-720.webp)](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/2-1440.webp) Prices: tab with EXAMPLE data [See the whole tab](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/2-1440.webp) [![Estimate Builder: the Job cost tab, with EXAMPLE data](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/3-720.webp)](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/3-1440.webp) Job cost: tab with EXAMPLE data [See the whole tab](https://builtbyestrada.ai/img/products/estimate-builder/3-1440.webp) Screenshots of the full version, taken from the real file. Every number in them is an EXAMPLE. ### Free version and full version The free file is a smaller version and does not include everything: it takes one job from takeoff to a proposal you can send, but not job cost or change orders. FREE FILE (.XLSX) - 4 tabs: Start here, Takeoff, Prices, Proposal - 25 takeoff lines - 17 preloaded items - A one page proposal you can print or send, with a small "Made with" line at the bottom [Download the free version (.xlsx) ↓](https://builtbyestrada.ai/downloads/estimate-builder-free.xlsx) FULL VERSION · $49 - Adds 3 tabs: Job cost, Change orders, CO form - 80 takeoff lines - 75 preloaded items - Proposal without the "Made with" line - PDF guide to the quantities first method Buy the full version → ## The guide: chapter 1 free **Read the first chapter of the guide** ## Estimate Builder guide · Chapter 1 ## Measure quantities before you price anything Most bad estimates don’t go wrong on price. They go wrong on quantity. If you figure 10 yards of concrete and the pour takes 12, no unit price will save the job. So this kit starts here: first you measure how much material the work takes, and only then do you price it. That list is your **takeoff**, and it has zero dollar signs on it. ### Why keep quantity and price apart 1. **You can check your work.** A number that looks off is easy to spot before it gets buried under markup and tax. 2. **You can bid it out.** Send every supplier the same list and compare price to price. 3. **You learn from every job.** When the job closes, compare what you measured to what you actually bought. The gap is your real waste factor, and your next estimate gets better. The rule for this chapter: **if a price shows up on your quantity sheet, you’re not done measuring.** ### Units by trade Every material is bought in its own unit. Measuring in the wrong one is the most common beginner mistake. | Trade / material | Measure in | Order in | | --- | --- | --- | | Concrete (slabs, beams, footings) | cubic feet | cubic yards | | CMU, brick | wall square feet | pieces | | Rebar | linear feet | 20 ft sticks | | Framing studs | wall linear feet | pieces | | Plates | linear feet | stock lengths | | Drywall | square feet | sheets (4×8 = 32 sq ft, 4×12 = 48 sq ft) | | Roofing (shingles) | plan square feet × the pitch factor (6/12 = 1.118) | bundles per the wrapper (the sheet uses 3 bundles per 98.4 sq ft) | | Paint | paintable sq ft × number of coats | gallons or 5-gal buckets, per the label’s coverage | | Flooring and tile | square feet | boxes (sq ft per box is printed on the box) | | Base, trim | linear feet | stock lengths | | Plumbing, electrical | fixtures, outlets, runs | pieces and fittings | **Conversions you’ll use every week:** - 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet - 4 inches = 0.333 ft; 6 inches = 0.5 ft - 80 lb bag of concrete ≈ 0.60 cu ft, so 45 bags per cubic yard - 60 lb bag ≈ 0.45 cu ft, so 60 bags per cubic yard ### EXAMPLE 1: a 20 × 30 ft slab Take a 20 × 30 ft slab, 4 inches thick, with a perimeter beam 12 inches wide that drops 12 inches below the bottom of the slab. All dimensions are EXAMPLE numbers. On a real job they come from the plans or the tape, never from eyeballing a photo. **Step 1. Slab area** 20 ft × 30 ft = 600 sq ft **Step 2. Slab volume** 600 sq ft × 0.333 ft = 200 cu ft 200 ÷ 27 = **7.41 CY** **Step 3. Beam volume** Measure the beam on its **centerline**. The outside perimeter counts all four corners twice. - Outside perimeter: 2 × (20 + 30) = 100 LF - Centerline (beam is 1 ft wide, so each dimension loses 1 ft): 2 × (19 + 29) = 96 LF - Extra beam section below the slab: 1 ft × 1 ft = 1 sq ft - Volume: 96 LF × 1 sq ft = 96 cu ft ÷ 27 = **3.56 CY** **Step 4. Total and waste** 200 + 96 = 296 cu ft = 10.96 CY At 5% waste: 10.96 × 1.05 = 11.51 CY. Most plants sell in half yard increments, so round up: **order 12 CY**. For scale: 12 CY in 80 lb bags would be 12 × 45 = 540 bags. That’s why a slab this size comes off a truck. **Step 5. Slab rebar** EXAMPLE: #4 bars at 18 inches on center each way, 3 inches of edge cover. - Bars running the 30 ft direction: usable width is 20 ft minus 6 in = 234 in. 234 ÷ 18 = 13 spaces, so **14 bars** at 29.5 ft = 413 LF - Bars running the 20 ft direction: usable length is 30 ft minus 6 in = 354 in. 354 ÷ 18 = 19.67, round up to 20 spaces, so **21 bars** at 19.5 ft = 409.5 LF - Total: 822.5 LF With 15% for laps and waste: 822.5 × 1.15 = 945.9 LF ÷ 20 = 47.3, so **order 48 sticks**. The 29.5 ft runs need a splice because stock is 20 ft. If your engineer calls for long laps, count them as their own line instead of hiding them in the percentage. ### EXAMPLE 2: a CMU wall A wall 40 ft long and 8 ft high with one 4 × 4 ft window. Standard 8 × 8 × 16 block (nominal size, joint included). **Step 1. Block per square foot** Each block covers 16 in × 8 in = 128 sq in = 0.889 sq ft. So 1 ÷ 0.889 = **1.125 block per sq ft**. **Step 2. Net area** 40 × 8 = 320 sq ft. Minus the window (16 sq ft) = 304 sq ft. **Step 3. Pieces** 304 × 1.125 = 342 block. At 5% waste: 342 × 1.05 = 359.1, **order 360**. **Step 4. Vertical rebar** EXAMPLE: one bar every 48 inches. 40 ft = 480 in ÷ 48 = 10 spaces + 1 = **11 bars** at 8 ft = 88 LF. Count this one by **cut pattern**. One 20 ft stick gives you two 8 ft pieces and a 4 ft drop. Eleven pieces ÷ 2 = 5.5, so **order 6 sticks**. Dividing 88 LF by 20 gives 4.4, and you’d come up short on site. ### Waste factors: common ranges These ranges are common in the trade. Use them as a starting point and **adjust them to your own history**. Your crew, your suppliers, and the type of work all move the number. | Material | Typical range | | --- | --- | | Ready mix concrete | 5 to 10% | | CMU and brick | 5 to 10% | | Rebar (with laps) | 10 to 15% | | Framing lumber | 10 to 15% | | Drywall | 10 to 15% | | Shingles | 10 to 15% (more on cut up roofs with lots of hips and valleys) | | Tile, straight lay | 10% | | Tile, diagonal | 15-20% | | Paint | 10% | When a job closes, write down what you really bought. If you measured 342 block and used 370, your real waste was 8%, three points above the 5% you planned. That number is worth more than any chart. ### Filled takeoff sheet (EXAMPLE) | Item | Unit | Measured qty | Waste % | Qty with waste | Order | Note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | EXAMPLE · Slab concrete, 4 in | CY | 7.41 | 5 | 7.78 | | one pour with the beam | | EXAMPLE · Perimeter beam 12×12 in | CY | 3.56 | 5 | 3.74 | 12 CY total | measured on centerline | | EXAMPLE · #4 slab rebar @ 18 in | LF | 822.5 | 15 | 945.9 | 48 sticks (20 ft) | check laps | | EXAMPLE · 6 mil vapor barrier | sq ft | 600 | 10 | 660 | 1 roll, 20×100 ft | add trench sides if beam is dug | | EXAMPLE · 8×8×16 CMU | pcs | 342 | 5 | 359.1 | 360 | net of window | | EXAMPLE · #4 vertical @ 48 in | 8 ft pcs | 11 | 0 | 11 | 6 sticks (20 ft) | by cut pattern | Three things to notice: every line has a unit, waste is out in the open, and there isn’t a single price on the page. ### Your sheet | Item | Unit | Measured qty | Waste % | Qty with waste | Order | Note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | **Before you move on to Chapter 2, check:** - Did every dimension come from a plan or a tape? If you assumed one, mark it ASSUMED. - Does every line have a unit? - Did you round up to the unit the supplier sells? - Did you list what you couldn’t measure? That list belongs in the estimate too. In Chapter 2 we take this same sheet and put prices on it, using your own numbers. ## Transfers - [Concrete slab calculator →](https://builtbyestrada.ai/tools/concrete-calculator/) - [20-point estimate checklist →](https://builtbyestrada.ai/tools/estimate-checklist/) - [Markup vs. margin calculator →](https://builtbyestrada.ai/tools/markup-margin/) - [Estimate Review Desk →](https://builtbyestrada.ai/estimates/) Made by BuiltByEstrada in McAllen, Texas. In English and Spanish.