Trade estimates · Guide
Free contractor estimate and invoice template
Choose your country below to open the estimate maker with this preset selected.
A building or renovation job rarely gets paid in one go, and a client rarely signs off on a vague number. A contractor's estimate has to show what is materials, what is labour, what is due up front, and what follows as the job reaches each stage.
Why a contractor needs more than a quote total
A one-line "total: $18,400" tells a client almost nothing about where the money goes, and gives you nothing to point to if a variation comes up halfway through the job. Splitting every line into materials or labour lets a client see what a delay in supply, or an extra day of trade labour, actually costs, and it gives you a record to work from when the final invoice is raised.
Deposit and progress payments
Very few contractors can carry the full cost of materials and labour until the job is finished, and very few clients want to pay the full price before any work starts. A deposit taken up front, followed by progress payments tied to stages of the job (say, on completion of framing, then again at lock-up), keeps cash flowing on both sides and gives an early warning if a client is not going to pay. Papertern's estimate maker works out the deposit for you, as a percentage or a fixed amount, and lets you add as many progress payments as the job needs, with the balance on completion worked out automatically.
Your licence number belongs on the estimate, not just the invoice
In most places, a client is entitled to see the licence or registration number of the business quoting the work, and many will ask for it before they sign anything. Adding it to the estimate, not just the final invoice, avoids a stalled negotiation while you dig the number out of an email.
From estimate to invoice
Once the client accepts, use "Turn this into an invoice" (via the Invoice tab above the estimate): your business, the client and every line carry straight across, so the final invoice matches the estimate the client actually agreed to.
Estimate makers by country
Each country edition uses the same tax name and business ID field as that country's invoice maker, with this preset selected.
| Country | Business ID field | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ABN | GST |
| New Zealand | GST no. | GST |
| United Kingdom | VAT no. | VAT |
| Ireland | VAT no. | VAT |
| Canada | GST/HST no. | GST/HST |
| United States | EIN | Sales tax |
| Singapore | GST reg. no. | GST |