Built for jobs, not just products
Builders, electricians, plumbers, painters, mechanics and other trades price work differently from shops. The cost depends on materials and on time, and the job may change once you start. A good estimate shows both clearly, so the customer understands where the money goes and trusts the number.
The SmallKits estimate generator groups lines into Materials and Labour, each with its own subtotal. Labour lines work as hours × rate. You can rename sections or add more, such as “Equipment hire” or “Waste removal”, and empty sections are left off the document.
What to include on an estimate
- Your business details and the customer’s, and the job site address if it is different.
- An estimate number and date, and how long the estimate is valid.
- A clear list of materials with quantities and prices.
- Labour, as hours and an hourly rate, or as a fixed price per task.
- A contingency for the unexpected, if the work could uncover surprises.
- Tax, if you are registered.
- The estimated total, a start date and duration, and your terms.
- A place for the customer to sign and accept.
Contingency: honest, not padded
Old houses hide rotten joists; engines hide seized bolts. A contingency of 5–15% tells the customer you have thought about risk, without hiding it in your prices. Add it under the items and it appears as its own line before tax. Explain in your terms that it is only charged if needed.
Estimate or quotation?
An estimate is your best informed guess; the final price may change if the work changes. A quotation is a fixed price. Use an estimate when there are unknowns, and convert it to a quotation once the scope is fixed. SmallKits adds wording that says the price may change and that changes will be agreed with the customer before you do the work.
From estimate to invoice
When the job is done, open the estimate from Documents and choose “Make invoice”. Every line comes across so you can adjust the actual quantities and hours before sending. For bigger jobs, make a sales order to record the deposit.
Common mistakes
- Lumping everything into one line. Customers question a single big number; a breakdown builds trust.
- Leaving out waste, delivery, permits or travel time.
- No validity date, while material prices keep rising.
- Starting work without a signature. The acceptance block is on by default.
A worked example
James, a tiler, is asked to replace the floor of a 25 m² kitchen. His estimate has two sections. Materials: 42 tiles at 18 each (25 m² plus 10% for cuts and breakage), adhesive and grout, and 28 metres of skirting. Labour: 6 hours to lift the old floor and 24 hours of tiling at his hourly rate. He adds a 10% contingency, because old kitchen floors sometimes hide uneven screed, a start date in two weeks and a duration of two weeks. The customer signs the acceptance block, and when the job is done James turns the estimate into an invoice, adjusting the labour to the 27 hours it actually took.
How to estimate materials
- Measure twice and add a waste allowance: typically 5–10% for tiles and flooring, more for patterned or diagonal layouts.
- Round up to whole boxes, rolls or bags. Customers prefer a small surplus to a second delivery charge.
- Include the small things: fixings, sealant, primer, masking, waste bags, skip hire.
- Write the brand or grade in the description so the customer can compare like with like.
Country notes
In the UK, consumers can expect an estimate to be reasonably close to the final price; large overruns should be agreed in advance. In the US, some states regulate estimates for auto repair and home improvement, requiring written estimates and customer approval before exceeding them by a set amount. In Kenya and Nigeria, a signed estimate is a common basis for a deposit on building work. Wherever you work, getting the customer’s signature before starting avoids most disputes.
Estimate terms explained
- Contingency
- A percentage added for unforeseen work, charged only if needed.
Need the same job priced again for another customer? Open the estimate from Documents and choose Duplicate.
Updated 2026-10-29