Excel workbook
Contractor Estimating and Job Costing Workbook: Price Jobs, Track Costs, See Profit Per Job
Price with a target margin, track costs as they happen and see which jobs make money.
$39 one time · 14-day full refund · example and blank copies · download link by email
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Browse the storeWho it is for
Small contractors, remodelers, painters, landscapers and tradespeople, from solo to about ten people.
Not the right fit if
Your company has well over ten people, or you already use estimating and job-costing software.
Why it is different
- It separates markup from margin and shows the conversion, so you price to the margin you want.
- Overhead is built into each estimate rather than forgotten.
- A filled example with invented jobs and a blank copy with all formulas working.
What is inside
- Start Here. How to use it, plus a worked example of markup against margin.
- Setup. Labor rates with burden, overhead per labor hour, default markup, target margin and cost codes.
- Estimate Builder. Labor, materials with waste, subcontractors and permits, three price options and a printable customer summary.
- Jobs. Up to 60 jobs with status, contract price and estimated profit.
- Job Costs. Costs by job and type.
- Job Profit. Budget against actual, cost to complete, projected margin and billing position for each job.
- Change Orders. Only approved change orders count.
- Pipeline. Win rate, average job size and margin by status, with charts.
- Invoices & Payments. What has been billed and paid, by age.
- Checks. Flags costs on unknown jobs, prices below cost and margins below target.
A look inside
Example data, real formulas
Get it
Contractor Estimating and Job Costing Workbook
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Want every toolkit? The toolkit membership includes all of them, with a lower rate if you pay yearly.
Get every update for a year, $29: the Yearly Updates Pass gives you each refreshed edition we release of the kits you own. One payment, no automatic renewal.
Delivered as a zip with a filled example and a blank copy. Built for Excel, tested in LibreOffice; it should open in Google Sheets but not every feature is tested there. For one business, your own use. General information, not accounting, tax or legal advice. Estimates and projections depend on what you enter. Sales tax is an input you set, and licensing, lien and tax rules differ by state. Not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tested by recalculation and by checking sample figures; not opened in every version of Excel. Payment is handled by Stripe. If a file will not open or something looks wrong, reply to your order email and we will make it right.
Ways to get it
Just this kit, or more
Membership
$29 a month
Every kit and document pack in the store, including new ones. Cancel any time.
See the membershipQuestions
Common questions
What do I get and how is it delivered?
The Contractor Estimating and Job Costing Workbook as two Excel files in one zip: a filled-in EXAMPLE so you can see every tab working, and a BLANK copy for your own numbers, plus a README. The download link arrives by email after payment.
Will it open on a Mac, Google Sheets or my phone?
Built for Excel and tested in LibreOffice, which runs on Mac and Windows; it should open in Google Sheets, but not every feature is tested there. Phone spreadsheet apps are not tested. If a file will not open or something looks wrong, reply to your order email and we will make it right. If it is not right for you, email us within 14 days of buying for a full refund.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No, it is not tax, legal or accounting advice.
Is it the right fit for me?
It is made for small contractors, remodelers, painters, landscapers and tradespeople, from solo to about ten people. Skip it if your company has well over ten people, or you already use estimating and job-costing software.
Free starter
Try a free one-tab version first
A small working Excel file with the same kind of math, filled with made-up example numbers you can type over. We send one confirmation email, and no series follows.
Rather hand it off?
We can keep the books for you each month
If tracking this yourself is more than you want to take on, we do monthly bookkeeping in QuickBooks, Xero or Excel. Tell us what you use and what is behind, and we reply with a written quote after a short review of your books. No obligation.
Get a bookkeeping quote Free books health checkPrefer to keep it yourself but want a hand getting started? Book a 45 minute setup session ($65).
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