Construction Estimate Generator
Build a labor/materials estimate line by line with overhead and profit margins, and export clean plain text.
Processed locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Construction Estimate Generator
Line items
Applied to the labor + materials subtotal
Applied after overhead
Estimate
Output appears here…About Construction Estimate Generator
Add line items with a description, quantity, unit, unit cost, and a labor-or-material category. The tool subtotals each category, applies your overhead percentage to the subtotal and your profit margin on top of that, and renders a tidy plain-text estimate you can copy or download — all in the browser, nothing uploaded.
Common uses
- Draft a quick handyman or remodel bid without spreadsheet setup
- Show a client transparent labor vs materials subtotals
- Test how overhead and margin choices move the bottom line
Example
Input
$1,000 materials + $2,000 labor, 10% overhead, 15% profit
Output
Subtotal $3,000 → +$300 overhead → +$495 profit → $3,795 total
Limitations
- Profit is applied after overhead (markup style), not as margin-on-price
- No tax handling — add applicable taxes to the final figure yourself
Frequently asked questions
How do I add overhead and profit to a construction estimate?
Apply overhead to the labor plus materials subtotal, then apply profit to that combined figure. On $3,000 of costs, 10% overhead is $300, and 15% profit on the resulting $3,300 is $495, for a $3,795 total.
What's the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is a percentage added to your cost; margin is profit as a percentage of the price the client pays. This tool applies markup, so a 15% figure on $3,300 of cost adds $495 — which is only 13% of the $3,795 final price. To hit a true 15% margin you'd need to mark up by about 17.6%.
What overhead and profit percentage do contractors use?
The old 10-and-10 rule — 10% overhead, 10% profit — is the usual starting point, and this tool ships with 10% and 15%. Small residential remodelers frequently need more, since overhead has to cover insurance, vehicles, tools, office time, and the bids that don't convert.
Does the estimate include sales tax?
No. There is no tax field, so add any sales or use tax to the grand total yourself. Which line items are taxable varies by jurisdiction — some tax materials only, others tax labor on certain work as well.
Is my client's pricing information uploaded anywhere?
No. Line items, unit costs, margins, and the project name stay in your browser, and the plain-text estimate is generated and copied or downloaded locally — none of your bid numbers reach a server.