Free template
Estimate format in Word and Excel
An estimate is your best calculation of what a job will cost, given before the work starts, when the final figure depends on things like measured area or hidden conditions. A useful estimate lists the work in measurable lines with a unit rate, shows GST, and says plainly how the final bill will be worked out if the quantities change.
Download the estimate format
Free, no sign-up, no email. Opens in Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice; the spreadsheet in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc.
Both files hold the same sample. In the Excel one, change a quantity after the final measurement and every line, the GST and the estimated total follow. That is also how you turn the estimate into the final bill: same rates, measured quantities.
A filled-in sample
A Bengaluru painting contractor estimating a 2 BHK repaint for a flat owner in the same city. The customer is not registered for GST, so there is no buyer GSTIN, but the state is still stated, because the place of supply decides CGST + SGST or IGST.
ESTIMATE
Nandi Painting Contractors
12, Sample Layout, 5th Cross, Jayanagar
Bengaluru, Karnataka 560041
GSTIN: 29PQRDS5678K1ZU
Estimate for
Mr. R. Srinivasan
Flat 302, Sample Residency, 9th Main
Jayanagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560069
GSTIN: Unregistered
State: Karnataka (29)
Site and scope
Interior repainting, 2 BHK flat
Walls and ceilings about 1,850 sq ft
Measured on site 16-09-2026
| # | Description | HSN/SAC | Qty | Rate | Taxable | CGST | SGST | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surface preparation: scraping, sanding, crack filling | 9954 | 1850 sq ft | 4.00 | 7,400.00 | 666.00 @9% | 666.00 @9% | 8,732.00 |
| 2 | Wall putty, 2 coats (material and labour) | 9954 | 1850 sq ft | 14.00 | 25,900.00 | 2,331.00 @9% | 2,331.00 @9% | 30,562.00 |
| 3 | Interior primer, 1 coat | 9954 | 1850 sq ft | 6.00 | 11,100.00 | 999.00 @9% | 999.00 @9% | 13,098.00 |
| 4 | Interior emulsion, 2 coats, client-approved shade | 9954 | 1850 sq ft | 18.00 | 33,300.00 | 2,997.00 @9% | 2,997.00 @9% | 39,294.00 |
| 5 | Enamel paint on doors and window grills | 9954 | 220 sq ft | 28.00 | 6,160.00 | 554.40 @9% | 554.40 @9% | 7,268.80 |
| 6 | Furniture covering, masking and final cleaning | 9954 | 1 Job | 2,500.00 | 2,500.00 | 225.00 @9% | 225.00 @9% | 2,950.00 |
| Total | 86,360.00 | 7,772.40 | 7,772.40 | 1,01,904.80 | ||||
Taxable value₹86,360.00
CGST₹7,772.40
SGST₹7,772.40
Round off₹0.20
Estimated total₹1,01,905.00
In words: Indian Rupees One Lakh One Thousand Nine Hundred Five Only
Every line is priced per square foot. If the joint measurement at the end comes to 1,790 sq ft instead of 1,850, the bill drops by 60 × ₹42 (the four per-sq-ft rates added together) = ₹2,520 before GST, and nobody has to renegotiate.
What each field is for
| Field | What to write | Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate number and date | Your own series, e.g. EST-2026-058. The date matters because material prices move. | Always |
| Valid for | Days rather than a date is fine on an estimate: "15 days". Paint and steel rates change often. | Always |
| Customer and site | Who pays, and where the work is. For an individual with no GSTIN, the state is still needed for GST. | Always |
| Scope and how it was measured | What you measured, when, and the total quantity. This is what the final bill is checked against. | Always |
| Line: work, unit, quantity, rate | Rate per sq ft, per metre, per point, per day. A unit rate lets the bill follow the real quantity without a new negotiation. | Always |
| SAC or HSN | Work on a building where you supply materials is normally a works contract, a service under heading 9954. Pure material sales use the goods' HSN. | If registered |
| GST | 18% on most works contracts for private customers. Same state: CGST + SGST. Different state: IGST. | If registered |
| Estimated total | Label it "estimated", not "total". The word sets the expectation. | Always |
| Basis of estimate | How the final bill is calculated, what happens if hidden problems appear, and what is not included. | Always |
| Payment stages | For jobs longer than a few days, tie each payment to a visible stage of the work. | Advised |
Why an estimate needs a "basis" section
An estimate that turns out wrong is the most common source of payment disputes in contracting work. It is rarely the rate that causes it. It is a quantity that changed, or a problem nobody could see on the first visit, with nothing written down about what happens next.
The basis section in the sample does three jobs:
- It fixes the method, not the number. "Final bill on the area actually painted, measured jointly, at these rates" means the price can move without an argument about whether it should.
- It handles the unknowns before they appear. Damp behind old paint is common in Bengaluru flats. The sample commits to stopping and giving a separate estimate. The customer agrees to that process up front.
- It lists what is not included. Waterproofing and wood polish are the usual extras on a repaint. Writing them down turns a later "I thought that was included" into a new line with its own price.
If a job runs over anyway, what to do when a job takes longer than quoted covers the conversation.
GST on contractors' estimates
Two rules catch contractors out:
- Materials plus labour on a building is usually one service. When you supply the paint and do the painting on someone's flat, GST normally treats the whole job as a works contract, which is a service at 18% under SAC heading 9954. You do not charge the paint at its goods rate and the labour separately. The sample uses 9954 on every line for that reason. Government, affordable-housing and some other contracts have different rates, so ask your CA if that is your market.
- An unregistered customer above ₹50,000 needs a full address and state. On the eventual tax invoice, a customer without a GSTIN who is billed ₹50,000 or more must be named with their address and the delivery address, including the state name and code. The sample carries both from the start, so the invoice can be made straight from it.
If you are below the GST registration threshold and not registered, leave the tax columns empty. The Excel file will show a total without GST.
From estimate to final bill
Once the work is done, measure jointly with the customer, update the quantities, and send the bill as a tax invoice (the GST invoice format has the extra fields a tax invoice needs). Take off any stage payments already received, so the invoice shows the balance due. For how deposits and stage payments affect the tax, see tax on discounts and deposits.
Rather do it on your phone? EstimateBill is built around this workflow: write the estimate on site, send it as a PDF on WhatsApp, and when the customer agrees, convert it to an invoice in one tap. Same lines, same client, a new invoice number. It works with no signal and needs no account. The current version prints one GST line rather than the CGST/SGST split; the Excel file does the split if you need it today.
Get EstimateBill, free · Or use the browser invoice generator
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an estimate and a quotation?
A quotation is a firm price for a defined job; if accepted, you are held to it until the validity date. An estimate is an informed approximation, used when the final quantity or condition is not known yet. The quotation format is the fixed-price version.
Can the final bill be higher than the estimate?
Yes, if the estimate said how the final bill would be worked out and the customer agreed. That is what the basis section is for. Without it, a large overrun is hard to recover.
How much can the final amount differ from an estimate?
There is no legal percentage. Many contractors write a tolerance into the estimate ("final bill within ±10% unless the scope changes"). Unit rates plus joint measurement work better than a tolerance, because the bill then follows the actual quantity.
Should I charge GST on an estimate?
An estimate is not a tax invoice, so no tax is paid on it. Show the GST the customer should expect, so the estimated total is the real figure. Tax becomes payable when you raise the invoice or receive payment for a service, whichever is earlier.
Is an advance on an estimate taxable?
For services, including works contracts, GST is due when an advance is received, and you issue a receipt voucher for it. For goods, GST on advances does not apply to most suppliers. How much deposit to ask for covers the commercial side.