Construction Estimate Template: Home Addition

About this example

This example is the estimate a residential builder gives homeowners in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a two-story addition: a family room that opens from the kitchen, with a primary suite above it, 800 square feet in all, priced from the architect's plans and a site visit.

Homeowners compare estimates line by line, so this one is built to be checked. The cover letter says what the price is based on and how unknown conditions are handled. A project summary gives the size, the schedule and the estimated total, followed by the assumptions behind the price. The scope says what is built and what is excluded, and a room table shows what the owners get. The estimate itself runs through six cost groups, from site and foundation to general conditions and fees, with measured quantities, unit prices, a 5% contingency and New Mexico gross receipts tax. Allowances set budgets for the finishes still to be chosen, three alternates are priced on their own, and the estimate closes with a 16-week schedule, the owners' questions, the terms and an acceptance block.

Who it is for

Home builders, remodelers and general contractors who estimate additions, renovations and new homes from plans for homeowners.