Building estimates, staged and priced by trade
Group the work by stage, price each trade from your cost book, and let the owners tick the upgrades before they sign.
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In QuoteCloud a building estimate is an interactive document: price table sections follow your stages, with a subtotal each, and labour, materials and subcontract lines come from your cost book with a note on each. Owners tick optional upgrades and the total, tax and deposit update, then they sign online.
Five stages, each priced trade by trade
The Doyle extension as Corbel's estimator prices it: one price-table section per stage, the trades and lines inside it, and a subtotal the owners can follow.
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Phase 1, Stage 1 · week 1
Site works & demolition
- Trades & lines
- Site establishment (fencing, amenities, skip bins) and demolition of the rear deck, the laundry and the rear wall.
- Priced from
- Two lump-sum lines from the cost book, each with a note saying exactly what the lot covers.
- Stage subtotal
- $7,450 + tax
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Phase 2, Stage 2 · weeks 2–3
Base
- Trades & lines
- Excavation and footings to the engineer's design, a 100 mm slab over 32 m², and rock excavation if rock is found.
- Priced from
- The slab at $165 per m² from the cost book, and the rock as a provisional sum, tagged on the line.
- Stage subtotal
- $13,480 + tax, including a $3,000 provisional sum
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Phase 3, Stage 3 · weeks 3–7
Frame & lock-up
- Trades & lines
- Wall and roof framing with the LVL beam, 34 m² of metal roofing, 46 m² of cladding, and the stacker door and windows.
- Priced from
- Measured rates per m², and the doors and windows as a PC sum for the owners' selection.
- Stage subtotal
- $34,750 + tax
-
Phase 4, Stage 4 · weeks 7–12
Services & fix-out
- Trades & lines
- Electrical and plumbing by licensed subcontractors, 120 m² of plasterboard and cornice, and the kitchen joinery and benchtops.
- Priced from
- Subcontract lines at the trades' quoted prices (the electrician's quote is the $7,900 line), and the joinery as a PC sum.
- Stage subtotal
- $46,060 + tax
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Phase 5, Stage 5 · weeks 12–15
Finishes & handover
- Trades & lines
- Wall and floor tiles, 28 m² of tiling, painting inside and out, the builder's clean and a final inspection with the owners.
- Priced from
- Supply and labour on separate lines, so the owners can see what the tile allowance buys and what the tiler charges.
- Stage subtotal
- $13,010 + tax
Subtotals from the sample estimate CB-2318 for a fictional builder. Week ranges come from the estimate's build schedule (Gantt charts: Business plan). Optional upgrades sit in their own section after the five stages.
Upgrades they tick, tax that adds itself
Optional upgrades sit in their own section after the stages: a skylight over the island, engineered oak flooring and a new air-conditioning zone. The owners tick what they want, and the subtotal, tax, total and 10% deposit recalculate in front of them.
Try it in the sample: tick the oak flooring. Nobody retypes a figure, and the version the owners sign is the version they priced.
- A section heading for each stage, with a group subtotal
- Line notes that say what each lot includes
- Upgrades as optional rows, or single-choice groups for either-or finishes
- Tax calculated on the subtotal, through the price table's tax column
Price tables and product catalogue: Essentials and up
How PC sums and selections workYour extension, stage by stage
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 · Site works & demolition | $7,450 | ||
Site establishmentFencing, amenities and skip bins
|
1 lot | $2,850 | $2,850.00 |
Demolition & waste removalRear deck, laundry and the existing rear wall
|
1 lot | $4,600 | $4,600.00 |
| Stage 2 · Base | $13,480 | ||
Excavation & footingsTo the engineer's design
|
1 lot | $5,200 | $5,200.00 |
Reinforced concrete slab100 mm, with vapour barrier
|
32 m² | $165 | $5,280.00 |
Rock excavation Provisional sumIf rock is found in the footings
|
1 lot | $3,000 | $3,000.00 |
| Stage 3 · Frame & lock-up | $34,750 | ||
Wall & roof framingLVL beam to the engineer's detail
|
1 lot | $14,800 | $14,800.00 |
Metal roofing & guttersPitched roof over the extension
|
34 m² | $145 | $4,930.00 |
Stacker door & windows PC sumSupply, your selection
|
1 lot | $9,500 | $9,500.00 |
Cladding & sarkingFibre-cement weatherboards
|
46 m² | $120 | $5,520.00 |
| Stage 4 · Services & fix-out | $46,060 | ||
Electrical rough-in & fit-offLicensed subcontractor
|
1 lot | $7,900 | $7,900.00 |
Plumbing & drainageLicensed subcontractor
|
1 lot | $8,400 | $8,400.00 |
Plasterboard & corniceWalls and ceilings
|
120 m² | $48 | $5,760.00 |
Kitchen joinery & benchtops PC sumSupply and install, your selection
|
1 lot | $24,000 | $24,000.00 |
| Stage 5 · Finishes & handover | $13,010 | ||
Wall & floor tiles PC sumSupply, your selection
|
1 lot | $3,200 | $3,200.00 |
TilingKitchen splashback and floor
|
28 m² | $95 | $2,660.00 |
PaintingTwo coats, internal and external
|
1 lot | $6,200 | $6,200.00 |
Builder's clean & handoverFinal inspection with you
|
1 lot | $950 | $950.00 |
| Optional upgrades Tick to add | |||
| 1 ea | $2,180 | $2,180.00 | |
| 24 m² | $145 | $3,480.00 | |
| 1 ea | $4,300 | $4,300.00 | |
- Subtotal
- $116,930.00
- Tax (10%)
- $11,693.00
- Total
- $128,623.00
- Plus, monthly
- $0.00/mo
- Deposit on signing (10%)
- $12,862.30
From site visit to sent estimate
How an estimator builds a staged estimate in QuoteCloud, so it can go out the same day as the site visit.
Open your estimate template
The cover, the stage headings, your inclusions and exclusions and your licence block are already in it, from your own construction template.
Add lines from the cost book
Search or filter the catalogue inside the price table and add several lines at once, each with its rate and note. Add one-off items by hand.
Enter quantities and allowances
Type the measured quantities, tag PC and provisional sums on their lines, and add the upgrades as optional rows.
Check it and send one link
Group subtotals, tax and the deposit calculate as you go. The owners open the estimate on any device, no account needed.
Questions, upgrades, signatures
Owners comment, tick upgrades and sign online, each in their own signature block, and pay the deposit through Stripe or PayPal.
Bring the estimate spreadsheet you use now
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. On Essentials, Business or Enterprise we convert one of your estimate templates for you during the trial.
What's in, what's out, answered in the estimate
Owners compare two or three builders line by line. The estimate that says plainly what is included and what is not is the one they can compare, so the inclusions and exclusions sit in a notes block straight after the price.
When Ellie asks whether the skylight sits over the island, she asks in a comment on the estimate and the estimator answers there. The answer stays with the document the owners sign, not in a text message.
- Inclusions, exclusions and site hours in one reusable block
- Saved in the content library and dropped into every estimate
- Owners' questions and your answers on the estimate itself
Content library: Essentials and up
Reusable content in the content libraryInclusions & exclusions
- Includes plans Rev C and the engineer's beam detail.
- Appliances are supplied by the owners and installed by us.
- Excludes landscaping and window furnishings.
- Site hours 7 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
Ellie DoyleCan the skylight sit right over the island?
Dan, CorbelYes, it's centred on the island in plan Rev C.
See it opened, revise it before they sign
Document tracking shows when the owners open the estimate and which upgrade they add. If they ask for a change before signing, Revise Last Version creates a new revision marked Revised and keeps the earlier one in the document's history.
Once both owners have signed, the estimate is the contract you build to. Changes after that go out as signed variations.
- Opened, upgrade added, signed and paid in the activity feed
- Earlier versions kept in the history (version history: Business)
- Both owners sign, each in their own signature block
Document tracking: Essentials and up · Version history: Business
Document trackingActivity
- Estimate openedEllie Doyle
- Skylight added+$2,398.00 inc tax
- Signed by both ownersCertificate of authenticity attached
- Deposit paid$12,862.30 via Stripe
- Invoice created in XeroNative Xero integration, on Business
Accept, sign and pay the deposit
2 of 2 signed
- Ellie DoyleOwner Signed18 Feb, 8:14 pm
- Marcus DoyleOwner Signed18 Feb, 8:21 pm
Deposit on signing (10%)
$12,862.30
Paid via StripePay with card or PayPal
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Start from a real building estimate template
Real QuoteCloud templates for builders and renovators. Add your stages, your cost book and your terms, then send.
- Proposal template Residential Construction Proposal Template Custom home builds, renovations and remodels, for licensed builders and general contractors. View template
- Proposal template Residential Home Builder A reusable proposal for renovations, remodelling and complete new homes. View template
- Proposal template General Contractor Proposal Template Present your construction services and price to win new contracts. View template
- Contract template Home Improvement Contract Home additions, remodelling and improvement work for residential clients. View template
Building estimate questions
What is the difference between a building estimate and a quote?
Builders use both words. An estimate is usually built from measured quantities and allowances, so parts of it can move when PC or provisional sums are adjusted; a quote is usually a fixed price for defined work. In QuoteCloud both are the same interactive document, with a staged price table, inclusions and exclusions and a signature block, sent from your own template.
Can I group an estimate by stage and by trade?
Yes. Add a section heading to the price table for each stage, such as site works, base, frame and lock-up, services and finishes, and turn on the group subtotal. Inside each stage, add labour, materials and subcontract lines from your product catalogue or by hand, each with a note. Price tables and the catalogue are on Essentials and above.
How do owners add optional upgrades?
Add upgrades such as a skylight or better flooring as optional rows, or put either-or finishes in a single-choice group. The owners tick what they want in the estimate, and the subtotal, tax, total and any deposit recalculate straight away. What they have chosen is what they sign.
How is tax shown on a building estimate?
The price table has a tax column you set to your own rate, 10% in this sample. QuoteCloud calculates the tax on the subtotal and shows the total including tax, and the column can be removed, hidden or shown in the total. Line notes can say whether a rate is supply only or supply and install.
Can I change an estimate after I've sent it?
Yes. Before the owners sign, Revise Last Version creates a new revision marked Revised and keeps the earlier one in the document history, which is on the Business plan. After signing, send each change as its own variation document for the owners to sign before the work goes ahead.
Does QuoteCloud measure quantities from plans?
No. QuoteCloud does not do take-offs from drawings. Measure on site or with your take-off tool, then enter the quantities against your cost-book rates in the price table. You can add the plans themselves to the estimate as PDF pages or images, so the owners see what the price is for.
Explore QuoteCloud for construction
Every page of QuoteCloud for construction, from the first estimate to the last variation.
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PC sums, provisional sums & selectionsPrime cost and provisional sums set out clearly, and the client's selections and upgrades chosen before signing.Explore
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Cost book, rates & margin controlLabour, material and subcontract rates in one catalogue, with costs and margins your client never sees.Explore
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Plans, site photos & build schedulesDrawings, marked-up site photos and a Gantt build schedule inside the estimate, next to the price.Explore
- Commercial fit-out proposals & tendersTrade packages, a programme, locked compliance content, approvals and several signers for commercial work.
- Quotes for trade subcontractorsFor electricians, plumbers and other trades quoting builders: rates, inclusions, licences and a quick acceptance.
- Contracts, deposits & progress claim schedulesContracts signed by every owner, the deposit paid on signing, and the stage payment schedule set out in the contract.
- Variations & change ordersEach variation its own document: the scope before and after, the new contract sum, signed on site before work starts.
- Accounting & job management integrationsWon jobs into Xero or QuickBooks, and on to simPRO, ServiceM8 or your calendar through Zapier.
- Construction templatesReal QuoteCloud templates for builders, renovators, roofers and subcontractors, ready to make your own.
- QuoteCloud implementation for buildersYour estimate template converted, cost book imported, insurances locked in, approvals and training.
- FAQAnswers to the questions builders, renovators and contractors ask most.
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