Free contractor templates

Estimates, invoices, change orders, work orders, punch lists and job costing sheets. Every template downloads as a print-ready PDF and an editable spreadsheet, with no email required.

• Construction estimate template — A construction estimate template should contain your business and licence details, the client and site, a dated scope of work, itemised line items with quantity, unit, unit price and total, subtotals for labor and materials, tax, the total price, explicit inclusions and exclusions, allowances, payment terms, the validity period and a signature block. Exclusions and allowances are the two sections most contractors leave out, and they are the two that prevent disputes.
• Roofing estimate template — A roofing estimate template needs the roof measured in squares with the pitch stated, the number of tear-off layers, and separate lines for underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, valley metal, ridge vent, pipe boots, ridge cap and fasteners. It must also carry a decking replacement allowance priced per sheet, because rotten decking is discovered after tear-off and is the most common source of roofing disputes.
• Construction invoice template — A construction invoice needs a unique invoice number, issue and due dates, your business and tax details, the client and project reference, itemised work with quantities and amounts, the contract sum, change orders, work completed this period, less previous payments, less retainage, and the balance due with payment instructions and late-fee terms. Missing the invoice number, due date or payment instructions is what makes invoices sit unpaid.
• Change order form template — A change order form must record a sequential change order number, the date, a description of the change and why it arose, the cost impact broken into materials, labor and subs, the schedule impact in days, the revised contract sum, and signatures from both the contractor and the client dated before the work starts. An unsigned change order is unbilled work, which is why the signature block is the most important part of the document.
• Construction proposal template — A construction proposal differs from an estimate by selling the approach as well as the price. It should open with the client's problem, state your understanding of the job, present the scope and method, give pricing (often in good/better/best options), show a timeline, evidence your credentials and insurance, and close with clear acceptance terms and a signature block.
• Work order template — A work order authorises specific work for a specific crew or subcontractor. It needs a work order number, the job and site details, site access instructions, the scope broken into a task checklist, materials supplied versus required, scheduled date and expected hours, safety notes, a completion checklist with photo requirements, and sign-off lines for the crew lead and the client or site contact.
• Punch list template — A punch list records every outstanding or defective item identified at substantial completion, organised by location and trade. Each row needs an item number, location, description, responsible party, priority, due date, status and a verification sign-off. Getting the punch list closed is usually what releases final payment and retainage, so the responsibility and date columns matter as much as the descriptions.
• Daily construction report template — A daily construction report documents what happened on site on a given day: date and weather, crew and subs present with hours, work completed by area, materials delivered, equipment used, visitors and inspections, delays and their causes, safety incidents, and photos. Its real value is as contemporaneous evidence, since a consistent daily log is the strongest documentation available in a delay or payment dispute.
• Material takeoff template — A material takeoff lists every material required for a job with its measured quantity, unit of measure, waste factor, order quantity, supplier, unit cost and extended cost, grouped by assembly or phase. Keeping the measured quantity and the order quantity in separate columns is what makes the sheet reusable, because it preserves the real measurement after waste and package rounding are applied.
• Payment schedule template — A construction payment schedule ties each payment to a defined, verifiable milestone rather than a calendar date. Each row should carry the milestone description, the completion trigger, the percentage of contract, the dollar amount, retainage withheld, the net payable and the running balance. Tying draws to inspectable milestones is what keeps the contractor cash-positive and gives the client a clear basis to release funds.
• Job costing template — A job costing template compares estimated against actual cost for every category on a job: materials, labor, subcontractors, equipment and overhead allocation. The critical columns are variance in dollars and variance as a percentage, because the pattern in those columns across many jobs is what tells you which parts of your estimating are consistently wrong.
• Subcontractor agreement checklist — A subcontractor agreement should define the scope precisely, state the price and payment terms including whether payment is contingent on owner payment, require certificates of insurance and licence verification, set the schedule and coordination obligations, require lien waivers with each payment, and cover indemnification, warranty, change order process and termination. This checklist covers what to include; the wording itself should be drafted or reviewed by an attorney.