Estimates

An estimate template that says what it is

An estimate is a considered guess, and the paperwork should admit it. This example prices a chimney repair from a ground-level inspection, marks the parts that are allowances, and states plainly what happens when the scaffold goes up and the real condition appears.

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The worked example

Roofing and masonry · Repoint a chimney stack and renew the flashing after a ground-level inspection.

Estimate forJ. Brennan

27 Selby Terrace, Carlisle CA2

Issued: 3 Aug 2026
Valid until: 17 Aug 2026

Example estimate lines for Repoint a chimney stack and renew the flashing after a ground-level inspection
Work and materials	Qty	Unit price	Line total
Scaffold tower hire, erection, and dismantling (allowance)	1	£340.00	£340.00
Repointing to the stack and renewing the flaunching — 1.5 days	1.5	£295.00	£442.50
Lead flashing, mortar, and materials (allowance)	1	£165.00	£165.00
Subtotal			£947.50
VAT at 20%			£189.50
Total			£1,137.00

Customer-facing note

This is an estimate based on a visual inspection from ground level on the date shown. It is not a fixed price. Once the scaffold is up, the stack is inspected properly and a firm quote follows within two working days. If the brickwork or the pot needs replacing, that is priced separately and agreed with you before any work continues.

Figures are an original example in GBP at 20% VAT. Nothing here is a real customer, a real price, or a recommended rate — price your own work.

What this template gets right

Language that separates estimate from quote
The customer note names the basis of the price and the moment it becomes firm. That one paragraph prevents most disputes about a number that later moved.
Allowances marked in the description
Lines that are provisional say so. Everything you have actually measured stays clean, so the customer can see which figures are solid.
A short validity window
Fourteen days is enough for a decision and short enough that an indicative price does not follow you into next season.
A clean path to the firm price
When the survey confirms the scope, raise the quote from the same details and let the customer accept that one. Both documents keep their own number.

How it moves through EstimateBird

Open the example, adjust the allowances for your job, and save it as a draft.
Send it for a decision in principle, then raise a firm quote once you have inspected the work properly.
The accepted quote becomes the invoice, so the estimate stays on file as the record of what was first discussed.

What it will not do

Worth knowing before you build a business process on it.

EstimateBird numbers and labels every priced document as a quote. Use the description and the customer note to make clear that the figures are an estimate.
Estimates and quotes are separate documents; there is no automatic revision chain between them.
No cost book, no regional price lookup, and no automatic uplift for contingency — every figure is one you typed.
EstimateBird is not accounting, tax, or legal advice, and it makes no HMRC, Making Tax Digital, or certified-signature claim.

Questions about this estimate template

What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?

An estimate is an informed price based on what you can see; a quote is an offer you intend to stand behind. The paperwork should say which one it is, which is why the wording in this example does the work rather than the title alone.

Does the document print the word estimate?

No. Priced documents in EstimateBird are labelled and numbered as quotes. The customer-facing note is where you state that the figures are an estimate and what would make them firm.

Can I turn the estimate into a firm quote later?

Yes. Raise a new quote with the confirmed scope and send that one for acceptance. Only an accepted quote can be converted into an invoice, so the firm figure is the one that reaches the customer's account.

Other worked templates

Price your own version of this job

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