Estimate request template
A total is not an estimate—
until the work is visible.
A useful contractor estimate identifies the contractor and project, dates the proposal, breaks price into understandable work categories, names products or allowances, states exclusions, assigns permit responsibility, describes schedule assumptions, ties payments to milestones, explains change orders and warranty, and shows how long the price remains valid.
What should a homeowner do?
A useful contractor estimate identifies the contractor and project, dates the proposal, breaks price into understandable work categories, names products or allowances, states exclusions, assigns permit responsibility, describes schedule assumptions, ties payments to milestones, explains change orders and warranty, and shows how long the price remains valid.
Use the right order
Six decisions that turn advice into a usable record.
Identify the proposal
Record legal business name, contact information, project address, proposal date, revision number, and acceptance deadline.
LEAVE WITHOne version everyone can identify.Attach the requested scope
Make the estimate respond to the same written rooms, work categories, quantities, responsibilities, and closeout requirements sent to every bidder.
LEAVE WITHA clear scope reference.Break down the price
Ask for understandable categories and separate alternates, allowances, unit prices, taxes, delivery, permit fees, and owner purchases.
LEAVE WITHA total you can explain.Expose what is not included
Require exclusions and assumptions in writing, especially repair of hidden conditions, finish matching, utility upgrades, and restoration outside the work area.
LEAVE WITHVisible gaps before signing.Connect time and money
State expected start window, duration assumptions, milestones, payment triggers, inspection dependencies, and change-order process.
LEAVE WITHA proposal that can become a manageable agreement.Define completion
Name cleanup, punch list, warranty, manuals, inspection records, lien documents, and other final deliverables.
LEAVE WITHA finish line beyond “work complete.”Constructed example
Why a $61,000 estimate may still be incomplete
The total looks precise, but four lines remain too broad to compare.
The request is not “make it longer.” It is “revise the four lines so another person can tell what the price buys.”
Field checklist
Bring this list to the next conversation.
Mark an item complete only when the answer is written, dated, and connected to the actual project.
- 01Business and project identity
- 02Proposal date and version
- 03Scope reference
- 04Price categories
- 05Products and quantities
- 06Allowance rules
- 07Exclusions and assumptions
- 08Permit responsibility
- 09Schedule assumptions
- 10Payment milestones
- 11Change-order process
- 12Warranty and closeout
Slow down here
Three questions that expose hidden uncertainty.
What does this number buy?
Ask for the included work, products, quantity, labor, and responsibility behind broad categories.
What can change this number?
List allowances, unit prices, concealed conditions, escalation terms, taxes, delivery, and alternates.
When does this become due?
Tie each payment to an observable milestone and any required inspection status.
Check my estimate
Review one written proposal for missing scope, products, allowances, exclusions, payments, warranty, and change rules.
Sources and limits
Use the source that controls the answer.
HomeScope does not issue contractor estimates or determine whether a proposal satisfies Michigan law. Use this as a request and comparison record; ask a qualified adviser about the actual agreement.