Before most jobs begin, the customer wants to know what it will cost. A clear, itemized estimate answers that question, sets expectations about scope, and gives you something in writing to point back to when the job is done. This estimate generator builds that document for you: enter the customer, describe the work, list the labour and materials, and download a professional PDF with a validity date and acceptance lines. It is free, needs no account, and runs entirely in your browser.

It is built on the same engine as our invoice generator, so the estimate you send today and the invoice you send when the work is finished will look like they came from the same business, because they did.

The three documents are often confused, and the difference matters because it changes what you are committing to.

• An estimate is your best professional guess at the cost of a job. It is expected to be close, but it is not a fixed price. If you open a wall and find rotten joists, the estimate can change, provided your terms say so and you tell the customer before doing the extra work.
• A quote (or quotation) is a fixed price offer. Once the customer accepts it, you are generally bound to do the described work for that price, even if it takes longer than expected. Quotes suit well-defined jobs; estimates suit jobs with unknowns.
• An invoice is a request for payment issued after (or during) the work. It is not a proposal; it is a bill.

The document this tool produces is headed "ESTIMATE". If you are offering a fixed price, use the quote generator instead: it is headed "QUOTE", carries a scope-of-work field and defaults to fixed-price terms, so there is no argument later about which type of document the customer accepted.

Material prices move, your calendar fills up, and the customer who asked for a price in March may not come back until September. A "Valid until" date protects you from being held to a stale price. The generator defaults to 30 days, which is the common convention; shorten it to a week or two if you work with volatile commodities such as timber, copper or fuel, and lengthen it for projects that need to pass through a committee. If a customer accepts after the date has passed, re-issue the estimate with a new number rather than honouring the old one informally.

A single lump sum invites haggling. An itemized estimate invites understanding. List each material or part as its own line with the quantity and unit price, then list labour as hours (or days) at your rate. Group related items in a logical order (demolition, rough-in, finish, cleanup) so the customer can follow the sequence of the job. If something is excluded, say so in the notes: "Does not include permit fees or disposal of existing fixtures." Exclusions written down now prevent awkward conversations later.

Use the discount field for a genuine concession (a repeat-customer rate, for example) rather than inflating the list and discounting it back down. Customers compare estimates, and a transparent one wins more often than a padded one.

The bottom of every estimate carries two signature lines: one for you and one for the customer. Ask the customer to sign and return the PDF (a photo of the signed page is fine), or reply to your email with a clear "accepted". Written acceptance of a numbered estimate is the simplest contract most small jobs ever need.

When the work is complete, open the invoice generator, enter the same line items, and reference the estimate number in the invoice notes ("As per estimate EST-014"). If the scope changed, add the extra lines separately and label them as approved changes. Once the customer pays, issue a receipt with the receipt maker.