Remodeling Estimate Template for Kitchens and Baths
Demo, rough-in, cabinets by the linear foot, countertops by the square foot, finish allowances and contingency on one PDF the homeowner can sign.
- Free, no signup
- PDF in about two minutes
- Works on a phone
A remodel estimate prices what is behind the wall
New construction starts from a set of drawings. A remodel starts from a room someone lives in, with forty years of other people's decisions behind the drywall. The homeowner also lives with the mess, so they read the estimate closely: what comes out, what goes in, what they still have to choose, and what happens if the subfloor is soft. A remodeling estimate has to answer all four, and it has to do it in the units the trades actually price in.
Line items by phase, priced in trade units
Order the rows the way the job runs, and price each row in the unit the trade uses. Lump sums hide the parts the client will ask about.
| Description | Quantity | Unit | Unit price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath demo: tub, tile, vanity, haul-off | 1 | job | $1,600 |
| Move shower valve and drain | 1 | each | $850 |
| Cement board and waterproofing membrane | 96 | sq ft | $7 |
| Porcelain wall tile, installed | 96 | sq ft | $22 |
| Vanity install, 36 in. | 1 | each | $375 |
| Vanity and faucet allowance | 1 | allowance | $1,200 |
The same logic holds in a kitchen. Cabinets go by the linear foot of run because that is how the cabinet shop quotes you. Counters go by the square foot because the fabricator bills from the template. Circuits and fixtures go per each because the electrician and plumber price them that way. When the client asks why the number moved, you can point to one row.
Worked example: 10 x 12 kitchen, mid-range
Same layout, sink moves 4 ft to an island-facing wall, new cabinets and quartz, appliances supplied by the owner.
| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demo: cabinets, counters, sheet vinyl, haul-off | 1 | job | $2,400 | $2,400 |
| Rough plumbing: move sink 4 ft, new DW supply | 1 | job | $1,850 | $1,850 |
| New 20A kitchen circuits | 4 | each | $375 | $1,500 |
| Semi-custom cabinets, installed | 24 | linear ft | $450 | $10,800 |
| Quartz countertop, installed, 1 sink cutout | 52 | sq ft | $85 | $4,420 |
| Backsplash tile, installed | 30 | sq ft | $28 | $840 |
| Fixture allowance: sink, faucet, lighting | 1 | allowance | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Building permit and inspections | 1 | each | $650 | $650 |
Estimate total: $24,460. A separate 10% contingency of $2,446 is billed only against approved change orders.
Flooring, drywall patching outside the backsplash area and appliance purchase are excluded and listed in the terms. If the client wants new flooring, that is a separate line, not a surprise in week three.
Free download
Remodeling estimate template, ready to edit
The worked example above as a file, with its line items and terms already filled in. Change the prices, add your details and send it.
Or skip the file: fill it in above and download a PDFAll trade templates
Allowances and contingency are different things
An allowance is a budget for something the client still has to choose: "Fixture allowance, $2,000. Selections above are billed at cost plus 15%; selections below are credited." A contingency covers what nobody can see yet: rot under the sink base, ungrounded wiring, a joist cut by the last plumber. Keep them on separate lines. Clients accept a contingency when it has a percentage, a clear trigger and a promise that unused money is not billed.
Terms for a remodel
- Validity: 30 days. Cabinet and quartz pricing is re-confirmed after that.
- Deposit and draws: deposit on signing to order cabinets, then draws at rough-in inspection, cabinet install, and completion. Check your state's deposit cap; California limits it to 10% or $1,000, whichever is less.
- Lead times: semi-custom cabinets often take 6 to 10 weeks. Say the start date depends on delivery.
- Exclusions: appliances, flooring outside the work area, painting other rooms, hazardous material abatement, structural changes not shown.
- Change orders: any change to scope or price is written, signed and priced before the work is done.
- Living conditions: state whether the kitchen will be out of service and for roughly how many weeks.
The common dispute: concealed conditions
The fight in remodeling is almost always about what turned up after demo. The client signed a number; you opened the wall and found a cracked drain or aluminum branch wiring. Without a clause, every extra dollar looks like a bait and switch. Put this in every remodeling estimate:
"This estimate covers visible conditions only. Concealed conditions found after demolition, including rot, water damage, mold, outdated wiring or plumbing, and framing defects, are not included. We will stop, show you the condition, and provide a written change order for approval before continuing."
Then photograph the condition the day you find it and attach the photo to the change order. The client sees the problem before they see the price.
Prices on this page are ballpark US figures in US dollars for early 2026. They show how a quote is put together, not a rate survey: price from your own costs and your local market.
How to use
Three things, then download
Your business name, the client and the line items are all a PDF needs. Tax, dates and terms are there when you want them.
- 01
Header with license and rooms
Business name, license number, the homeowner's name and job address, and a one-line scope naming the rooms being remodeled.
- 02
Phase the remodel
Line items grouped as demo, rough-in, cabinets and counters, tile and finish, then permits and fees, with materials and labor split where it matters.
- 03
Price in trade units
Cabinets per linear foot, countertops and tile per square foot, circuits and fixtures per each, and allowances for finishes the client has not picked.
- 04
Lock contingency and changes
State the contingency percentage, deposit and draw schedule, validity window and the written change-order rule in the terms box. Download the PDF.
Use cases
Frequently asked questions
A mid-range kitchen remodel in the US commonly runs $25,000 to $60,000, with cabinets and countertops taking roughly 40% to 60% of the total. A cosmetic refresh that keeps the layout can come in at $10,000 to $20,000, and high-end remodels with custom cabinets and moved walls pass $100,000.
Ten to fifteen percent of the construction cost is standard, and 15% to 20% is reasonable in older homes where you cannot see behind the walls. Show it as its own line under the subtotal and state that it is only billed against approved change orders.
By the linear foot of cabinet run, with uppers and lowers counted separately. Installed prices run roughly $150 to $300 per linear foot for stock, $300 to $650 for semi-custom and $600 to $1,200 or more for custom.
Per square foot installed, measured from the template: about $30 to $50 for laminate, $50 to $100 for granite and $60 to $120 for quartz. Add sink and cooktop cutouts, upgraded edge profiles and tear-out of the old top as separate lines.
Most US building departments require one when you move plumbing, add circuits, or alter walls or windows. Cabinet swaps, paint and flooring usually do not. Fees vary by city, often a few hundred dollars to over $1,000, so put the permit on its own line and say who pulls it.
Under the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule, work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 must be done by an EPA-certified firm using lead-safe practices, above 6 sq ft per room inside or 20 sq ft outside. You must also give the owner the Renovate Right pamphlet before work starts.
Related tools
Estimate templates by trade
Each page loads the line items that trade actually bills, in the units it bills them. Ballpark US figures, there to show the structure.