Free Construction Proposal Template (Excel & Google Sheets)
What's in the construction proposal template
The workbook has two tabs. Scope of Work is a simple line-by-line list of what's included in the proposal, with an Included? flag per item.
Proposal holds your contractor and client details, then two pricing sections: Labor (hours x rate per line) and Materials (quantity x unit cost x markup% per line). Each line's amount calculates automatically, section subtotals add up below, and tax rate plus permits/fees roll into a single total.
Smartsheet's genuine ungated Excel proposals cover the narrative sections (scope, terms) well but leave you to calculate totals by hand. Document-generator SaaS tools (BetterProposals, LawDepot, pdfFiller) produce a polished, signable PDF but no auto-calculating cost breakdown - you type the total in yourself.
Auto-calculating materials and labor pricing
Enter hours and a rate for each labor line, or quantity, unit cost and an optional markup percent for each materials line - the line amount calculates immediately, and the section subtotal below sums every filled line.
Markup applies per materials line, not as one flat rate across the whole proposal, so you can mark up specialty materials differently from bulk supplies within the same proposal.
Tax, permits/fees, and total - in one place
Once labor and materials subtotals are set, enter your tax rate and any permits/fees, and the total calculates automatically - the same math a contractor would otherwise do by hand or in a separate calculator before typing it into a signable document tool.
Different from a bid comparison template
This template builds and prices a single proposal you send to one client. If you're instead comparing multiple subcontractor bids side by side to decide who to hire, that's a different job covered by our free Construction Bid Comparison template - the two aren't duplicates, they serve opposite ends of the process.
How to use it
- List scope items on the Scope of Work sheet.
- Add labor lines (hours x rate) on the Proposal sheet - amounts calculate automatically.
- Add materials lines (qty x unit cost, with optional markup %) - amounts calculate automatically.
- Enter your tax rate and any permits/fees - the total calculates automatically.
Download the free Free Construction Proposal Template (Excel & Google Sheets)
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Construction Pack
If you also need certified payroll (WH-347), a WIP report across projects, and crew manpower planning, the paid Construction Pack ($49) adds all three in one connected set of workbooks.
See the full versionFrequently asked questions
Does this calculate my total automatically?
Yes. Line amounts, section subtotals, tax and the total all calculate from your entered hours, rates, quantities, unit costs and markup - no manual math or separate calculator.
Is this the same as your construction bid comparison template?
No. This template builds and prices one proposal to send to a client. The Construction Bid Comparison template compares multiple subcontractor bids side by side to help you choose who to hire.
Can markup differ between materials lines?
Yes. Markup is entered per line, so you can apply a different markup to specialty materials than to bulk items within the same proposal.
Can I use this in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the downloaded file to Google Drive, then open it and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The pricing formulas keep working.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
What's the usage license?
Personal or single-business use. It's not meant to be resold or redistributed as a template product.