What a carpentry estimate is for
Carpentry customers compare a quote to a big box install price and do not see the scribing, shimming and corners. An estimate that lists the run of cabinets, each door, every foot of crown and who fills and paints makes the scope clear and the price defensible, and gives you a written line when the owner asks for one more shelf.
What to put on a carpentry estimate
- Linear feet of cabinets, crown and base.
- Each door and window casing as its own line.
- Paint or stain grade and who finishes it.
- Hardware supplied by whom.
- Haul-away of old trim and doors.
- What happens if walls are badly out of square.
A worked example
A 25 foot run of owner-supplied kitchen cabinets plus crown in the dining room next to it. The cabinet line uses the calculator's typical price.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install kitchen cabinets (cabinets by owner) * | 25 | ft | $125.00 | $3,125.00 |
| Install crown molding, dining room | 48 | ft | Your price | |
| Cabinet hardware, drilled from template | 32 | each | Your price | |
| Haul away old cabinets | 1 | load | Your price |
List who supplies the cabinets and hardware in the notes. Damage found when boxes are opened on install day is the delivery's problem, not yours.
* Typical price from our free cabinet installation cost calculator, which lists its sources. Your own costs and market come first.
Line items carpenters use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Install crown molding | ft | Profile, paint or stain grade, and inside and outside corners. |
| Install baseboard | ft | Height and whether shoe molding is included. |
| Door casing, both sides | each | Per door; casing profile and head detail. |
| Hang interior door, prehung | each | Swing, size and hardware. |
| Install kitchen cabinets | ft | Linear feet of run; uppers and bases counted once. |
| Cabinet hardware | each | Pulls and knobs, drilled from a template. |
| Built-in shelving | ft | Shelf depth, material and finish. |
| Wainscoting or panel molding | sq ft | Style and height on the wall. |
| Window casing and stool | each | Per window; apron and stool style. |
| Material, paint-grade trim | ft | From your supplier with markup. |
| Fill, caulk and prep for paint | hour | Say whether painting is yours or the painter's. |
| Haul away old trim and doors | load | Disposal of what comes out. |
Terms and deposit language for carpentry
- Deposit. A deposit at signing pays for the trim, doors or cabinet hardware ordered for this house. Deposit limits for home improvement work are set by each state, so check yours.
- Payment. Balance due when the punch list is walked and signed off, or in stages on larger jobs.
- Warranty. Stand behind joints that open from poor fastening and doors that will not latch because of the install. Seasonal movement in wood and gaps from house settling are not install defects.
- Old houses are rarely square; scribing and shimming are part of the price shown.
- Painting, stain and touch-up are listed when they are included, and are the owner's or painter's otherwise.
- Cabinets and doors supplied by the owner are checked for damage at delivery, not at install.
How to fill it in
- Put in your business details once; this browser keeps them for every template.
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Change the line items to fit this job and add your prices.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print to PDF, download Word or CSV, or send it from Koira.
Free tools for carpentry
The same estimate for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, deck, drywall, duct cleaning, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, glass, gutter, handyman, holiday lighting, home inspection, hood cleaning, hvac, insulation, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, masonry, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, property maintenance, remodeling, restoration, roofing, security system, septic, siding, snow removal, solar, tile, tree service, water treatment, waterproofing, window cleaning, window and door.
More for carpenters: how carpenters run on Koira.