From Job Costs to a Customer-Ready Estimate
See what a service-business owner should review internally—and what the customer should receive. This is a worked illustration, not a screenshot of the delivered software or a guarantee of results.
Owner's internal pricing worksheet
Fictional project: a residential exterior-cleaning job. Assumptions can be changed for the real location and scope.
| 6 crew labor-hours × $35 | $210.00 |
| Materials / supplies | $45.00 |
| Travel and fuel | $25.00 |
| Allocated overhead | $58.00 |
| Estimated cost | $338.00 |
|---|---|
| Target margin | 35% |
| Target quote before tax | $520.00 |
| Expected profit before taxes | $182.00 |
This internal detail helps the owner evaluate price and costs. It's not automatically appropriate to send to the customer.
Try the free margin toolIllustrative customer estimate
EXAMPLE EXTERIOR SERVICES
Estimate #EX-001 · Sample only
Prepared for: Sample Customer
Project: House exterior soft wash
Location: Customer property (fictional)
Scope: Exterior wash of agreed accessible surfaces; pre-wet and protect landscaping where appropriate; rinse and cleanup.
Exclusions: Roof cleaning, windows, stain removal, unapproved add-ons and repairs unless listed separately.
Estimated price before applicable taxes: $520.00
Scheduling and payment terms are to be confirmed in the final written agreement. Customer approval is required before work begins.
Customers need clear service scope, price, exclusions and terms. Their estimate usually does not show the contractor's internal wage costs or target margin.
View current Starter Kit detailsWhy these two documents are different
Your internal pricing worksheet answers whether the job can be profitable under your assumptions. Your customer estimate answers what is included, what it costs and what happens next. Keeping them separate can make both easier to use.
Before sending a real quote
Confirm measurement, surface condition, access, any permitting or compliance responsibilities, time needed, supplies, overhead and your final terms. Compare your planned profit with the possibility of rework or unplanned costs. This worked example is not a claim that any SGL product automatically generates this exact format.
Use the free pressure-washing calculatorCompare SGL tools