Free templates
Free construction bid templates for estimates, proposals and bids
Every construction bid template a contractor needs, in Word and Excel, with working formulas, filled-in examples and field instructions. Free, with no sign-up.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Every template is free, with no sign-up or email
- Opens in Excel, Word, Google Sheets and Google Docs
- Fixed price before any paid work starts
- Single-trade estimates in 48 hours if you would rather send it out
Quick answer
Bidmere’s free construction bid template library covers the paperwork to price and win work: a construction estimate template, quote, bid sheet with bid tab, bid proposal letter, material takeoff, bid leveling sheet and capability statement. Each is a Word or Excel file with instructions. If you would rather not, Bidmere prices single-trade estimates from $195 in 48 hours.
Which construction bid template do you need?
Every construction bid template here is free, in Word and Excel, and each one saves to PDF. Pick the template by the job it does in your bid. Most contractors use them in this order: measure, price, then present.
| Template | Format | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Material takeoff template | Excel | Turn plan dimensions into SF, LF, EA and CY, add waste and round up to order quantities |
| Construction estimate template | Excel + Word | Price labor, material, equipment and subcontract lines, then add overhead, profit, contingency and tax |
| Bid sheet and bid tab template | Excel + Word | Fill a bid form with base bid, unit prices and alternates, and compare bidders line by line |
| Construction bid proposal template | Word | Send a proposal letter with price, documents priced, inclusions, exclusions, alternates and terms |
| Contractor quote template | Word + Excel | Give a customer a one-page fixed price with line items, tax, terms and acceptance |
| Schedule of values template | Excel | Split the contract sum into billable lines the owner approves before the first pay application |
| Pay application template (G702/G703 style) | Excel | Bill each month: work completed, stored materials, retainage, change orders and payment due |
| Roofing estimate template | Excel | Price a roof by squares: tear-off, underlayment, roofing, flashings, edge and disposal |
| Landscaping estimate template | Excel | Price plants, sod, mulch, hardscape, irrigation and labor from measured quantities |
| Painting estimate template | Excel | Price walls, ceilings, trim and doors by area, coats and spread rate, with labor hours |
| Bid leveling template | Excel + CSV | Compare subcontractor bids against one scope list |
| Capability statement template | Word | Introduce your company to government buyers and primes on one page |
| Construction RFP response template | Word | Outline a response to an owner’s request for proposals |
All files open in Excel, Word, Google Sheets and Google Docs. The formulas use standard functions, so they work the same in each.
Rather not fill them in? Send the plans and we return the takeoff and estimate. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteBid proposal template (Word): what it should include
A bid proposal template is the letter that carries your price. Owners and general contractors compare proposals side by side, so missing pieces cost you. This construction bid template in Word works as a simple bid proposal template for small jobs and a full subcontractor proposal template for larger ones. It includes:
- Project name, owner or GC, bid date and proposal number
- Documents priced: drawing list, specification sections and every addendum by number
- Scope of work in plain language
- Inclusions and exclusions, item by item
- Base bid, alternates and unit prices, matching the owner’s bid form
- Schedule assumptions and lead times
- Qualifications such as bonding, insurance and license numbers
- Terms: how long the price holds, payment terms, retainage
- Acceptance and signature block
The same structure works as a construction proposal template for private owners. For a subcontractor proposal to a GC, keep the format and add the GC’s scope sheet references.
Bid sheet and bid form templates: base bid, unit prices and alternates
A contractor bid sheet, also called a construction bid form or bid proposal sheet, lists each bid item with its quantity, unit, unit price and extended total. Public owners usually issue their own bid form, and you must use it. Use a bid sheet template to price before you transfer numbers onto the owner’s form.
The free bid sheet template extends and totals each line. Its bid tab sheet works as a bid comparison template: it lines up several bidders item by item and finds the low bid. General contractors use the bid tab for subcontractor bids. Owners use it to compare prime bids.
Construction estimate template and estimating spreadsheet
The construction estimate template is an estimating spreadsheet that turns measured quantities and unit costs into a priced total. As a construction cost estimate template in Excel, it has working formulas for labor, material, equipment and subcontract costs. It adds overhead, profit, contingency and tax from the percentages you enter.
Use it with the material takeoff template. The takeoff gives you quantities. The estimate prices them. A Word version gives you a customer-ready estimate format.
A spreadsheet is enough for small jobs and occasional bids. When plan sets get large or bids come every week, contractors move to takeoff software or send the takeoff out. See estimating software vs an estimating service for that decision.
Scope of work template: what to put in a construction scope of work
A scope of work defines exactly what a contractor or subcontractor will do, so price and responsibility match. A construction scope of work template should cover:
- Project, location and parties
- Documents that define the work: drawings, specification sections, addenda
- Work included, by area and system
- Work excluded, and who performs it instead
- Materials and equipment furnished by others
- Site conditions, access, hours and phasing
- Schedule milestones and durations
- Submittals, testing and inspections
- Cleanup, protection and closeout requirements
- Change procedure: how added work is requested and priced
The exclusions list does the most work. A scope that says what is not included prevents most disputes before they start. Bidmere’s scope of work template in Word is being added to this library. Until then, the inclusions and exclusions sections of the bid proposal template use the same structure.
Schedule of values template: how to break down the contract sum
A schedule of values breaks the contract sum into line items so progress can be billed and checked. On AIA-based contracts it feeds the G703 Continuation Sheet, which AIA describes as breaking the contract sum into portions of the work under a schedule of values. AIA’s help center notes that AIA does not publish a standard schedule of values form.
A workable schedule of values:
- Follows the cost structure of your estimate, by division or trade
- Separates material stored and labor where the owner allows
- Lists general conditions, bonds and insurance as their own lines
- Shows retainage and approved change orders separately
- Totals exactly to the contract sum
Avoid front-loading. Reviewers compare early line values to your estimate and will push back on lines priced above their real cost. Bidmere’s schedule of values template in Excel is being added to this library.
More free bid tools and checklists
These worksheets support the decisions around a bid, not the price itself:
- Construction bid preparation checklist: addenda, forms, approvals and the final review before you submit
- Proposal compliance matrix: map every solicitation requirement to your response
- Bid/no-bid checklist: score a pursuit before you spend time on the estimate
- Bid leveling sheet guide: find the plug value that changes a comparison
What makes a construction bid template worth using?
A good template prevents the errors that lose bids, not just the formatting work. Look for these before you adopt one:
- Separate inputs and formulas. Yellow input cells, locked math, so a typed number never overwrites a total.
- A documents-priced block. Drawing list, spec sections and addenda by number. This is the first thing an owner checks when two prices differ.
- Exclusions as a list, not a sentence. Reviewers compare them line by line.
- Alternates and unit prices kept apart from the base bid.
- A price-validity date. Material prices move. Say how long your number holds.
Use the same checks on any template you download elsewhere.
Which template should you start with?
Start with the takeoff and finish with the document the buyer asked for.
- Measure with the material takeoff template.
- Price in the construction estimate template.
- Present on the owner’s bid form, the bid sheet, a bid proposal or a quote, whichever the invitation asks for.
- Check with the bid preparation checklist before you submit.
General contractors add the bid leveling template between steps 2 and 3 to compare subcontractor bids.
Rather have the estimate or bid done for you?
Templates save formatting time. They do not measure plans or read specifications. If your bottleneck is the takeoff and pricing, send the plans instead.
Bidmere returns measured trade takeoffs and cost estimates priced at your rates, or a bid package your team reviews, signs and submits. Single-trade estimates are priced from $195 and take 48 hours. Bid packages are priced from $1,950. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept the price and delivery date.
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Are the templates really free?
Yes. Every template downloads directly, with no sign-up and no email address. Edit and reuse them on your own jobs.
Will a template make my estimate accurate?
No template can. Accuracy comes from the takeoff and your pricing. The templates make the math and the presentation consistent.
If I send work to Bidmere, who sets the price?
You do. Estimates use your rates, and your team sets markup and the final number.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are these construction templates free?
Yes. Every template downloads directly, with no sign-up and no email address. Edit and reuse them for your own jobs. The Excel files include working formulas, and each template comes with a filled-in example and field-by-field instructions so you can see how it is meant to be used.
Is there a bid proposal template in Word?
Yes. The construction bid proposal template is a Word file that opens in Google Docs. It covers documents priced, scope, inclusions, exclusions, base bid, alternates, unit prices, schedule, qualifications, terms and an acceptance block. Delete the instructions, fill the fields and send it as a PDF.
What is the difference between a bid sheet and a bid proposal?
A bid sheet, or bid form, lists bid items with quantities, unit prices and totals so prices can be compared line by line. A bid proposal is the letter that wraps the price with scope, exclusions, terms and qualifications. Public owners usually supply their own bid form, and many invitations ask for both.
Do the templates work in Google Sheets and Google Docs?
Yes. Open the Excel files in Google Sheets and the Word files in Google Docs. The formulas use standard functions that work the same in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. Formatting may shift slightly in Google Docs, so check page breaks before you export a PDF.
Is there a schedule of values template?
Yes. The free schedule of values template is an Excel file that checks your lines add up to the contract sum, with a filled example. AIA does not publish a standard schedule of values form. On AIA contracts, the values feed the G703 Continuation Sheet; the pay application template carries them into monthly billing.
What should a scope of work template include?
Project and parties, the documents that define the work, work included by area and system, work excluded and who does it instead, items furnished by others, site access and hours, schedule, submittals and testing, cleanup and closeout, and the change procedure. The exclusions list prevents most disputes, so make it specific.
Can Bidmere fill in the templates for me?
Bidmere prepares takeoffs, estimates and bid packages from your plans and the facts and rates you approve. Single-trade estimates are priced from $195 and are ready in 48 hours. Send the job through the quote form and you get a fixed quote within 2 business hours.
When should I use estimating software instead of a template?
A spreadsheet template works for small jobs and occasional bids. When plan sets are large, you bid every week, or several people share estimates, takeoff and estimating software usually pays off. If you lack estimator time rather than tools, an estimating service is the other option.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.