Construction estimate
Construction estimate template for a commercial fit out
A construction estimate prices a building job by stage against a named set of drawings, and says how anything still unknown will be handled. This example from a Parramatta fit out builder prices a four chair dental clinic at $163,600 plus GST across seven trade stages and a provisional sum, with a 10% deposit and monthly progress claims.
The quote, page by page
Every page as the client sees it and as it prints, pricing table included.
The pricing, line by line
- Preliminaries
- 1 × $9,800.00
- Demolition and make good
- 1 × $6,400.00
- Partitions and ceilings
- 1 × $38,600.00
- Hydraulics
- 1 × $27,500.00
- Electrical and data
- 1 × $24,200.00
- Mechanical
- 1 × $18,900.00
- Joinery and finishes
- 1 × $31,700.00
- Provisional sum: dental equipment connections
- 1 × $6,500.00
- Waiting room feature wall (optional)
- 1 × $4,800.00
- Tax
- $16,360.00
- Total
- $179,960.00
- Deposit due on acceptance
- $17,996.00
Section by section
- Title and estimate details
- Reference, date, a 30 day validity, the client and the drawings the estimate is priced on.
- Scope
- A four chair clinic built to revision D, priced by stage, ten weeks from the construction certificate, and four inclusions.
- Investment
- Seven trade stages, a provisional sum for equipment connections and an optional feature wall.
- Terms
- Deposit and monthly progress claims, the provisional sum, the ten week program, variations, latent conditions and validity.
- Next steps and acceptance
- E-sign in order, client then builder, then the deposit invoice.
What separates a construction estimate from a quote
In everyday use an estimate is a best guess and a quote is a fixed price. In construction an estimate is usually firmer than that: a priced breakdown against a specific set of drawings, with the things that cannot yet be priced set aside as provisional sums. This example works that way. Every trade stage has a price, the drawings revision is named, and the only open number is the equipment connection allowance, which clause 2 says how to adjust. Commercial work like this falls outside the home building rules that govern houses, but payment for construction work in New South Wales is still covered by security of payment law, so the payment clause states when claims are made and when they are due.
How the numbers work
The seven stages from preliminaries to joinery add to $157,100, and the $6,500 provisional sum brings the subtotal to $163,600, $179,960 with GST. The optional feature wall adds $4,800. The 10% deposit, $17,996, is invoiced when both parties have signed. After that the builder claims monthly for work done, less a share of the deposit, which clause 1 states; the balance invoice drafted at acceptance is where those claims are worked from. The provisional sum is shown as a line so the client sees it in the total, but its final value will follow the actual cost when the equipment is chosen.
How to adapt this estimate
Always name the drawings and their revision in the details. Price by trade or stage, in the order the work happens, and put the program in the terms. Use provisional sums only for things genuinely not yet known, say how they are adjusted, and keep them few. Write a latent conditions clause. Check which payment and contract rules apply in your state: residential work in particular has deposit limits, prescribed contracts and insurance requirements that a commercial estimate like this does not. If the client is a homeowner, the estimate is usually followed by a formal home building contract.
What makes this quote work
It names the drawings it prices
The details block names the architect's set, revision D of 2 October 2026, and the scope says the estimate is built to it. Every later change can be measured against that revision, which is what makes clause 4 on variations workable.
Unknowns are an allowance, not a guess
Connecting dental equipment not yet chosen is a $6,500 provisional sum, and clause 2 adjusts it to the actual cost plus a 10% margin. Latent conditions, such as a cracked slab, are a variation under clause 4. Nothing unknown is hidden inside a trade price.
The program matches the claims
Clause 3 splits the ten weeks into four blocks, and clause 1 claims monthly for work completed. The client can see roughly what will be claimed at the end of each month before signing.
Questions people ask
What should a construction estimate include?
The drawings and revision it prices, the scope, each trade stage with its price, provisional sums with how they are adjusted, the program, inclusions, the deposit and progress claims, variations, latent conditions and validity. This example covers each on three A4 pages for a commercial dental fit out.
What is a provisional sum in a construction estimate?
An allowance for work that cannot be priced yet because a detail is not decided. This estimate carries a $6,500 provisional sum for connecting dental equipment not yet chosen, and clause 2 adjusts it to the actual cost plus a 10% margin when the work is done.
How do progress payments work on a fit out?
The builder claims for work completed at set times, here at the end of each month, and the client pays within an agreed period, here 15 business days. In New South Wales, payment for construction work is also governed by security of payment law, which sets rules for payment claims.
How much deposit can a builder ask for?
For commercial work it is a matter of agreement; this estimate asks for 10%. For residential building work, states set limits: New South Wales caps deposits at 10% and requires home building compensation cover before a deposit is taken on larger jobs. Check the rules for the work you are quoting.
What are latent conditions in construction?
Conditions that could not reasonably be seen before work started, such as cracking under an existing floor or services in an unexpected place. This estimate treats them as a variation in clause 4, priced and agreed before the extra work is done, so the fixed stage prices stay fixed.
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