How to write a job estimate

To write a job estimate you need to determine the specific project, break down the work involved, and estimate the costs associated with the job. Here are some details on these steps and others for how to write a job estimate:

• Determine the specific project

  Your first step is to identify the project or task the job is associated with. You should try to give a broad overview of the job, so your client or customer fully understands the key points of the work. You can look at this section as a kind of introduction and summary.

• Break down the work involved

  Next, you should break down all of the work involved in completing the job. You should break this information down by stages or simply by tasks. Include time estimations for each stage or task. You might also consider using bullet points for this section of the job estimate.

• Estimate the costs associated with the job

  Next, you should include cost estimates for any resources or materials that might be required to complete the job. You also need to include expenses, such as travel or equipment rentals. Once you have all of the costs and expenses, add them up, and include this figure prominently on the job estimate.

• Give a detailed breakdown of the job

  In this section you should try to be hyper-specific and include all of the necessary details, so your client or customer fully understands the scope of the work. Where your intro and summary were short, this section should be longer and have more information on any details of the work that require an extended explanation.

• Review and revise, if necessary

  Lastly, be sure to go over your job estimate thoroughly, and make any additions, corrections, or revisions.