Free bid proposal template for contractors
This free bid proposal template shows the customer three options side by side: good, better and best. Each option is priced from the same measurement: quantity times your rate, plus other items, raised to your job minimum. The customer picks one, and the sheet works out the deposit and the balance. Scope, exclusions, timeline, warranty, payment schedule, terms and signature lines follow. Download it for Excel or Google Sheets, print the blank PDF, or fill it in here.
- Free to use and change
- No email needed
- Updated October 2026
Or fill it in on this page and print it with your numbers.
Sierra Roofing Co.
(916) 555-0100
Roofing proposal
No. 1042
Roof area, sloped 2,344 sq ft Measured Bid, from the address
- GoodAsphalt shingle roofAsphalt shingle on 27.4 squares, waste included. Tear off 1 layer and haul it away.27.4 squares × $450.00 + $2,106.00$14,436.00Chosen
- BetterTile roofTile on 27.4 squares, waste included. Tear off 1 layer and haul it away.27.4 squares × $950.00 + $2,106.00$28,136.00
- BestMetal roofMetal on 27.4 squares, waste included. Tear off 1 layer and haul it away.27.4 squares × $1,100.00 + $2,106.00$32,246.00
Sierra Lighting Co.
(916) 555-0100
Permanent lighting proposal
No. 1042
Roofline, front with peaks 67 ft Measured Bid, from the address
- GoodFront of the house67 ft of permanent light track with the peaks, one controller with app setup.67 ft × $28.00 + $600.00$2,500.00Job minimumChosen
- BetterFront and sides116 ft of permanent light track with the peaks, one controller with app setup.116 ft × $28.00 + $600.00$3,848.00
- BestAll the way around153 ft of permanent light track with the peaks, one controller with app setup.153 ft × $28.00 + $600.00$4,884.00
Options for the sample house, each priced by Measured Bid from one measurement with sample rates. Not market prices.
What's in the template
The same proposal in all three files and on this page, so a printed copy and the spreadsheet match.
In the proposal
- What you measured, with the quantity and how
- Three options side by side: name, what's included, price
- Quantity × rate plus other items for each option
- A job minimum that every option respects
- The option chosen, the deposit and the balance
- Scope, exclusions, timeline, warranty, payment schedule and terms
- Customer and contractor signature lines
How it adds up
- Each option's price is quantity times rate plus other items, in cents
- Options can share one quantity, like the same squares of roof, or use their own, like more feet of roofline
- An option under your job minimum is priced at the minimum
- Pick the option chosen and the sheet looks up its price
- The balance is that price less the deposit
- Rename the tiers if good, better and best don't fit the job
Tabs in the Excel file
- Proposal
- The blank proposal with its formulas. Yellow cells are yours to fill in.
- Two example tabs
- A roofing proposal with three materials on one roof, and a permanent lighting proposal with three coverage options.
Fill it in and print it
Type in the proposal and it totals itself. Print it blank for the clipboard, or filled in for the customer. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How to fill it out
Measure once
Write the measurement every option is priced on: squares of roof, feet of roofline, square feet of wall. Say how you got it.
Build three options
Name each option and say what it includes. Enter its quantity, unit and rate, plus any other items as one amount, like tear-off or a controller.
Check the prices against your minimum
Set your job minimum. An option that comes in under it is priced at the minimum, so a small option still pays for the trip.
Write the scope and terms once
Fill in what every option includes, what's left out, when you can start, the warranty, the payment schedule and how changes are handled.
Let the customer choose and sign
The customer marks the option they want. The sheet shows its price, the deposit and the balance. Both of you sign and date it.
How the sample was worked out
- Roof area measured from the address
- 2,344 sq ft
- Squares (area ÷ 100)
- 23.4
- Waste for a complex roof
- 17%
- Squares to price, with waste
- 27.4
- Tear-off squares × layers
- 23.4
- Lights, front of the house
- 67 ft of roofline
- Lights, front and sides
- 116 ft of roofline
- Lights, all the way around
- 153 ft of roofline
Each option is priced by the Measured Bid engine from the same measurement of the sample house, at sample rates.
What every bid proposal should include
- The measurement each option is priced on
- Two or three options, each with what it includes
- A price for each option
- Scope that applies to every option
- What isn't included
- When you can start and how long the work takes
- Warranty for each option
- Payment schedule and deposit
- How changes are handled once work starts
- A valid-until date and signature lines
Reference: CSLB: home improvement contracts in California (checked October 2026)
This template is not legal advice. Some states set rules for home improvement contracts, such as what a contract must say and how big a deposit can be. Check yours.
Price every option from one measurement
Enter an address. Measured Bid measures the house once and prices each option with your rates: asphalt, tile or metal on the same roof, or the front, the sides or the whole house for lights. Your team sees the options side by side in New estimate.
FAQ
What is a bid proposal?
A bid proposal is the document you send to win a job. It shows what you measured, the options you offer with a price for each, the scope, timeline, warranty and terms, and a place for the customer to accept. An estimate usually prices one way of doing the job. A proposal often offers several.
How do you write a bid proposal?
Measure the job, price two or three options from that measurement, write the scope and terms once, set a valid-until date and leave room for both signatures. The steps above follow the template in that order.
Why offer good, better and best options?
The customer compares levels of work and picks one, and you don't need a second visit to price an upgrade. Keep the options to the same job: three materials on one roof, or three coverage choices for lights.
Can I use it as a roofing proposal template?
Yes. The roofing sample prices asphalt, tile and metal on the same squares, with tear-off as an other item. Write your underlayment, flashing, ventilation and decking terms in the scope.
Can I use it for an exterior painting proposal?
Yes. Use the wall area as the quantity for every option, and set the options by the product line or the number of coats, each with its own rate per square foot. Put prep and protection in the shared scope.
Is a signed proposal a contract?
A signed proposal can become part of your agreement. This template is not a full contract and is not legal advice. In California, for example, the Contractors State License Board says a home improvement project over $500 needs a written contract, and changes to it must be in writing too. Check your state's rules.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. In Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, and upload the .xlsx file. The formulas, dropdowns and every tab come with it. The CSV imports too, with the formulas and without the example tabs.
Price every option from an address
Measured Bid measures the house once and prices each option with your rates. Your team compares them in the dashboard, and homeowners see a price range on your website.
14 days or 5 estimates free, whichever comes first. No card needed.