Stop Guessing Your Prices, Chasing Bad Leads, and Doing Free Extra Work
Simple digital tools that help contractors price jobs right, track every dollar, and stop leaving profit on the table. Built by someone who gets it.
- Price jobs with real margin numbers, not gut feelings
- Track actual costs against your estimate on every project
- Put a quote calculator on your roofing website in minutes
- Handle change orders, deposits, and follow-ups like a pro
- No monthly fees, no bloated software, no 40-hour setup
One-time digital tools. No monthly software bill. Built for small contractors.
Sound Familiar?
You are good at your trade. Nobody questions that. But the business side? The pricing, the paperwork, the follow-up? That is where things get messy. And messy costs money.
Why This Store Exists
This is not fancy software. There is no demo call, no onboarding webinar, and nobody is going to upsell you on a “pro plan” next month.
This is a small shop that sells simple, practical digital tools for contractors who price their own jobs and run their own businesses.
The tools here do a few things well:
- Pricing. See your real margin, markup, overhead, labor burden, and break-even before you send the bid.
- Job costing. Track estimated vs. actual costs so you know which jobs made money and which ones ate your lunch.
- Website tools. Put a real quote calculator on your roofing site instead of another “call for free estimate” banner.
- Paperwork. Change orders, deposit agreements, estimates, invoices, scope of work, follow-up scripts. Ready to customize and use.
- Profit protection. Stop doing free work, underpricing bids, and forgetting to follow up.
Every tool is a one-time purchase. Download it, use it, keep it. No login. No subscription. No monthly drain on the business account.
If you want a $300/month platform with 400 features you will never touch, this is not it. If you want a sharp tool that does its job and stays out of your way, keep reading.
Ready to Fix Your Pricing?
Browse the full collection of contractor tools on Etsy. One-time purchase. Instant download. No monthly bill.
Shop Contractor Tools On EtsyContractor Calculator Tools
Four focused tools. Each one solves a real problem. Pick the one that fits or grab them all.
Contractor Profit & Pricing Calculator
“Most contractors lose money before the first tool comes out of the truck.”
For: GCs, remodelers, roofers, HVAC, plumbers, electricians, painters, landscapers, concrete, flooring
- 6-in-1 job pricing tool (HTML file)
- Job Price Builder with 3 pricing tiers
- Markup vs. Margin calculator
- Overhead allocation + Break-even
- Labor burden calculator
- Industry benchmark guide by trade
- Customizable branding and trade presets
- Website embed version included
- Printable pricing reports
Roofing Website Quote Calculator
“Call for a free estimate” is not much of a website feature anymore.
For: Roofing contractors, roofing companies, agencies building roofer websites
- Self-install HTML calculator
- Homeowner mode (ballpark estimate)
- Contractor mode (detailed job pricing)
- Call Now button drives phone calls
- Save PDF, print, copy results
- Editable pricing, colors, branding
- Works on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace
- No monthly fee, no developer needed
- No forced email capture
Contractor Job Costing Spreadsheet
“You cannot fix profit you are not tracking.”
For: Any contractor who wants to know if their jobs actually made money
- 8-tab spreadsheet bundle
- Estimate Builder with auto-calcs
- Job Cost Tracker (estimated vs. actual)
- Project Tracker with status + payments
- Dashboard with charts and KPIs
- Printable Quote Summary
- Overhead, markup, tax, contingency, deposit
- Works in Excel and Google Sheets
- No macros, no coding, no plugins
Contractor Closer Kit
“The most expensive words in contracting: I thought that was included.”
For: Any contractor tired of free extra work, ghosted estimates, and awkward deposit conversations
- Estimate + scope of work templates
- Change order template
- Invoice template
- Deposit request scripts (text + email)
- Price objection responses
- Follow-up system + tire-kicker checklist
- Review request templates
- Payment protection clauses
- Printable PDF + editable Word versions
Not Sure Which One You Need?
Browse the full shop. See all the tools, read the full descriptions, and pick the one that fits your business right now.
See All Contractor ToolsFeatured: Contractor Profit & Pricing Calculator
Most contractors lose money before the first tool comes out of the truck.
The bid was too thin. Overhead got left out. Markup and margin got confused. Labor cost was just “the hourly wage” in your head. And by the time you figured it out, the job was done and the profit was gone.
This calculator helps you check all of that before you send the quote. Six pricing tools in one clean HTML file you can open on your phone, tablet, laptop, or your own website.
What Is Inside
- Job Price Builder – Enter costs, pick your trade, see three pricing options: Bare Minimum, Target Price, and Strong Price
- Profit Check – Enter the price you plan to quote and see what is really left after costs and overhead
- Markup vs. Margin Calculator – See the real difference and stop confusing the two
- Break-Even Calculator – Know the minimum revenue you need monthly to keep the lights on
- Overhead Allocation – Pick a method that fits your shop and see how much overhead each job should carry
- Labor Burden Calculator – Find the true cost of an hour of labor after taxes, comp, insurance, and non-billable time
- Industry Benchmark Guide – Margin and markup ranges for 10 trades including GC, remodeler, roofer, HVAC, plumber, electrician, painter, flooring, concrete, landscaper
- Customizable – Add your business name, logo, colors, trade preset, default margins, tax rate, and report disclaimer
- Website ready – Copy the embed code, paste it into your site, and your customers can use it too
- Printable reports – Print or save a clean pricing summary for your records or your customer
One bad bid can cost more than this entire tool. Try the free demo on our site and see for yourself.
Roofing Website Quote Calculator
“Call for a free estimate” is not much of a website feature anymore.
Homeowners want to know a ballpark number before they pick up the phone. If your roofing website gives them nothing but a phone number and a contact form, most of them leave. They go to the site that gives them something useful.
This calculator gives your website visitors a fast ballpark roofing estimate range. They punch in roof size, material, pitch, and a few other details. They see a number. They see your Call Now button. That is how a website turns browsers into callers.
Two Modes, One Tool
- Homeowner Mode – Simple inputs, clean ballpark range, Call Now button, save or print results. No email capture wall. No forced contact form. Just helpful pricing and a clear next step.
- Contractor Mode – Detailed internal estimates with material cost, labor, tear-off, permits, disposal, overhead, profit markup, sales tax, deposit, waste, and contingency. Use it at your desk or at the kitchen table.
Why Roofers Like It
- Editable pricing for every material type
- Adjustable multipliers for pitch, stories, complexity, condition, access, features, region, and urgency
- Custom colors, company name, phone, logo, badges, and disclaimer text
- Self-install HTML file. No monthly fee. No developer needed.
- Works on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and any site that supports custom HTML
- Visitors can save PDF, print, or copy their estimate
- Main CTA is Call Now, not a lead form
A custom roofing calculator built by a developer can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Monthly roofing software runs $100-$300/month. This is $67. One time. See the full demo here.
Contractor Job Costing Spreadsheet
You cannot fix profit you are not tracking.
Most contractors estimate the job, win the bid, do the work, and move on. They never go back and compare what they estimated against what the job actually cost. So they never find the leaks.
Maybe you underbid labor by 15%. Maybe material waste ran higher than expected. Maybe the job took two extra days that never showed up in the quote. You will not know unless you track it.
This spreadsheet bundle gives you everything you need to estimate jobs, track real costs, manage projects, and see your true profit in one place. No macros. No coding. No complicated software. Just open it in Excel or Google Sheets and start plugging in your numbers.
8 Tabs That Work Together
- Business Settings – Set your defaults for overhead, markup, tax, contingency, and deposit
- Estimate Builder – Build line-item estimates with auto-calculated overhead, markup, tax, contingency, and deposit
- Job Cost Tracker – Enter actual costs as the job progresses and compare against the estimate
- Project Tracker – Track every quote status, job status, payments, and follow-ups in one view
- Dashboard – See charts and key metrics for your whole business at a glance
- Quote Summary – Printable client-facing quote with signature lines
- Low margin warnings – Get flagged before a thin bid slips through
- Over-budget alerts – Know when a job is running hot before it is too late
- Deposit calculator – Track deposit collected and balance due
- Dropdown menus – For job status, project type, and lead source
Comes with a filled sample version so you can see exactly how it works, plus a blank version ready for your real numbers. Quick Start PDF included.
The Contractor Closer Kit
The most expensive words in contracting: “I thought that was included.”
You finished the bathroom remodel. The customer points at the hallway and says, “Oh, I assumed you were going to paint that too.” No change order. No written scope. Just an awkward silence and a choice between free work or a bad review.
This kit gives you the templates, scripts, and checklists to prevent that conversation from ever happening again. Collect deposits without sounding weird. Write change orders that protect you. Follow up with leads who went quiet. Screen out tire kickers before you waste a Tuesday driving to a “maybe.”
What You Get
- Estimate template + filled example
- Scope of work template + filled example
- Change order template + filled example
- Invoice template + filled example
- Deposit request scripts – text and email versions
- Price objection responses – for “your price is too high”
- Follow-up system – what to send and when
- Tire-kicker red flag checklist – spot them before you waste time
- Green flag lead checklist – know who to prioritize
- Phone pre-qualify script – ask the right questions before driving out
- Review request templates – text and email
- Payment protection clauses
- Upsell scripts + quick close scripts
- Polite decline scripts – for bad leads
- Warranty and expectations one-pager
- Contractor money rules cheat sheet
Both printable PDF and editable Word document included. Customize for your business, your trade, and your rules.
Which Tool Fixes Your Biggest Problem Right Now?
Weak pricing? Grab the Profit Calculator. Leaking job costs? Get the Spreadsheet. Dead website? Add the Roofing Calculator. Free extra work? The Closer Kit stops that.
Shop All Contractor Tools On EtsyHow These Tools Compare
Not all contractor tools are built the same. Here is a straight comparison so you can see where these fit.
| Feature | ISF Contractor Tools | Monthly Software ($100-$300/mo) | Free Templates | DIY / Napkin Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $29 – $67 one-time | $1,200 – $3,600/year | Free | Free |
| Monthly Fee | None | $100 – $300/mo | None | None |
| Setup Time | 10 – 30 minutes | Days to weeks | Varies | None |
| Built For Contractors | Yes – trade specific | Mostly yes | Usually generic | No |
| Ease of Use | Open and use | Learning curve | Varies | Easy but inaccurate |
| Website Ready | Yes (Profit Calc + Roofing Calc) | Some | No | No |
| Pricing / Margin Help | 6 calculators + benchmarks | Varies | Basic or none | None |
| Job Costing | Estimated vs. actual tracking | Yes | Basic | None |
| Paperwork Templates | Full kit: estimates, change orders, invoices, scripts | Some | Rarely | None |
| Follow-Up System | Scripts, checklists, timing | CRM-based | No | No |
| Best Fit | Small contractors who want simple, focused tools now | Larger teams with budget and time | Very basic needs | Winging it |
How It Works
No training videos. No webinars. No onboarding calls. Here is how you go from “I just bought this” to “this is already saving me money.”
- Pick the tool that fits your biggest problem. Weak pricing? The Profit Calculator. Leaking costs? The Job Costing Spreadsheet. Dead website? The Roofing Calculator. Doing free extra work? The Closer Kit. You do not need all four on day one.
- Buy it on Etsy and download instantly. Every tool is a digital download. You get the files immediately after purchase. No waiting, no shipping, no activation codes.
- Open it and read the Start Here guide. Every tool comes with a plain-English setup guide. It walks you through the first 10 minutes so you are not staring at a blank screen wondering what to do.
- Customize it for your business. Add your business name, your trade, your overhead percentage, your default margins. The Roofing Calculator lets you set your own material prices, labor rates, and branding. The Closer Kit is editable in Word so you can drop in your company info.
- Use it on your next job. Price a real bid. Track a real project. Install the calculator on your real website. Send a real change order. The faster you use it on actual work, the faster you see where the money was leaking.
These tools are built for contractors who are between jobs, sitting in the truck, or working at the kitchen table at 9 PM. They are not built for IT departments.
Contractor Tool FAQs
Real questions from real contractors. Honest answers. No fluff.
Contractor Profit & Pricing Calculator
How much profit should a contractor make on a job in 2026?
Most small contractors should aim for 15 to 25 percent net profit margin after all costs, including overhead, labor burden, materials, subs, and owner pay. That is the money left in the bank after the job is done and every bill is paid. The real number depends on your trade, your market, and how well you control costs. Specialty trades and custom work can push higher. Competitive commodity work may run thinner. The problem is that a lot of contractors think they are making 20 percent but the actual number is closer to 10 or 12 after everything is counted. That is the danger of not checking your real margin before you quote. If you do not know your margin, you are guessing. And guessing is how you stay busy and broke.
What is a good markup for a contractor?
A good markup for most small contractors falls between 1.4x and 1.67x on direct costs, depending on overhead and target profit margin. If you want a 20 percent net margin, you need at least a 25 percent markup, and that is before overhead. If overhead is 15 percent of revenue, the number goes higher. The mistake most contractors make is picking a markup number that sounds right and using it on every job without checking the math. A 25 percent markup does not give you a 25 percent profit margin. It gives you 20. A 50 percent markup gives you 33. Those gaps add up fast. The Contractor Profit Calculator has a markup vs. margin tab that shows both numbers before you send the quote.
What is the difference between markup and margin for contractors?
Markup is based on your cost. Margin is based on your selling price. They are related, but they are not the same number. If a job costs $10,000 and you add a 25 percent markup, your selling price is $12,500. Your margin on that sale is 20 percent, not 25. The difference sounds small until you multiply it across 20 or 30 jobs in a year. A contractor using a 20 percent markup when they want a 20 percent margin is actually making about 16.7 percent. On a $50,000 job, that is $1,650 left on the table. Over a full year, it adds up to a truck payment or more. The fix is simple: know the difference, run both numbers, and price accordingly.
How do I calculate overhead on a job?
Add up everything the business pays for that is not tied to a specific job. Truck payments, insurance, phone bill, tools, office rent, accounting, marketing, licenses, and your own salary for the hours you spend running the business instead of swinging a hammer. Divide that annual overhead total by your annual revenue and you get your overhead percentage. If your overhead is $60,000 and your revenue is $400,000, your overhead rate is 15 percent. That means every job needs to carry 15 percent on top of direct costs just to keep the business alive. Most contractors skip this step and price jobs based on materials plus labor plus a little profit. That “little profit” is paying the electric bill, not going in your pocket.
How do I calculate true labor cost with labor burden?
Start with the hourly wage. Then add payroll taxes, workers comp, liability insurance, health benefits, paid time off, and non-billable time. If you pay someone $25 an hour, your real cost might be $35 to $40 per hour after burden. If only 80 percent of their time is billable because of drive time, loading, cleanup, and admin, that pushes the true cost per billable hour even higher. A lot of contractors price labor at the wage. That is how they lose money on every job and wonder where the profit went. The Profit Calculator has a labor burden tab that breaks this down so you can see the real number.
How do I know if my bid is too low before I send it?
Check your net profit margin after overhead and labor burden are included. If the margin is under 15 percent, the bid is probably too thin. Also look at the minimum walk-away price, which is the lowest you can charge and still cover every cost with a razor-thin margin. If your proposed price is at or below that number, one surprise is all it takes to turn the job into a loss. Most contractors who underbid do not know they are underpricing until the job is over and the bank account tells them the truth. Checking the numbers before the quote goes out is cheaper than discovering the problem at the end.
What is a contractor profit calculator and do I need one?
A contractor profit calculator is a tool that helps you price jobs by calculating real margin, required markup, overhead recovery, labor burden, break-even revenue, and profit before you send a bid. It is not estimating software and it is not a CRM. It is a focused pricing tool for contractors who quote their own jobs and want to check the math before they commit. If you price jobs from memory or gut feel, you need one. If you have ever won a job and wondered where the money went, you need one. If you are unsure whether your current markup actually gives you the margin you think it does, you really need one.
Is a contractor pricing calculator worth $47?
One bad bid costs more than $47. Way more. If the calculator catches even one underpriced job this year, it pays for itself several times over. The average contractor who confuses markup and margin is leaving thousands on the table annually without knowing it. A contractor with 15 percent overhead who forgets to add it to bids is working for free on every job. For $47 you get six pricing tools, trade-specific benchmarks, printable reports, and a version you can put on your website. Compare that to a subscription estimating platform that charges $100 to $300 per month. The math is not close.
Can I use the Contractor Profit Calculator on my phone?
Yes. It is an HTML file that opens in any web browser. You can use it on your phone in the truck, on a tablet at the kitchen table, on your laptop at the desk, or embedded on your own business website. No app to download. No account to create. Just open it and use it. A lot of contractors keep it bookmarked and pull it up between jobs when they need to check a number before sending a quote.
Roofing Website Quote Calculator
How much does a roofing website calculator cost in 2026?
It depends on how you get one. Hiring a developer to build a custom roofing calculator from scratch can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more, depending on the features and the developer. Monthly roofing software platforms that include website calculators run $100 to $300 per month, which is $1,200 to $3,600 per year. The Roofing Website Quote Calculator from ISF is a one-time purchase of $67. It is a self-install HTML file with homeowner mode, contractor mode, editable pricing, and custom branding. No monthly fee. No developer bill. That is the difference between renting a tool and owning one.
Can I add a roofing calculator to my website without a developer?
Yes. If your website supports custom HTML, you can install it yourself. WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and most website builders have an option to add a custom HTML block to any page. You paste the calculator code into that block, hit save, and it is live. The whole process takes about five minutes. The ISF Roofing Calculator comes with a plain-English installation guide that walks you through it step by step. If you can copy and paste text from one document to another, you can install this calculator. If you have a web person, they can do it in two minutes.
What should a roofing quote calculator include?
At minimum it should include material selection, square footage input, roof pitch adjustment, and a clear price output. Beyond that, the best roofing calculators also include a Call Now button, save or print PDF option, editable pricing you control, custom branding so it looks like it belongs on your site, and a separate contractor mode for your own internal estimates. The ISF calculator also lets you adjust multipliers for stories, complexity, condition, access, features, region, and timeline urgency. The more useful you make it, the longer visitors stay and the more likely they are to call.
Can a roofing calculator help me get more leads from my website?
Yes, if your site currently has nothing interactive. Most roofing websites follow the same playbook: big hero photo, list of services, phone number, contact form. The visitor shows up, looks around for 10 seconds, and leaves. A calculator gives that visitor a reason to interact. They enter their roof details, see a realistic price range, and the Call Now button is right there. Interactive tools increase time on site, reduce bounce rate, and turn passive browsing into engagement. That is not theory. That is how interactive content performs across contractor websites. One serious phone call from a visitor who used your calculator can pay for the tool ten times over.
Is a roofing calculator better than a roofing estimate template?
They solve different problems. A roofing estimate template is a document you fill out after a site visit and send to the customer. It is a back-office tool. A roofing calculator is an interactive tool that lives on your website and engages visitors in real time. It is a front-door tool. A homeowner browsing your site at 10 PM is not going to download a template and fill it out. But they will spend 30 seconds using a calculator to see a ballpark number. One tool helps you close deals after the visit. The other helps you generate leads before the visit. If you want more phone calls from your website, the calculator is what gets that done.
How accurate are online roofing calculators?
A roofing website calculator should be accurate enough to be useful and honest enough not to overpromise. The goal is a ballpark range, not a binding bid. Homeowners understand that a final price requires an inspection. They just want to know if they are looking at an $8,000 job or a $25,000 job before they start calling around. If your calculator gives a range within 15 to 20 percent of reality, that is a good starting point. The ISF calculator lets you set all the pricing yourself based on your real costs and your market, so the accuracy is up to you. Do not lowball to get the phone to ring. Do not inflate to scare people off. Set it honest and let the real estimate do the rest.
Should roofers show prices on their website?
Yes. Most homeowners want to see at least some pricing before they call. If your website gives them nothing, they go to the competitor who does. Showing a price range does not lock you in. It sets expectations. It builds trust. And it filters out people who cannot afford your services before they waste your time with a phone call. The roofers who resist showing prices usually say “every job is different.” That is true. But it does not mean you cannot give a starting range. A roofing calculator lets you show ballpark numbers without committing to a fixed price. You control the ranges. You set the disclaimer. It is the middle ground between saying nothing and promising everything.
What is the best roofing calculator for a small roofing company?
The best one is the one you will actually install and use. For a small roofing company that does not want to pay monthly software fees or hire a developer, a self-install HTML calculator is the most practical option. It goes on your website, it uses your pricing, and you own it outright. The ISF Roofing Calculator includes homeowner mode for website visitors, contractor mode for internal estimates, fully editable pricing and branding, save/print PDF, and a Call Now button. All for $67 one-time. No recurring costs. No vendor lock-in. If one phone call from a website visitor turns into a job, it paid for itself before lunch.
Do I need to capture emails before showing the roofing estimate?
No. Gating a calculator behind an email form usually hurts more than it helps. Homeowners are tired of handing over their email just to get a number. Most will abandon the tool entirely if you force a form first. The smarter play is to let the calculator be open and useful, then put a clear Call Now button right next to the results. The homeowner gets value with zero friction. When they are ready for the next step, your phone number is right there. You get warmer calls from people who already have context, instead of a list of cold emails from people who may never respond.
Contractor Job Costing Spreadsheet
What is the best job costing spreadsheet for contractors?
The best one is practical, has contractor-specific features, and does not require a degree in accounting to figure out. A good contractor job costing spreadsheet should include an estimate builder, a cost tracker, overhead and markup calculations, a printable quote, and a way to compare estimated vs. actual costs. The ISF Job Costing Spreadsheet has eight tabs that handle all of that, works in Excel and Google Sheets, includes sample data so you can see how it works, and has no macros or plugins. If you want to know whether your jobs are actually making money, you need a tool that tracks the answer.
How do contractors track job costs?
Most small contractors do not track job costs at all. They estimate the job, win the bid, do the work, collect payment, and move on. They have no idea if the job made money or lost money until they look at their bank balance at the end of the month. The contractors who do track costs use spreadsheets, accounting software, or project management platforms. A simple job costing spreadsheet lets you enter estimated costs before the job and actual costs as the job progresses. At the end you compare the two. That is how you find out where you are underpricing labor, overspending on materials, or losing money to scope creep you never documented.
What should a contractor job costing spreadsheet include?
At minimum it should let you build an estimate with line items, add overhead and markup, track actual costs against that estimate, and show whether the job made or lost money. Beyond that, look for deposit tracking, payment tracking, a project overview that shows all your active jobs in one place, and a quote summary you can print for the customer. Dropdown menus for status and lead source save time. Alerts for low margin and over-budget jobs catch problems early. The ISF spreadsheet includes all of this across eight tabs, including a dashboard with charts and key metrics for the whole business.
Can I use the job costing spreadsheet in Google Sheets?
Yes. The spreadsheet is delivered in .xlsx format, which opens in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. To use it in Google Sheets, upload the file to your Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. All the formulas, formatting, dropdowns, and conditional formatting carry over. There are no macros, scripts, or plugins, so compatibility is clean. You can also share it with a partner or bookkeeper through Google Drive without emailing files back and forth.
How do I compare estimated vs. actual job costs?
Enter your estimated costs before the job starts. As the project progresses, enter your actual costs in the tracking tab. The spreadsheet calculates the difference automatically. You will see which line items came in over or under budget, whether your total costs exceeded the estimate, and what your actual profit margin was compared to what you expected. This is where the real learning happens. If labor runs over by 15 percent on every job, you are not estimating labor right. If materials consistently cost more than expected, your supplier prices need updating. You cannot fix what you do not measure.
How do I track overhead and profit on a job?
Set your overhead percentage in the business settings tab. The spreadsheet automatically adds it to every estimate so you are recovering overhead on every bid. Profit is calculated after overhead, and you can set your desired margin in the settings as well. As actual costs come in during the project, the tracker shows whether the job is on track to hit your target margin or if it is drifting. The dashboard pulls in data from all jobs and shows your overall overhead recovery, profit margins, and revenue numbers. That gives you the full picture, not just the one-job snapshot.
What is the best way to track project costs for a small contractor?
Keep it simple. A contractor-specific spreadsheet beats napkin math, and it does not come with a monthly bill. The goal is to get your estimated costs, actual costs, and profit margin visible for every job. That is the minimum. Once you have that, you start seeing patterns. Which types of jobs are most profitable. Which ones eat you alive. Where your estimates are consistently off. You do not need a $200/month platform to answer those questions. You need a clean spreadsheet with the right structure and the discipline to update it. If you want something more advanced later, the data you build in a spreadsheet transfers to any platform.
Do small contractors need job costing software?
Not necessarily. Full job costing software is built for contractors with office staff, multiple crews, and hundreds of jobs a year. If that is you, software might make sense. But if you are a one-truck to five-truck operation doing 20 to 50 jobs a year, a well-built spreadsheet gives you everything you need at a fraction of the cost. The key is actually using it. The best tool in the world does nothing if it sits in a folder. A spreadsheet you open twice a week and update with real numbers beats expensive software you logged into once and forgot about.
Contractor Closer Kit
What should a contractor change order template include?
A good change order should include the project name, client name, date, a clear description of the change, the cost impact, the schedule impact, and signatures from both parties. It should be written plainly enough that nobody can say “I did not understand it” later. The reason change orders matter is simple: verbal agreements disappear the moment there is a disagreement. If the customer asks for something extra and you agree without writing it down, you just donated your time. The Closer Kit includes a change order template with a filled example so you can see exactly how to use it.
How do I ask a customer for a deposit without it being awkward?
Frame it as standard business practice, because it is. Say something like, “We collect a deposit to reserve your spot on the schedule and cover initial material orders. Here is our deposit agreement with the project details and timeline.” When you hand them a clean, professional document instead of awkwardly asking for money, the whole conversation changes. It feels like a business transaction, not a personal favor. The Closer Kit includes deposit request scripts in text and email format, plus a deposit agreement template. The scripts are written in plain English so you can copy, paste, and send without rewriting the whole thing.
What should a contractor estimate include?
A solid estimate should include the project description, scope of work, materials, labor, timeline, payment terms, what is included, and what is not included. That last part matters the most. The phrase “what is not included” prevents 90 percent of the “I thought that was part of the deal” conversations. Your estimate should also have your company name, contact info, date, and a signature line. A clean, professional estimate builds trust and sets the tone for the entire project. If your estimate looks like it was scribbled on the back of a receipt, the customer’s confidence in your work starts low before you swing a hammer.
How do I stop doing free extra work as a contractor?
Write a clear scope of work before the project starts. When the customer asks for something extra, say, “I can definitely do that. Let me write up a change order with the additional cost and we will get it handled.” That sentence is the entire solution. The reason contractors end up doing free work is not because they are pushovers. It is because they do not have a system for handling requests that fall outside the original agreement. A written scope and a change order template give you the words and the paperwork to protect yourself without being rude. The free contractor lead tools page has some helpful starting points too.
How do I write a scope of work for a contractor job?
List every task you plan to do. Then list what you are not doing. Be specific. Instead of “paint the kitchen,” write “paint kitchen walls and ceiling, two coats of latex paint, customer selects color, does not include trim, cabinets, or wall repair.” The more specific your scope, the fewer arguments you have later. It takes five extra minutes to write and saves hours of uncomfortable conversations. The Closer Kit includes a scope of work template with a filled-out example so you can see the level of detail that protects you.
What should a contractor invoice template include?
Your company name and contact info, the customer’s name, the project name, invoice date, invoice number, a line-item description of work completed, the total amount due, payment terms, accepted payment methods, and any remaining balance after deposit. Keep it clean and easy to read. A professional invoice gets paid faster than a text message that says “hey, you owe me $4,800.” The Closer Kit includes an invoice template you can customize in Word and a filled example showing how it should look.
How should a contractor follow up after sending an estimate?
Follow up within two to three business days with a short, friendly message. Something like, “Hey, just checking in on the estimate I sent over for the deck project. Happy to answer any questions or adjust the scope if needed.” That is it. Not pushy. Not desperate. Just a professional check-in. Most contractors send the estimate and then never follow up. The lead goes cold. The job goes to the contractor who texted back. A follow-up system with timing and templates solves this. The Closer Kit includes a full follow-up sequence. You can also use the free estimate follow-up text generator on our site.
What is a contractor sales kit?
A contractor sales kit is a collection of templates, scripts, and checklists designed to help you close more jobs, collect deposits, handle objections, follow up on estimates, and protect your profit throughout the project. It is the business side of contracting in a box. Most contractors are good at the work but not great at the sales and paperwork part. A sales kit gives you the words, the forms, and the system so you do not have to figure it out from scratch. The Closer Kit includes over 20 pieces, from estimate templates to upsell scripts to a tire-kicker red flag checklist.
Pick Your Tool Before The Next Bad Bid Picks Your Pocket
Every job you underprice, every lead you forget to follow up with, every change order you handle with a handshake instead of paperwork costs you real money. These tools cost less than one bad bid.
Free Contractor Resources
Not ready to buy yet? No problem. Use these free tools and resources on the site. No email required. No strings.
- Free Contractor Profit Calculator Demo – Try all six pricing tools before you buy
- Free Roofing Calculator Demo – See the homeowner and contractor modes in action
- Free Contractor Lead Tools – Lead generation tools you can use right now
- Free Contractor Business Calculator – Quick business number checks
- Estimate Follow-Up Text Generator – Generate follow-up texts for estimates you sent
- Missed Call Text Generator – Auto-reply texts for missed calls from leads
