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Construction proposal template.

A proposal in 5 minutes. Fill in five steps on the left, watch it build on the right, send it before you leave the driveway.

Free. No account. Rather fill it in by hand? Download the Word or PDF template.

You’re looking at an example.

Subtotal$544,400

Tip: say it like you would on site. “Frame the house” beats “structural framing package.” Price = the total for that line.

Saved on this device as you type.

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Text it to the client

Smith Built

Custom homes · Bastrop, TX · Lic. #TX-RB-48211

Proposal

No. 2026-031 · Oct 12, 2026

Prepared for

Dana & Luis M.

418 Cedar Ridge Rd, Bastrop TX 78602

Project

Custom home · 2,850 sq ft

4 bed, 3 bath, slab on grade, metal roof

ScopeQtyPrice
Site prep & foundation1 lot$46,500
Framing & roof2,850 sq ft$119,700
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC1 lot$94,800
Interior finishes2,850 sq ft$165,300
Exterior, siding & windows1 lot$81,200
Allowances (fixtures, tile)1 lot$36,900
Total$544,400

Timeline · about 9 months

Start Jan 12, 2027Keys Oct 2027

Payment terms

10% deposit to hold your start date. 5 draws tied to inspections. Final 5% at walkthrough.

Mike Smith

Mike Smith, Smith Built

Client signature & date

Valid 30 days(512) 555-0148 · smithbuilt.com

FreeNo account. Your proposals stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.

“Text it to the client” opens your texting app with a short summary. Attach the PDF from your downloads.

5 min

Send it from the driveway

The builder who sends first looks the most serious. Beat the other two bids by a week.

1 page

Clients actually read it

Scope, price, timeline, terms. Plain words. No 14-page spreadsheet they forward to a cousin.

1 tap

Sent by text, not email

One tap opens a text to your client with the price and start date. People read texts. Emails sit.

Free download

Rather fill it in by hand?

The same 11 parts as the maker above, blank. Edit the Word file on your computer, or print the PDF and take it to the site walk.

Word · .docxConstruction proposal templateDownload ↓PDF · print itBlank proposal, 2 pagesDownload ↓

What to include

What goes in a construction proposal.

Eleven parts. Leave one out and it usually comes back as an argument at the end of the job.

  1. Your companyName, license number, phone and email. Clients check the license.
  2. The client and job siteWho it’s for and the address of the work.
  3. Project summaryOne or two sentences on what you’ll build and what they end up with.
  4. Scope of workOne line per item, with quantity and price. The clearer this is, the fewer arguments later.
  5. AllowancesA budget for things the client still picks, like tile or fixtures.
  6. Not includedPermits, engineering, landscaping, whatever isn’t in your price. Say it now, not at the final walkthrough.
  7. TimelineStart date, the main phases and an estimated finish.
  8. Payment scheduleThe deposit and each draw, tied to a milestone the client can see.
  9. Change ordersHow changes get priced and signed before the work happens.
  10. WarrantyWhat you stand behind and for how long.
  11. SignaturesBoth names, signatures and dates, plus a “valid until” date.

Step by step

How to write a construction proposal.

  1. 1
    Walk the site first

    Measure, take photos and ask what they want it to feel like when it’s done. Write the scope from your notes, not from memory.

  2. 2
    Do the estimate

    Price materials and labor line by line, then add overhead, profit and contingency. That math stays with you.

  3. 3
    Write the scope in plain words

    One line per item. “Install 32 LF of base cabinets, client-selected, per allowance” beats “kitchen work”.

  4. 4
    List what’s not included

    Most fights at the end of a job are about something nobody wrote down at the start.

  5. 5
    Tie payments to milestones

    Each draw lines up with something the client can see: foundation done, dried in, finishes done.

  6. 6
    Send it the same day

    The first proposal in usually looks the most serious. Text it, then follow up on day 1, 3 and 7.

Not the same thing

Estimate, bid or proposal?

Estimate

Your cost math: materials, labor, overhead and profit. It stays with you. Free estimate template →

Bid

Your price for a job someone else has scoped, usually against other builders, often for commercial work.

Proposal

What the client sees and signs: scope, price, timeline and payment terms. That’s this page.

Straight answers

Proposal questions builders ask.

Is a construction proposal a contract?

Once the client signs it, it usually works as one, as long as it has the scope, the price, the timeline and the payment terms. Many builders also use a separate contract for bigger jobs. Have yours checked for your state.

How much deposit should I ask for?

Many builders ask for 10% to start. Some states cap it: California, for example, limits home-improvement down payments to $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less. Check your state’s rules before you set yours.

How long should a proposal be good for?

30 days is common. Material prices move, so put a “valid until” date on every proposal and reprice after it.

What’s the difference between an allowance and an exclusion?

An allowance is money in your price for something the client still picks, like tile. If they pick something pricier, the difference is a change order. An exclusion is something not in your price at all, like permits or landscaping.

Should I use the Word file, the PDF or the maker on this page?

Use the maker if you want it done from your phone in 5 minutes. Use the Word file if you want your own layout. Print the PDF if you write proposals by hand on site.

Great proposals need people to send them to.

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