Project estimating

Build an itemized home-project estimate before you ask for quotes or buy materials.

Start with Project Workspace material quantities or a blank estimate, add labor, rentals, permits, subcontracted work and other known costs, then keep contingency and actual spend separate. Everything stays in this browser.

Estimate source

Choose a Workspace project or build a standalone estimate

Workspace import copies the current material roll-up into estimate lines. It does not change calculator math or overwrite the project.

Open Project Workspace →

Estimate / projectEstimate nameScope / assumptions

Saved only in this browser.

Estimate settings

Keep the budget target and reserve visible

Rates begin at zero. Enter current quotes, known fees or your own planning allowances; Home Measure Lab does not invent local prices.

CurrencyBudget target (optional)Contingency reserve

Estimate dashboard

Planned total, actual coverage and variance

Itemized estimate

Quantity × entered rate, grouped by cost type

Use one line for one comparable scope item. Record actual cost only after it is known; blank actual values are not treated as zero.

Estimate sequence

Scope → quantify → price → reserve → quote → reconcile

Write the scope and exclusions before pricing.
Import or enter measured material quantities.
Add labor, rentals, permits and other known work.
Use current quotes or explicit allowances for rates.
Add contingency without hiding it inside line-item prices.
After purchase or invoicing, record actual cost separately.

Open Purchase Planner Open Project Execution Project Budget Worksheet

Boundary

This is a homeowner planning estimate

The estimator organizes user-entered quantities and rates. It does not fetch live prices, infer contractor markup, calculate jurisdiction-specific tax, or replace a contractor proposal or signed contract.

Estimate lines, scope notes and actual-cost entries stay in this browser unless the user prints, copies or exports them.