A construction proposal template that separates the promise from the price.
Scope, exclusions, schedule, payment terms, and a bid schedule by division, laid out so the customer signs the document and not just the number.
Get the construction proposal template
A working spreadsheet, not a picture of one. The totals, overhead, and margin are live formulas. We email it over, so no download to lose track of.
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A construction proposal is two documents pretending to be one. The first is a promise: what you will build, what you will not, when, and on what terms. The second is a price, broken down far enough that the customer trusts it and not so far that they argue every line. Most construction proposal templates are good at one half and treat the other as an afterthought.
The layout below keeps them apart on purpose. The written sections are the contract the customer is actually agreeing to. The bid schedule is the arithmetic behind the total, and the spreadsheet version carries the overhead and margin lines so the number is right before it reaches the page.
The proposal, section by section
| Section | What goes in it | Why it is its own section |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Your company, license number, customer, project address, proposal number, date, valid-until date | A proposal with no expiry is a price you are stuck with in six months |
| Scope of work | What you will build, by area or division, in plain sentences | This is the part that gets read aloud in a dispute |
| Exclusions | What the price does not include: permits, engineering, utility fees, landscaping repair, hazardous material | Every exclusion you write is a change order you will not have to fight for |
| Allowances | Owner-selected items with a per-unit or lump allowance: fixtures, tile, countertops | Lets the customer choose later without re-bidding |
| Bid schedule | Line items by division with quantity, unit, unit price, and total | The spreadsheet half; see below |
| Schedule | Start window, duration, and what delays the clock (selections, weather, inspections) | A date with no conditions is a date you will miss |
| Payment terms | Deposit, progress draws tied to milestones, final payment, late terms | Cash flow is decided here, not on the invoice |
| Change orders | How changes are priced and approved, in writing, before work | The clause that protects the margin on every job that changes |
| Warranty | Workmanship period and what it covers; manufacturer warranties passed through | Set the expectation before the first callback |
| Acceptance | Signature, printed name, date, for both parties | Unsigned proposals are suggestions |
The bid schedule
The spreadsheet is organized by division, roughly in the order the work happens, with a quantity and unit price on every line and a subtotal, overhead recovery, and profit margin at the bottom. The divisions are a starting list, not a rule; delete the ones your project does not touch rather than leaving them blank, because an explicit zero is information and a blank is a question.
| Division | Typical lines | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| General conditions | Permits and fees, supervision, dumpster, portable toilet, temporary protection, cleanup | Lump, days, each |
| Demolition | Selective demo, haul-off, disposal | Hours, loads |
| Site and concrete | Excavation, footings, slab, flatwork | Cubic yards, square feet |
| Framing | Walls, headers, blocking, sheathing | Square feet, linear feet |
| Exterior | Roofing, siding, windows, doors | Squares, square feet, each |
| Mechanical, electrical, plumbing | Rough-in and trim by trade; equipment | Each, fixtures, circuits |
| Insulation and drywall | Insulation by cavity, board hang and finish | Square feet |
| Finishes | Flooring, tile, paint, trim, cabinets, countertops | Square feet, linear feet, each |
| Allowances | Owner selections carried at a stated amount | Lump |
| Totals | Job cost subtotal, overhead recovery, profit (as a margin), price to customer | Sum, percent, percent |
Sample proposal language
Scope: "Contractor will remove the existing kitchen cabinetry, countertops, and flooring; relocate the sink supply and drain approximately four feet west; install owner-selected cabinetry and quartz countertops per the attached layout; and install luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout the kitchen and adjoining hallway. Electrical work is limited to two new 20A small-appliance circuits and under-cabinet lighting."
Exclusions: "This proposal does not include permit fees, structural engineering, repair of concealed conditions discovered after demolition, appliances, or painting of adjoining rooms. Concealed conditions will be priced as a written change order before work proceeds."
Payment: "Thirty percent on acceptance. Forty percent on completion of rough-in inspection. Balance on substantial completion, prior to final walkthrough punch list. Invoices are due within seven days."
Filling it in
Write the scope before the price, not after. A scope written to justify a number already decided tends to be vague in exactly the places that cost money later. Price the schedule from a real cost book, with labor at a burdened rate and profit entered as a margin rather than a markup; the markup vs margin calculator shows why those are different numbers.
Then read the exclusions as the customer will: every item that is not in the scope and not in the exclusions is a conversation you will have on site with the clock running. The full reasoning on documents is in estimate, quote, bid, proposal: what the difference actually is.
When a template stops being enough
A proposal template formats the promise. It does not remember what the customer said about the pantry wall, and it does not stop two estimators on your team pricing the same kitchen two different ways. FlyQuote builds the proposal from a lead record that already holds the photos, the call, and the answers, prices every line from your own cost codes, and sends it as a branded page the customer signs. The proposal guide shows what that looks like.