Free deck estimate template (new decks, rebuilds, railings, stairs)

A fill-in estimate for residential decks: new builds and tear-out-and-rebuild jobs, with your pricing basis written on it. It has lines for the deck surface, framing, footings and posts, railings, stairs, hardware, tear-out of an old deck, permits, and optional add-ons like stain or lighting. Type it in on this page, then print it or save it as a PDF to send. The gray hints in each line are only suggestions and don't print.

Nothing leaves your device. Everything you type into the estimate stays in this browser tab. It isn't uploaded, saved, or sent anywhere, so refreshing or closing the page clears it. Save as PDF before you close it.

What a deck estimate should spell out

"Build a deck off the back door" leaves a lot open: how big, what it's made of, how it's held up, whether it has railings and stairs, and what happens to the old one. Writing those down keeps quotes comparable and avoids an argument after the build. A few habits help:

• State your pricing basis, and say how you measured. Say whether you price per square foot of deck surface or as one job price. For square feet, write the size and how you got it (measured on site, or taken from a plan the customer gave you), and say whether stairs and landings are counted in the footage or priced on their own lines. Price railings per linear foot and stairs per step or per flight, and say which.
• Framing on its own line. Write what the frame includes (for example joists, beams, and blocking) and the lumber you'll use, or say it's included in the per-square-foot price. A separate line makes it easier to compare quotes and to price changes.
• Decking material, and who supplies it. Say what the walking surface is: pressure-treated wood, composite, or another material, with the brand, line, or color if it's chosen. Say whether that's your recommendation or the customer's choice, and who buys it. If the customer supplies the boards, say what your price covers and what it doesn't.
• Footings and posts. Put the number of footings and posts on their own line (per footing or flat), and say what they're made of as you plan to build them. If the price depends on what you hit when you dig, say so.
• Attached with a ledger, or freestanding. Say how the deck is supported: attached to the house with a ledger board, or freestanding on its own posts and beams. That's your design choice as the contractor (unless a plan, permit, or inspector sets it), so write it on the estimate and the customer knows what they're buying.
• Railings per linear foot. Write how many feet of railing, the style and material, and whether the stair rail is counted in the same footage or on its own line.
• Stairs per step or per flight. Say how many steps or flights, what they land on (for example a pad, pavers, or the lawn), and whether the landing is included.
• Fasteners and hardware. Say whether screws, hangers, brackets, and other hardware are in the price or on their own line, and name the kind you'll use if the customer asked (for example hidden fasteners on composite).
• Tear-out and haul-away of an old deck, separately. Taking down an old deck and hauling it away is real work with its own disposal cost. Put it on its own line (flat or per square foot), or say it's not included.
• Permits, inspections, and HOA approval. Permit, inspection, and HOA rules for decks vary by city, county, and neighborhood. Say on the estimate who applies for the permit and any HOA approval (the owner or you), and put any permit or inspection fee you handle on its own line.
• Call 811 before digging footings. Say that buried utility lines will be marked before you dig footing holes. 811 is the free national before-you-dig service: contact 811 or your state 811 center's website a few business days before digging, and wait until the utilities have marked their lines; see call811.com. Also ask the customer where private lines run (for example sprinklers, lighting, or a line to a shed), since those may not be marked.
• Stop and price what you can't see yet. Say that if you find rot in the existing framing or in the house rim where a ledger would go, other hidden damage once boards come up, or rock or large roots where footings go, you'll stop, show the customer, and price the extra work as a change before going on. Changes to the size, shape, or materials after the estimate are priced as a change too.
• Add-ons as optional lines. List stain or sealer, deck lighting, skirting around the base, and built-in benches or planters as separate optional lines, so the customer can pick and the base price stays clear.
• Site access and protection. Write how you'll get materials to the back yard (for example through a gate, or carried around the house), what you'll protect (for example the lawn, siding, or a nearby patio), and that the customer moves furniture, grills, and anything breakable out of the work area.
• Weather delays. Write your own rule for rain days and how rescheduling works, and say that weather can move the finish date, so a delay isn't an argument.
• Valid-until date, deposit, and payment terms. How long the price holds (lumber and decking prices can change), any deposit to order materials or schedule the build, when the balance is due, and how you take payment, including your own payment link if you use one. See how to ask for a deposit for wording.
• Your workmanship vs. the manufacturer's material warranty. If you offer a warranty on your own work, write what it covers and for how long. Decking and other materials may come with a separate warranty from their manufacturer, on that maker's own terms. Say which is which, and don't promise anything on the manufacturer's behalf.

For the longer walk-through (scope wording, exclusions, change orders, sign-off), see how to write a contractor estimate.

This is a general template, not legal advice. Contractor licensing, permits, inspections, building codes, HOA rules, and sales tax vary by state, county, and city, so check your local rules before you quote and put anything the job needs on its own line.

Your estimate

Job done? Use the free printable invoice template to bill for it. Need a plain version without deck hints? Use the general estimate template. Fencing the yard around the new deck? Use the fence estimate template. Pouring a patio or a pad at the foot of the stairs? Use the concrete estimate template. Cleaning an old deck instead of replacing it? Use the pressure washing estimate template. Small repairs on the same visit? Use the handyman estimate template.

Doing this from your phone

Pencilslip is in development: it will build deck estimates like this from your phone, with job photos and your own payment links. Want to hear when it's ready?

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