Create a clear estimate or invoice without an account
For contractors preparing a customer document in their browser. The studio stores one local draft, calculates itemized totals and provides a clean print layout; it does not send invoices, process payments or collect signatures.
Formula and worked example
Line amount = quantity × rate, rounded to cents. Subtotal = line amounts. Discount = subtotal × discount%. Tax = discounted taxable lines × tax%. Retainage = discounted pre-tax subtotal × retainage%. Current due = total after tax − retainage.
Suppose concrete is 12 yd³ × $165 = $1,980 and site preparation is $1,000. Subtotal is $2,980. A 10% discount leaves $2,682. If only concrete is taxable at 8%, tax is $142.56 after the proportional discount. Five percent retainage is $134.10. Total is $2,824.56 and proposed current payment is $2,690.46. Tax and retainage treatment are assumptions to verify for the job.
Choose an estimate or an invoice deliberately
An estimate describes proposed work and its price assumptions. An invoice requests payment for the work or billing event you identify. Choose the document type before entering the number, date and due or valid-until date. The studio changes the visible labels, but it does not decide whether work was accepted, completed or billable under the agreement. Those facts come from your project records.
Use a meaningful document number so the saved file and customer copy can be connected with the job. Enter the contractor and client details as you want them printed, including relevant contact or address information. A project label helps distinguish work for a customer with several sites. The document remains a local draft until you print or export it and share it through your own process.
Describe line items with a consistent quantity and unit
Each item has a description, quantity, unit and unit price. The line amount multiplies quantity by price and rounds to cents. A line for twelve cubic yards at a price per cubic yard is different from one complete installed job at a fixed quoted amount. Make the unit visible so a client can understand the basis instead of treating every quantity as an unexplained multiplier.
Descriptions can include the scope or a concise reference to supporting documents, but a price table should not hide exclusions or schedule conditions. The studio supports up to thirty lines and does not silently delete rows from the printed copy. Add separate items where it makes the work easier to understand. Review quantities and rates after importing a takeoff, because that transferred line contains a full modeled bid rather than an automatic material-only charge.
Add a takeoff bid without replacing the draft
A visual tool's Prepare estimate line action creates a local session transfer. When you open the studio, it shows the pending description and price with an Add takeoff line button. Nothing is added to an existing document until you choose that button. A completely blank starting line can be replaced by the transfer; otherwise the new item is appended so the current document remains visible.
The transferred quantity is one job and the rate is the takeoff's modeled bid. It is not a second set of material quantities to add on top of the same installed scope. Review the description, tax status, unit and price before using it. Dismiss a transfer if it is no longer relevant. The transfer is local to this browser session and is not sent through a URL or a server.
Apply discounts and tax to the intended basis
The discount percentage applies to the whole subtotal and is distributed proportionally when calculating the taxable portion. Mark each line that should be taxable under your actual treatment. The tax rate then applies only to those discounted taxable amounts. The tool does not infer taxability from a line description, your address or the state where the project is located.
Review the resulting tax treatment for the transaction rather than assuming that the example matches local requirements. Rounding is performed at the displayed line and total stages so the document's dollar amounts reconcile. A discount changes the amount charged; it does not reduce the underlying job cost. Check the financial effect separately if you want to know whether the revised selling price still meets your margin goal.
Keep retained money separate from a price reduction
Retainage is calculated on the discounted pre-tax subtotal in this studio. It reduces the proposed current payment or current amount due, while remaining part of the total contract or invoice amount. This basis is stated beside the inputs because agreements and tax treatment can differ. A five percent retainage is not the same as giving the client another five percent discount.
Write the agreed payment schedule, acceptance conditions and release terms in the terms area. Add scope exclusions and other relevant notes separately. The studio does not decide when retainage is collectible or whether a client has accepted an estimate. Its signature line is a space for a process outside the tool, not an electronic-signature service. Check cash timing separately if retained amounts affect your ability to fund the work.
Print a customer copy and keep a recoverable backup
Print / Save PDF opens the browser's print dialog. Choose a printer or Save as PDF and review the preview before sharing the document. The print stylesheet removes the site's navigation, footer and editing controls. Short documents are arranged to fit a page, while longer descriptions, terms or item lists continue onto additional pages rather than clipping important rows or shrinking them into unreadable text.
The JSON backup preserves editable fields; a printed PDF preserves the customer-facing document. Download both when you need an archive. Restoring a backup requires an explicit replacement choice so a selected file does not silently overwrite the current draft. Local storage belongs to this browser and domain and can be removed by clearing site data. It is convenient working storage, not a substitute for saved records you control.
Frequently asked questions
Is an email address or account required?
No. The studio works without an account or email capture. Document fields remain in local browser storage and are not sent to a server by this tool.
Does retainage reduce the total invoice?
It reduces current due, not the total amount. The studio calculates it on the discounted pre-tax subtotal. Confirm that this basis matches the actual agreement and transaction treatment.
Can every document print on exactly one page?
Short documents are designed for a compact page. Longer descriptions, terms or item lists can need more pages. The layout preserves all rows instead of hiding content to force a one-page output.