What to put on a subcontractor price sheet
Short answer: For each trade, list the item, the unit it is priced by, the price, what is included, what is not, any minimum charge, the date you confirmed it, and how long it holds. A price without those lines invites a second phone call.
The columns that matter
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Trade | Keeps electrical, plumbing and painting from mixing. |
| Item | One thing you price: "outlet, standard", "ceiling fan install", "interior paint, per room". |
| Unit | Each, per foot, per square foot, per hour. A price without a unit cannot be multiplied. |
| Unit price | The number the sub stands behind. |
| What's included | "Labor and standard device", "materials supplied by GC". |
| Exclusions and conditions | Access, height, drywall repair, permits, disposal. Most disputes start here. |
| Minimum charge | Small jobs often cost more than quantity times price. |
| Date confirmed | Prices age. |
| Valid until | Or "until I say otherwise". |
| Confirmed by | The person who stands behind it. |
Habits that keep a sheet useful
- One line per thing you actually price. Fifty vague lines are worse than fifteen clear ones.
- Write exclusions in plain words. "Does not include opening walls" beats "standard conditions".
- Add a line the first time you get asked. Build the sheet while you quote, not as homework.
- Mark prices that need a second look, such as seasonal materials.
- Change a price on the sheet, not in a text. Past quotes should keep the amounts they used.
For general contractors
When you collect sheets from several subs, keep each sub's sheet separate and put your markup on your own quote, not on theirs. If a line is missing for a job, that is a question for the sub, not a gap to fill with a guess.
Using the free template
The template is two small spreadsheet files you can open in Excel or Google Sheets: a price sheet with example rows (clearly marked EXAMPLE, prices left blank) and a job-quote calculator that multiplies quantities by unit prices and adds your markup. Neither collects any data, and neither needs a sign-up. Delete the example rows and use your own numbers.
If you would rather keep the price book where your general contractors can request job quotes from it, with you confirming every new price, see how PriceDesk does it. PriceDesk is in private beta; paid public release is disabled.
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