What should a construction proposal include?

A construction proposal should include your company and license info, the customer and project, a clear scope of work, exclusions, the price and whether tax is included, payment terms, a validity date, and a signature line.

What is the difference between a proposal, a bid, and an estimate?

An estimate is your best-guess price. A bid is a firm price offered to win a job. A proposal is the full document that presents the scope, price, and terms for the customer to accept and sign.

Should a proposal include exclusions?

Yes. Clearly listing what is not included prevents disputes later and protects you from being expected to do work you didn't price.

Free Construction Proposal Template (What to Include)

Look professional and protect yourself — for any trade.

A good proposal wins the job and keeps you out of trouble. A vague one gets you a "we went with someone else," or worse, an argument at invoice time. Here's exactly what to include, plus a free template you can copy.

What every construction proposal should include

Your company info — name, address, phone, email, license number
Proposal number and dates — including a "valid until" date
Customer and project — who and where
Scope of work — a clear, itemized list of what you'll do
Exclusions — what's NOT included (this is the part most people skip and regret)
Price — the number, and whether tax is included
Payment terms — deposit, progress payments, balance due
Signature line — acceptance turns it into an agreement

The two lines that save you money: a clear exclusions list and a "valid for 30 days" date. Exclusions stop scope creep; the expiry date protects you from a customer accepting a six-month-old price after material costs jumped.

Free template

Here's the structure — copy it into your own document:

[COMPANY] Proposal #[0000]
Date: [__] · Valid until: [__]
Prepared for: [Customer / project]

Scope of Work
• [item] • [item] • [item]

Not Included
• [exclusion] • [exclusion]

Price: $[____] ([tax included / not included])
Payment: [50%] deposit, balance [on completion]

Accepted by: __________ Date: ______

Write it in five minutes with AI

Fill the blanks yourself, or hand your scope and price to a chat AI and have it write the whole thing in a clean, professional tone — then check the numbers. That's one of the six jobs covered in the AI toolkit for estimators, which includes this proposal template plus a change-order form, bid tracker, and a pre-built assistant.

Get the free template + AI toolkit →

Send it as a branded PDF the customer approves online

Typing proposals in a word processor gets old. Fieldscale builds the proposal from your price book, exports a branded PDF, and gives the customer a link to approve it online — then turns the approved proposal into a job and an invoice automatically. And for the quantities behind it, use the free BuildTally calculators.

Frequently asked questions

Is a proposal legally binding?

Once both parties sign and there's agreed consideration, a proposal generally becomes a binding contract. Have a professional review your terms if the jobs are large.

How long should a proposal be?

As short as it can be while still covering scope, exclusions, price, and terms. One clear page beats five vague ones.