Why list every opening separately?

Because sizes, styles, and install difficulty vary across a house, and a per-opening schedule is what lets a customer drop three windows to fit a budget without you rebuilding the whole quote. It's also the document your supplier order is built from.

Insert or full-frame — should I quote both?

Quote the one the openings actually need, and explain the difference. Insert is faster and cheaper but keeps the existing frame; full-frame is the only option where the frame is rotted and it's the only way to correct flashing. Presenting both without explaining which the house requires just invites the cheaper wrong choice.

How do I price rot found after removal?

As an as-found rate per linear foot of sill or jamb, stated on the estimate and billed with photo approval. Rot behind an old window is extremely common — pricing the rate in advance keeps it a change order rather than a standoff with an open wall.

Window and Door Replacement Estimate Template (Free)

What belongs on the estimate

Business name, license number, contact info
Customer name, property address, phone
Unit schedule — every opening with size, style, glass package
Install method — insert or full-frame, per opening
Interior trim and exterior capping
Removal and disposal
Permit and inspection at cost
As-found rot rate
Payment schedule and exclusions

The template

[Your Business Name] · License #________
[Phone] · [Email]

Estimate #____        Date: __________
Prepared For: [Customer Name]   Phone: __________
Property: _____________________________________
Manufacturer / line: ___________________________

UNIT SCHEDULE
# | Location      | Size      | Style   | Method
--|---------------|-----------|---------|--------
1 | [kitchen]     | __ x __   | DH      | insert
2 | [bed 1]       | __ x __   | slider  | full
3 | [front]       | __ x __   | ent door| full

--------------------------------------------------
Description                              Amount
--------------------------------------------------
Windows — ___ units                      $______
Doors — ___ units                        $______
Glass package upgrade (low-E / argon)    $______
Grilles / obscure / tempered             $______
Installation — ___ insert @ $___         $______
Installation — ___ full-frame @ $___     $______
Flashing + house wrap integration        $______
Interior trim / drywall return           $______
Exterior capping — ___ units             $______
Caulk + insulation at perimeter          $______
Removal + disposal of old units          $______
Permit + inspection (at cost)            $______
AS-FOUND (photo approval required):
   Sill / jamb rot repair — $___ /lf     $______
   Header or framing repair — $___ ea    $______
--------------------------------------------------
Subtotal                                 $______
Tax (if applicable)                      $______
Estimate Total                           $______

PAYMENT SCHEDULE
  ___% materials deposit at order         $______
  Balance at completion                   $______

NOT INCLUDED: interior painting, wallpaper repair,
window treatments, siding replacement beyond the
capping area, structural alteration of openings,
lead-safe work practices unless listed.
Valid ___ days. Lead time approx ___ weeks.

Print the lead time

Windows get ordered, built, and shipped, and that’s often six to ten weeks. A customer who learns that on the estimate can plan around it; one who learns it after paying a deposit assumes something went wrong.

Note lead-safe requirements on older homes

Pre-1978 houses carry RRP obligations that change the containment, the cleanup, and the price. Say so on the estimate instead of just absorbing it — it’s regulatory, not optional.

Skipping the copy-paste

Software with your per-unit install rates, capping, and as-found rot lines already saved builds this schedule fast and turns the accepted version into a deposit invoice at order time.