Estimate acceptance form template
An estimate acceptance form is the page a customer signs to say yes to your estimate. It points to the estimate by number and date, records which option they picked, and adds the few terms that turn a price into an agreement: the deposit, the schedule, changes and payment. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster and send it with your next estimate.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Customer
- Contractor
Estimate Acceptance
Estimate number: Estimate number Estimate date: Estimate date Valid until: Estimate expiry date
By signing this form, Customer name (the "Customer") accepts the estimate above from Contractor business name (the "Contractor") for work at Job address. The estimate is attached and is part of this agreement (together, the "Agreement").
1. Option accepted
The Customer ticks the option they accept. Only one option may be chosen.
- Option 1, Option 1 name: Option 1 price
- Option 2, Option 2 name: Option 2 price
- Option 3, Option 3 name: Option 3 price
Add-ons accepted, if any: Add-ons accepted. Add-ons are priced as shown in the estimate.
2. Scope of work
The Contractor will perform the work described in the estimate for the option chosen, including the materials and quantities listed there. Anything listed as excluded, and anything not described in the estimate, is not included. Work the Customer asks for later, or work needed because of conditions that could not be seen when the estimate was written, will be priced on a written change order signed by both parties before it starts.
3. Deposit and payment
- A deposit of Deposit is due to schedule the work, payable as shown on the Contractor's deposit invoice.
- The balance is due Balance terms.
- Accepted payment methods: Payment methods.
4. Schedule
The work is expected to start around Estimated start. The Contractor will confirm the start date once the deposit is received and any needed permits or materials are in hand, and will tell the Customer promptly about delays caused by weather, material supply, inspections or other causes outside its control.
5. Permits, access and warranty
The Contractor will obtain the permits and inspections the work requires, and their cost is included in the price unless the estimate says otherwise. The Customer will give the crew access to the work areas during normal working hours, clear furniture and belongings from them, provide water and electricity, and keep children and pets away while work is underway.
The Contractor warrants its workmanship for Workmanship warranty from completion. Materials and equipment carry their manufacturers' warranties, which the Contractor will pass on to the Customer.
6. Expiry
This acceptance is valid only if signed by the Customer on or before the expiry date above. After that date, the Contractor may update its prices before accepting.
7. Right to cancel
If this Agreement was signed at the Customer's home or at another place that is not the Contractor's normal place of business, the Customer may have the right to cancel within three business days, or longer where state law allows. The Contractor will provide a separate notice of cancellation explaining how. If the Customer cancels in time, the deposit will be refunded as the law requires.
8. General terms
The Contractor will perform the work in a good and workmanlike manner and carries liability insurance. This Agreement, with the attached estimate and any signed change orders, is the entire agreement between the parties. If the estimate and this form conflict, this form controls. It is governed by the laws of the state of State and may be signed electronically.
Contact details
Customer phone: Customer phone Email: Customer email
I have read the attached estimate, including what it excludes, and this form.
Customer
Contractor
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why a signed acceptance beats an email yes
"Sounds good, let's do it" in a text message is a yes, but it doesn't say which of your three options they meant, whether they read the exclusions, or that the price was only good for 30 days. A one-page acceptance answers all of that and gives you a signature to schedule against.
Use it when your estimate is detailed but isn't written as a contract. If you already send a full contract for every job, like the roofing contract, you don't need this as well. For small jobs, the acceptance on its own is often the whole agreement.
What's on the form
- The estimate: its number, date and total, attached in the same envelope so the customer signs with it in front of them.
- The option chosen: checkboxes for good, better and best, or base price plus add-ons, so the customer's choice is in their own hand.
- Price and deposit: the accepted total, the deposit to book the job, and how the balance is paid.
- Validity: the date the estimate expires, after which prices may change.
- Scope and changes: the work is what's in the estimate, and anything else goes on a signed change order.
- Schedule: an estimated start, confirmed once the deposit is received.
Things to avoid
- Accepting an expired estimate at the old price because nobody checked the date. Put the expiry on the acceptance, not just on the estimate.
- Letting the customer sign the total without picking an option. If the estimate has choices, the acceptance must record which one.
- Collecting a deposit at the customer's home without a cancellation notice. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule usually gives the buyer three business days to cancel; attach a notice of cancellation.
Sending your estimate for acceptance
- 1
Open the form
Choose Use this template above. SignMaster saves it as a template with the customer signing first and your business countersigning.
- 2
Attach the estimate
Start an envelope from the template and add your estimate PDF as a second document, so both travel together.
- 3
Fill in the numbers
The gray blanks are yours: estimate number, date, each option's price, the deposit and the expiry date.
- 4
The customer picks and signs
They tick the option they want, confirm their phone and email, and sign on their phone. Set the envelope to expire on the estimate's expiry date so an old price can't be accepted late.
When you send the same seasonal offer to a list, such as gutter cleaning for every customer from last fall, bulk send one acceptance per row with columns for Estimate number and each option's price. Note that SignMaster doesn't take payments: send the deposit invoice from your accounting or payment software once the form is signed. For contractors, see how to sign an estimate online.
Questions? Answers.
Is a signed estimate a contract?
It can be. Once the customer accepts a specific price for specific work, there's usually an agreement. This form makes the terms clear so there's no argument about what was accepted.
How long should an estimate be valid?
Many contractors use 15 to 30 days, shorter when material prices are moving. Whatever you choose, write it on the acceptance and set the envelope to expire then.
Can the customer choose between options on the form?
Yes. The form has a checkbox per option. In the template editor you can group them and require exactly one.
Sources
- FTC, Buyer's Remorse: The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule May Help · consumer.ftc.gov