Exterior renovation budget: comparing roofing, siding and window bids
This example exterior has four trades: roof, siding, windows and paint. The Quotes tab lines up to five bidders per item side by side, and the bidder you pick feeds the base quote on the Budget tab.
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General information only, not financial, construction or legal advice. Contingency, holdback and payment-split percentages are your own inputs, and payment and deposit rules vary by contract and by state or province; check yours. Names and numbers in the example are invented.
What changes for this kind of project
In this example four trades each send their own quote, so each gets its own line. Crestline Siding also does the soffit, fascia and gutters, so two lines share that contractor and the Contractors tab adds their approved change orders into one current contract.
The windows line has no accepted quote yet, so it reads Not committed while the other lines are priced. The siding trim change is Approved and already in Committed, which puts siding over its line budget. The shingle upgrade is Proposed: pending exposure only, so it stays out of Committed until you approve it.
A worked example: Exterior renovation, whole house
Invented numbers, to show the shape. Settings on Start Here: contingency 14% (an example value you set), total project budget $56,000.
The contingency pool is $7,840 ($56,000 x 14%). That leaves $48,160 to share out as line budgets. The lines below add up to $48,100, so $60 is unallocated.
| Line | Item | Contractor | Line budget | Committed | Paid | Unpaid commitment | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L01 | Roof replacement, asphalt shingles | Stoneview Roofing | $14,000 | $13,800 | $6,900 | $6,900 | OK |
| L02 | Siding, vinyl panels | Crestline Siding | $12,500 | $13,600 | $4,100 | $9,500 | Over budget |
| L03 | Windows, double-pane vinyl | Premier Windows | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Not committed |
| L04 | Exterior paint and caulk | Exterior Pro Painting | $5,600 | $5,500 | $0 | $5,500 | OK |
| L05 | Soffit, fascia and gutters | Crestline Siding | $4,800 | $4,900 | $2,450 | $2,450 | Over budget |
| L06 | Building permits and inspection | Owner-bought | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 | OK |
| Total | $48,100 | $39,000 | $14,650 | $24,350 |
Change orders on the Change Orders tab. Only Approved rows move into Committed:
| CO# | Line | What changed | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO1 | L01 | Upgrade to architectural shingles | $2,100 | Proposed |
| CO2 | L02 | Add trim and molding to siding | $1,400 | Approved |
What the summary shows
- Committed: $39,000. Paid: $14,650. Unpaid commitment: $24,350.
- Contingency used: $1,200, what each line's committed total goes above its line budget, added up. Contingency left now: $6,640.
- Pending exposure (Proposed change orders): $2,100. Contingency left if every proposed change order were approved: $4,740.
Where each piece goes in the workbook
- Start Here: Type the total project budget, which includes the contingency pool, the contingency percentage and the four contractors with their trades. The percentage is an example value you overtype.
- Quotes: Enter each bidder's price per item, up to five bidders: roof, siding, windows and paint on separate rows. The tab shows the lowest, the highest and the spread, and counts the scope lines a bidder left blank.
- Budget: Pick the bidder on Quotes (Line ID on that row) or type the accepted quote here; a typed quote wins. Windows has no accepted quote yet, so it reads Not committed. Soffit, fascia and gutters is its own row under Crestline Siding, which is why that company has two lines.
- Change Orders: The shingle upgrade is Proposed on the roof line, so it is pending exposure only. The trim and molding addition is Approved on the siding line and already in Committed. On Rooms & Summary, compare Contingency left now with Contingency left if all pending approved before you decide.
Two formulas worth a cell of their own
- Committed for one room:
=SUMIFS(Budget!$K$6:$K$65,Budget!$B$6:$B$65,"Exterior")returns $39,000 on this example. - Contingency used, the sum of the Overrun now column:
=SUM(Budget!$S$6:$S$65)returns $1,200.
Four tracking tips
- Make every bidder price the same scope on each Quotes row: a roof bid that includes tear-off next to one that leaves it out makes the spread meaningless. A bidder who skips an item shows up in the blank-line count.
- Crestline Siding has two lines, siding and soffit with fascia and gutters. Keep them separate: the trim change is Approved on the siding line only, yet both rows read Over budget here, each with its own Remaining figure.
- Windows has no accepted quote, so it reads Not committed and its line budget stands in the Forecast column. That keeps the windows in the plan until you decide, instead of letting them look free.
- Percent milestones on the Cash Schedule use each contractor's original quote, so the approved trim change is not in them. List it as its own Fixed $ row for Crestline Siding so it appears on the schedule.
Questions
Where does the shingle upgrade go, the Quotes tab or Change Orders?
If the bidders priced both grades before you chose, enter the grade you chose on Quotes and pick that bidder. If you chose after the roof quote was accepted, as here, log it as a change order on the roof line, status Proposed until you agree.
What if the roofer finds damaged boards under the old shingles?
Log a change order on the roof line with reason Unforeseen and status Proposed. When you agree to the price, mark it Approved: it moves into Committed, and only the part above the roof line's budget counts as contingency used.
Related renovation guides
- Contractor bid comparison spreadsheet for homeowners
- Renovation change order tracker: a spreadsheet for homeowners
- Renovation contingency tracker: how much contingency is left
More renovation budget guides
- Renovation budget spreadsheets by room and project type
- Budget for adding a new bathroom: rough-in, fixtures and permits
- Attic conversion budget: handling structural surprises
- Basement finishing budget spreadsheet: quotes, change orders and contingency
- Deck budget spreadsheet: material upgrades and impact on contingency
- Fixer upper budget: everything at once, commit as quotes arrive
- Garage conversion budget: multiple trades and owner-bought materials
- Home addition budget: design, permits, general contractor and utilities
- Laundry and mudroom remodel budget: owner-bought appliances and small change orders
- Owner as general contractor: budget, payments and milestones per trade
- Primary suite renovation: bedroom, bathroom and closet with separate trades
- Whole house renovation budget: kitchen, bathroom and living spaces
Already built
The Renovation Budget Tracker has the budget, change orders, payments, contractors and cash schedule tabs wired together, with example data on every tab. One Excel file, $29.