Residential construction margins are tight, material prices swing daily, and skilled-labor availability changes by the hour. A well-structured price list in Excel is more than a spreadsheet—it is a living database that anchors your estimates, invoices, and purchase orders. When you pair it with CountBricks voice-driven estimating, you unlock real-time cost control that generic templates can’t touch.
• Latest supplier SKU numbers and unit costs pulled from CountBricks.com/services
• Standard labor crews, hourly rates, and productivity benchmarks from your CountBricks profile
• Overhead and markup percentages approved by your finance team
• Project scope categories (framing, MEP, finishes) aligned with CountBricks task libraries
Gather these items first so the spreadsheet comes together in minutes, not hours.
1. Open a new workbook and rename the first sheet “Residential Price List.”
2. Freeze the top row so headers stay visible while you scroll.
3. Create columns: Category, Sub-Category, Item Description, SKU, Unit, Unit Cost, Trade Labor (hrs), Labor Rate, Total Cost.
1. In Category, list high-level divisions that mirror CountBricks task groups.
2. Use Sub-Category for finer breakdowns: under “Framing” add “Wall studs,” “Headers,” “Sheathing.”
3. Enter Item Description exactly as it appears in your CountBricks catalog to ensure voice commands match.
4. Copy SKUs directly from supplier exports or import them through CountBricks blueprint takeoffs.
1. In Unit Cost, link to a separate “Supplier Feed” sheet so prices auto-refresh when CountBricks updates weekly CSVs.
2. For Labor Cost, use the formula =Trade Labor (hrs) * Labor Rate.
3. For Total Cost, sum Unit Cost plus Labor Cost, then multiply by (1 + Overhead + Markup) stored in named cells OvhPct and MuPct.
• Apply table styles so new rows inherit formulas automatically.
• Use Data Validation drop-downs for Category and Sub-Category to avoid typos that break filters.
• Color-code cells: blue for inputs, gray for formulas, green for synced data from CountBricks.
CountBricks already parses your voice notes, identifies materials and tasks, and references its cloud catalog. By storing the same catalog in Excel, you give site managers an offline backup that still speaks the same language as our platform.
• Export your CountBricks catalog as CSV and paste into the “Supplier Feed” sheet.
• Use VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP in Unit Cost so every item pulls the latest price.
• When you start a new estimate in CountBricks, our AI cross-checks your live Excel file, flags discrepancies, and suggests updates.
• Forgetting to lock formula columns → Protect sheets except for blue input cells
• Mixing units (LF vs EA) → Use Unit column drop-downs synced to CountBricks standard units
• Overwriting supplier links → Keep “Supplier Feed” on a hidden but protected sheet
• Tip one: Name your tables; structured references are clearer than C2*E2 formulas.
• Tip two: Use conditional formatting to highlight items whose price rose more than 5 % in the last sync.
• Tip three: Add a slicer on Category for rapid filtering during client meetings.
• Tip four: Insert a PivotTable on a separate sheet to summarize costs by trade or phase.
• Tip five: Schedule a CountBricks.com/services consultation to automate all of the above with Power Query.
Once your price list is reliable, sending professional quotes is one click away. CountBricks converts Excel line items into branded proposal PDFs, complete with allowance breakdowns and payment schedules. Clients see transparent costs, you lock in profit, and change orders are painless because every adjustment traces back to the same master price list.
Knowing how to make a price list on Excel is foundational for residential builders, but pairing that knowledge with CountBricks AI elevates you from organized to unbeatable. Start with the steps above, integrate our real-time catalog, and watch your estimating cycle shrink from days to minutes.
Ready to upgrade? Visit CountBricks.com/consultation and let our team streamline your entire cost workflow.
A midsize contractor approached CountBricks to tighten margins on a 32-unit townhouse project. Their challenge was inconsistent pricing across teams, leading to 7 % average cost overruns. Together, we implemented the Excel workflow outlined above.
1. Week 1: CountBricks imported supplier catalogs and labor benchmarks into a protected “Supplier Feed” sheet.
2. Week 2: Field supervisors received a workshop on how to make a price list on Excel using the project-specific template.
3. Week 3: The live price list was synced with CountBricks voice estimating. Change orders were generated automatically.
• Material cost variance dropped from 7 % to 1.8 %.
• Estimate preparation time fell from 12 hours to 45 minutes per unit.
• Client satisfaction scores rose thanks to transparent, line-item pricing.
• Centralize data once. Let Excel and CountBricks share the same source of truth rather than chasing multiple versions.
• Train the team. A 60-minute CountBricks workshop is enough for superintendents to own the spreadsheet.
• Review weekly. Use conditional formatting to flag volatile SKUs and renegotiate with suppliers early.
Schedule a demo at CountBricks.com/consultation. Our specialists will adapt the Excel template to your divisions, upload your catalogs, and connect everything to our AI estimating engine. Empower your crew with instant, accurate numbers on every call, every takeoff, every time.
