Plan the budget. Compare the quotes. Know exactly what you get back.

Budgeting isn't where renovations go wrong

Three contractors quote three different ways. Payments fall due mid-project. “While we're at it” extras pile up. The timeline slips and nobody's tracking it. The spreadsheet you used to plan the budget can't help you once the work starts — so most people end up managing a five-figure project from memory and a group chat.

Everything in one workbook

Edit the blue cells; everything rolls up to your dashboard.

Why most renovation budgets fail — and how a structured planner fixes it

A budget is only the starting point. The reason most renovations go over budget isn't that the initial estimate was wrong — it's that nobody tracked the dozens of small decisions that followed. A contractor quotes $8,000 for tile but the homeowner upgrades to natural stone at $14,000. A change order adds a niche in the shower — $1,200 that never made it into any spreadsheet. The electrician's invoice includes three extras that weren't in the original scope. None of these feel like budget-breakers on their own, but they compound. By the time the project is done, the total can be 20–40% above the original plan.

Planner Pro is designed around that reality. The budget tab tracks plan vs. actual for every line item so variance is visible the moment it appears — not three months later when the credit-card statement arrives. The change-order tab captures scope additions with their cost impact, and those costs flow automatically into the budget and dashboard. The payment-schedule tab shows what's been paid, what's due, and what's outstanding, so there's never a question about where the money went.

Comparing contractor quotes without a system is guesswork

Three contractors will quote the same job three different ways. One includes demolition and haul-away; another doesn't. One quotes labour and materials separately; another gives a single number. One includes permits; the other two assume you'll pull them yourself. Comparing these on price alone is how people end up choosing the cheapest quote and then paying more in extras than the most expensive one would have cost.

The quote-comparison tab gives you a structured side-by-side for up to three quotes per job. You enter what each contractor includes, what they exclude, and at what price — then the sheet highlights the lowest and rolls your chosen quotes into the budget. It turns an apples-to-oranges comparison into an apples-to-apples one, and the decision is documented so you can revisit it later without trying to remember which contractor said what.

Up and running in minutes

1. Open it your way. Use it in Excel, or import to free Google Sheets in one click. Works on any device.
2. Fill the blue cells. Your line items, quotes, and home value. Sample data is already in so you can see how it flows.
3. Watch the dashboard. Budget, payments, and your return update automatically as you go. That's it.

Built for

• Homeowners planning a kitchen, bath, or whole-home renovation
• Anyone juggling multiple contractor quotes and trying to compare fairly
• First-time renovators who want to avoid the classic overspend
• People who care whether the work actually pays back at resale

Questions

Cost and ROI figures are planning estimates based on national remodeling averages and the values you enter. They are not financial advice, an appraisal, or a contractor quote. Always confirm with 2–3 local contractor quotes and a local agent.