How to Create a Construction Budget Template in Google Sheets

Step-by-step instructions on how to create a construction budget with a free template in Google Sheets

If you’re needing to create a construction budget worksheet, but don’t have access to Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets is definitely the way to go. 

Just like Excel, Google Sheets allows you to either create your budget from scratch or use a pre-built template to get started from. And, Google Sheets is completely free and it’s just as powerful as Excel.

What makes Google Sheets even better than Excel is that you can easily share and collaborate on your budget with other teammates or sub-contractors in real-time from anywhere.

While the Google Sheets template library doesn’t offer a construction-specific budget template out of the box, they do offer a free project tracking template that can get you started.  

If you want to start with a budget template that was built just for construction and designed in Google Sheets, watch the video below to check out the free construction budget template we've created, which you can download right here.  

To get started creating your construction budget in Google Sheets, just follow the step-by-step instructions and images below:

9 steps to create a construction budget in Google Sheets

1. Click here to open Google Docs. You’ll need to log in or create a free Google account to get started.
    
2. Open Google Sheets by clicking the 3 lines at the top left and selecting “Sheets".
   
   

3. You should see the template gallery at the top, but if you don’t, click on the main menu at the top right, then “settings,” then check mark “Templates - Display recent templates on home screens.”

4. Click “template gallery” to expand the gallery and see all your options.
   
   

5. Scroll down to the bottom to the “Project Management” section and you will see construction related templates such as Gantt Chart, Project Timeline, and Project Tracking.
   
   

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6. Choose the Project tracking template to begin.
   
   

7. Now you’ll just fill in your project info and begin itemizing the costs for each budget phase or category in the table below.
   
   Note: As mentioned previously, the Project tracker template isn’t a budget specific worksheet so you’ll likely need to modify or delete some of the columns to fit your needs. Alternatively, you can download our free construction budget template for Google Sheets and get started from there.  
   
   
8. Once your budget is complete, you can generate a PDF document (File -> Download -> PDF Document) to share with your team and clients.
   
   
9. As a final step, be sure to make a copy of this construction budget (File -> Make A Copy) to create a master construction budget template for your company. Name it and organize it accordingly within your Google Drive storage structure.

Free Construction Budget Template

If you don’t like any of the templates that Google Sheets has to offer, and you choose not to use our construction budget template, you’re likely to find other options to pick from with a simple Google search. 

P.S. We've also created the #1 construction estimate template for Google Sheets that is 100% free to download and use as your own. Check out the video below to learn more and then download it for free.

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