Renovation Budget Spreadsheet

Who this is for

A renovation budget that tells you where you stand. Each cost gets a line with the supplier, the estimate and what was actually paid; the variance is worked out per line and in total, and the sheet shows what is left of the ceiling you set.

Homeowners running a renovation with several trades and suppliers, and anyone who wants to know before the last invoice whether the job is over or under.

What this helps you track

• Estimate against actual for every line, with the variance worked out
• Total committed so far and how much of your ceiling remains
• Which supplier each cost went to, and whether it has been paid
• The categories that are drifting, which is usually where the overspend hides

How to use it

1. Write the project, the address and the ceiling — the most you are prepared to spend — at the top.
2. List every cost you can foresee, one line each, with a type and the supplier if known, and an estimate.
3. As quotes firm up, replace the estimate with the quoted figure; as invoices arrive, enter the actual.
4. Tick the paid column when the money has gone, so the sheet also works as a payment record.
5. The browser and workbook versions total the columns and work out the variance and the remaining ceiling; on paper, total at the foot of the last page.
6. Add lines as the unexpected turns up — that is what the sheet is for.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What is the variance column?

Actual less estimate, per line. A positive figure means the line cost more than you estimated; a negative one means less. The total at the foot is the same figure for the whole job.

How much contingency should I allow?

That is your decision and it depends on how much of the job is unknown — opening up old walls is different from fitting a new kitchen in a sound room. Add a contingency line with your own figure rather than a percentage we might suggest.

Can it handle VAT or sales tax?

Enter figures consistently either all including tax or all excluding it, and say which at the top. The sheet does not apply a rate, because rates differ by country and by type of work.

How is this different from the project planner?

The project planner has the stages and a short cost list on one page. This is the full budget: more lines, a supplier column, a paid tick and the ceiling arithmetic.