DIY Project Materials List with Costs

Who this is for

Know the total before the trip to the shop. List what one DIY job needs with its size, quantity, store and price, tick it off as you buy, and record anything you take back.

Anyone doing a DIY job at home, from shelves to a room makeover, who wants one shopping list that also shows what the job will cost and what it did cost.

What this helps you track

• Every item the job needs, with its size or specification
• How many of each to buy and from which store
• The estimated cost of each line and of the whole list
• What you actually paid and what you took back
• How the job is running against the budget you set

How to use it

1. Write the project, the room, the date and your budget for the job in the header.
2. List each item with its size or specification, the quantity and unit, and the store you plan to buy it from.
3. Enter the unit price from the shelf, website or your last receipt; line totals are worked out in the browser and the workbook.
4. Take the list shopping, tick each item as it goes in the basket and write what you actually paid.
5. After the job, enter the value of anything returned so the summary shows the true cost.

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

How do I work out quantities?

Measure the job and use the maker's figures on the pack, or a quantity calculator for paint, tiles or flooring. The list supplies no coverage rates or wastage allowances; it totals the quantities you decide on.

Why record the price paid separately from the estimate?

Shelf prices change, offers come and go and you may buy a different size in the shop. Keeping both shows how close the estimate was, which helps you budget the next job.

What goes in the returned column?

The refund for anything unopened you took back. It comes off the amount paid in the summary, so the actual cost reflects what the job really used.

Can I use one list for a larger renovation?

It is built for one job. For a whole renovation with several suppliers and deliveries, the materials order and delivery tracker is the better fit.