Check estimate assumptions before promising a scope

First step

For a fictional desk estimate, list labor time, materials, and recurring operating costs as separate assumptions. Label the worksheet as a learning example, not a customer quotation. Fictional example: on the worksheet, add customer-requested scope, items expressly excluded or still unknown, who would confirm the scope, proposed payment-milestone questions, and a revision ID. Keep all entries as unsent planning prompts; no contract clause or customer quote is supplied.

The example separates cost categories and identifies which inputs still lack supporting evidence. Scope, exclusions, money assumptions, and unresolved payment questions are separate fields rather than one total.

A single unexplained total hides whether labor, materials, or recurring costs were considered.