EXAMPLE AT A GLANCE
This fictional Red Deer, Alberta subsurface garden drain installation example contains 7 itemized costs totaling C$5,554.00 before tax or markup. The app-exported PDF uses the exact quantities and CAD rates shown in the table, with scope limits explained below.
Project scope: One wet garden run
Install a shallow subsurface drain across an accessible garden run and connect it to a confirmed lawful discharge point.
The fictional project is set in Red Deer, Alberta. Cedar & Beam Builders and Jordan Taylor are example names, not a contractor and client case study. The matching guide explains how measurement, product selection and site conditions affect the estimate.
- Location
- Red Deer, Alberta
- Prepared by
- Cedar & Beam Builders · fictional business
- Prepared for
- Jordan Taylor · fictional client
- Issued / valid through
- September 25 / October 25, 2026
The 7 CAD cost lines
The table uses the exact items, quantities and unit rates in the app-exported PDF. Multiply each quantity by its rate to check the amount. These chosen figures demonstrate the document; they are not surveyed prices or suggested rates for Red Deer, Alberta.
| Work item | Quantity | Unit rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drain route survey | 1 job | C$250.00 | C$250.00 |
| Service check and protection | 1 job | C$190.00 | C$190.00 |
| Trench excavation | 90 linear ft. | C$18.00 | C$1,620.00 |
| Perforated pipe allowance | 90 linear ft. | C$9.60 | C$864.00 |
| Stone and fabric allowance | 1 job | C$745.00 | C$745.00 |
| Pipe bedding and connection | 90 linear ft. | C$14.00 | C$1,260.00 |
| Backfill and turf reinstatement | 1 job | C$625.00 | C$625.00 |
| Illustrative subtotal | C$5,554.00 | ||
Check the arithmetic
- Trench excavation: 90 linear ft. × C$18.00 = C$1,620.00.
- Perforated pipe allowance: 90 linear ft. × C$9.60 = C$864.00.
The rounded line amounts add to C$5,554.00. The PDF's tax field is 0%, so its illustrated total stays C$5,554.00 before any markup. The sample shows 0% tax only to make the arithmetic visible. Determine any applicable GST, HST or PST and markup for the actual work before sharing a quote.
Measurement to verify: Record run length, trench depth, fall, soil conditions and discharge location. Product decision: Separate perforated pipe, aggregate and geotextile quantities from digging and reinstatement.
The trench excavation line uses 90 linear ft., approximately 27.43 m. Check the route, cuts and supplier unit before setting a real quantity.
Assumptions and exclusions
Trace buried services and confirm discharge before excavation.
Outside this example: No basement waterproofing, drainage approval or major landscape reconstruction.
Unexpected utilities or no feasible outlet can stop the base design. Verify the existing water, waste and fixture connections on site. Confirm who handles any required trade work, approvals and inspections for this address; this fictional document does not decide them. Confirm a change and update the estimate before adding work that was not in the base scope.
Download the actual app PDF
The PDF was exported from Estimates for this fictional Canadian job. It carries a concise version of the project scope, plus the same customer, cost lines, CAD amounts and total used here. Its note covers the fictional tax setting and the brief's full exclusion sentence; the article records additional assumptions that do not fit in that PDF note.
Build the next estimate from your own inputs
- Measure the actual site and describe the work boundary in plain language.
- Confirm the selected products, access and handoff responsibilities with the client.
- Replace every fictional rate with your own labour, supplier and subcontractor figures.
- Check the relevant GST, HST or PST treatment and markup for the job without copying this sample's zero entry.
- Preview each PDF page, total and exclusion note before sharing.
- Record run length, trench depth, fall, soil conditions and discharge location.
- Separate perforated pipe, aggregate and geotextile quantities from digging and reinstatement.
- Trace buried services and confirm discharge before excavation.
- Unexpected utilities or no feasible outlet can stop the base design.
Questions about this estimate
Which quantity controls this subsurface garden drain installation estimate?
Record run length, trench depth, fall, soil conditions and discharge location.
When should this subsurface garden drain installation quote be revised?
Unexpected utilities or no feasible outlet can stop the base design. No basement waterproofing, drainage approval or major landscape reconstruction.
MAKE THE NEXT ESTIMATE YOUR OWN
Build a subsurface garden drain installation estimate.
Enter the job scope in Estimates on iPhone or Android or start from an AI-assisted draft. Check every quantity, rate, allowance, client detail and note before exporting the PDF. Some app features may require an in-app purchase.
