How to write a quote from first line to signature

What a quote is

The steps are the same for a quote or a quotation, so this guide also shows how to write a quotation, and exactly what to include in a quote for any trade.

A quote is a written offer to do specific work for a fixed price, for a set period. The customer can accept it as it stands, which is why the details matter: in many countries an accepted quote becomes a binding agreement for that work at that price. Read is a quote legally binding before you send large ones.

An estimate is a best guess that can change. If you cannot fix the price, write an estimate and give a range; the quote vs estimate guide shows where the line sits.

Before you write it

Good quotes are won before you open the template. Ten minutes of preparation, a proper look at the site, a clear picture of what the customer expects and current prices for your materials, removes most of the guesswork that later turns into a dispute or a loss.

• See the job. A site visit, or clear photos and measurements. Most quote disputes start with a guess about the site.
• Confirm what the customer wants. Ask about finish, timing and budget, and note anything they mention in passing.
• Check your costs. Current material prices, your labor rate and anything you hire. The guide to pricing a job covers overheads and profit.

Write the quote in 8 steps

Work from the top of the page down. Each step below is one block of the finished quote, in the order a customer reads it, so the price arrives only after they understand who you are, what you will do and what is included.

1. Put your business at the topBusiness name, address, phone, email and your tax number if your country requires it on quotes. Add your logo if you have one.
2. Number and date itA unique quote number, the date and a valid until date. The number lets you match the quote to the invoice later.
3. Name the customer and the siteThe customer’s name and contact details, plus the job address if it differs from their billing address.
4. Describe the scope in two or three sentencesWhat you will do, where, and to what finish. Write it so a stranger could tell whether a task is in or out.
5. List the items in groupsMaterials, labor and any equipment, each line with a quantity, a unit and a rate. Put extras the customer may want as optional lines.
6. Add tax, the total and the depositShow the subtotal, any discount, tax by rate, then one clear total. Add the deposit you need to book the job and the balance due on completion.
7. State exclusions and termsWhat is not included, how changes are priced, payment terms and any warranty. Short, plain sentences.
8. Make it easy to acceptSignature, name and date lines, or a sentence explaining how to accept by reply. Then send it as a PDF.

Write it in the free quote maker

Each step is a part of the page you click and type into.

Open the quote maker

The quote checklist

Check every quote against this list before it goes out. Each row is a part the customer expects to see, with what to write and a short example from a deck quote. If a row is missing from your page, add it before you press send.

Wording that prevents disputes

Four short passages do most of the work on any quote: the scope, the exclusions, the validity and deposit, and how changes are handled. Clear wording here prevents the arguments that start halfway through a job. Adapt these examples to your trade and keep the sentences short.

Getting the price right

A price that wins the job and still pays you is built from four parts: labor, materials, overheads and profit. Work each one out separately, add them up, and then check the total against what the market will bear before it goes on the page.

1. Labor. Hours for each task times your hourly rate, where the rate covers wages, tax and time you cannot bill. See how to calculate labor cost.
2. Materials. Quantities from your measurements, current prices, plus a markup for ordering, collecting and waste.
3. Overheads. Vehicle, insurance, tools and software spread across your jobs. See how to calculate overhead.
4. Profit. A margin on top. A 25% markup is only a 20% margin; the markup calculator converts between them.

Sending the quote and following up

Send the quote as a PDF the same day if you can, with a short email: who you are, what the quote covers, the total, the valid until date and how to accept. The quote email template has wording you can copy.

If you hear nothing, follow up once after two or three days and again a few days before the quote expires. The follow up guide has scripts.

Mistakes to avoid

Most lost or disputed quotes share the same few faults. None of them takes long to fix, and checking for them before you send is the cheapest way to protect both the job and your margin.

• One line such as “Renovate bathroom, $12,000” with no breakdown. It invites haggling and disputes.
• No valid until date, so an old price is held against you.
• Exclusions buried or missing, then charged for later.
• Tax left out, or no word on whether prices include it.
• A quote that is hard to accept. Make the next step obvious.