Quote letter template that gets it opened
A bare attachment is easy to ignore. Send your price with a short cover letter for formal buyers or a plain email for everyday jobs, with four versions ready to copy.
- First quote, revision, RFQ reply and follow up wording
- The mistakes that cost replies, so you skip them
- Copy the words free, then attach your quote
What a quotation letter does
A quote letter template gives you the words that travel with your price: a short cover letter for formal buyers and a plain email for everyday jobs. Below are ready to copy versions for a first quote, a revised quote, a reply to a request for quotation and a follow up, plus the quotation letter format and the slips that cost replies.
A quotation letter is a short cover note that introduces your attached quote, states the total and how long it stands, and tells the reader how to accept. It does not replace the itemized quote. It frames it, so the buyer knows what they are looking at before they open the figures.
Send a formal letter when
- You are answering a tender or a written request for quotation
- A company or public body will file the quote or pass it up for approval
- The job is large enough that the buyer needs a summary
- The buyer asked for a covering letter on letterhead
A short email is enough when
- The customer is a homeowner or a repeat client
- The job is small and the scope was agreed in person
- Speed matters more than formality
- The quote already carries your terms
Quotation letter format, part by part
A quotation letter uses ordinary business letter layout with five working parts in the body: a reference line, an opening that names the request, a summary of price and timing, the main conditions, and a clear next step. One page is enough, because the detail lives in the quote itself.
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Letterhead and date | Business name, address, contact details, and a tax ID where your country expects one | Kite Design Co., October 28, 2026 |
| Recipient | Person, job title, company and address | Hana Saleh, Marketing Lead, Barakah Foods |
| Reference line | Quote number and project name | Re: Quotation Q-3114, brand identity |
| Opening | Thanks, and what was asked for | Thank you for your brief of October 21 |
| Price summary | Total, tax treatment and validity | $2,450 before tax, valid until November 27 |
| Conditions | Deposit, start date, anything excluded | 50% deposit, start within five business days |
| Next step | How to accept and who to call | Sign and return, or press Accept online |
| Sign off | Your name, role and direct phone | Omar Reyes, Studio Lead |
Quote letter template for a formal quotation
Use this version for business buyers, tenders and any job where your quote will be filed or forwarded for approval. Replace the bracketed parts, keep the paragraph order, and attach the itemized quote as a PDF so the figures cannot be edited after it leaves you.
October 28, 2026
[Name], [Job title]
[Company]
[Address]
Re: Quotation Q-3114 for brand identity design
Dear [Name],
Thank you for sending your brief on October 21. Please find attached our quotation Q-3114 for a new brand identity: logo, color palette, typography and a one page brand guide, with three initial concepts and two rounds of revisions.
The total is $2,450 before tax. Business card design is listed as an optional item at $220 and can be added at any time before work starts. The quotation is valid until November 27, 2026.
We ask for a 50% deposit of $1,225 to reserve your start date, with the balance due when the final files are delivered. Work begins within five business days of the deposit, and the first concepts follow ten business days after that.
To accept, sign the acceptance section and return it by email. If any part of the scope differs from what you had in mind, reply and we will adjust it before you commit.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Role], [Business name]
[Direct phone]
The letter repeats only four facts from the quote: the total, the deposit, the validity and the start timing. Everything else stays in the attachment, which stops the two documents contradicting each other after a revision.
Sending quotation email sample: four versions to copy
Most quotes now travel by email, and the email is the cover letter. Put the quote number and job in the subject line, the total and expiry date in the first lines, and name the attachment so it is easy to find later. These four versions cover the situations that come up most.
Hi [Name],
Thanks for the call on Tuesday. Your quote is attached as a PDF: logo, palette, typography and a brand guide for $2,450 plus tax, valid until November 27. A 50% deposit books the start date, and business cards can be added for $220.
To go ahead, reply “approved” or press Accept on the online version. Happy to talk it through on a ten minute call.
[Name], [phone]
Hi [Name],
As discussed, the attached revision reduces the logo concepts from three to two. That line drops from $1,200 to $900, so the new total is $2,150 plus tax and the deposit becomes $1,075. Nothing else has changed. Please use this version and discard the earlier one.
[Name]
Dear [Name],
Please find our quotation attached in the format requested, with the pricing schedule completed line by line. Prices are fixed for 60 days from today and exclude tax. We have read the conditions in your request and list two small exceptions on page 2. I am your contact for any questions.
[Name], [role], [phone]
Hi [Name], checking that the quote reached you. It is valid until November 27, and I can hold the December start until Friday. If the scope or budget needs to change, tell me and I will send a revised version the same day.
[Name]
More subject lines and reply scripts are in the quote email template guide and the guide to following up a quote.
How to send a quote with a cover letter
Sending takes five minutes once the quote is finished. The order below keeps the letter and the quote consistent, because the most common fault is a cover note that states a different total, date or scope from the attached document, usually after a late revision.
- Finish the quote firstBuild it in the free quote maker, or use the Excel file on this page, which holds the graphic design quote this letter refers to. Include lines, tax, a deposit and a valid until date. Other layouts are in the quote template gallery.
- Save it as a PDF with a clear nameFor example “Q-3114 Kite Design brand identity.pdf”, so the buyer can find it in a busy inbox.
- Copy the figures acrossTake the total, deposit and expiry from the finished quote. Never retype them from memory.
- Write the reference or subject lineThe quote number plus a few words naming the job.
- Send from your business addressAttach the PDF, copy anyone who approves spending, and check that the attachment opens.
- Set a reminderNote the send date and plan a follow up two or three days later, then again shortly before the quote expires.
Quotation letter mistakes that cost replies
A cover letter rarely wins work by itself, but a careless one can lose it. Buyers skim, so anything that makes them hunt for the price, doubt the numbers or wonder what to do next pushes your quote down the pile. Check for these before you press send.
- A total in the letter that no longer matches the attached quote after a revision.
- One validity date in the letter and another in the quote, or none at all.
- Two paragraphs of company history before the price appears.
- The quote sent as an editable Word file, which invites changes and may display differently on the buyer’s device.
- No next step, so the buyer has to write back to ask how to accept.
- “Dear Sir or Madam” when the inquiry gave you the buyer’s name.
Quotation letter questions
How do you write a quotation letter?
Open with a reference line naming the quote number and job, thank the buyer for the request, then state the total, tax treatment and validity in two or three sentences. Add the deposit and start timing, explain how to accept, and sign off with a direct phone number. Attach the itemized quote as a PDF.
What is the difference between a quotation and a quotation letter?
The quotation is the priced document: itemized lines, tax, total, terms and an acceptance section. The quotation letter is the short note that goes with it, summarizing the offer and asking for a decision. A quote can stand alone, but a letter should never go out without the quote attached.
How do I write an email to send a quotation?
Use a subject line with the quote number and job, then give the total, what it covers and the valid until date in the first two or three lines. Mention the deposit, say how to accept and attach the PDF. Keep it under 120 words so it reads well on a phone.
Should the price be in the cover letter?
Yes, state the total once, with whether tax is included. Buyers look for the number first, and hiding it forces them into the attachment before they have decided to read on. Leave the line items out of the letter, because two sets of figures can drift apart after a revision.
How do I reply to a request for quotation?
Follow the buyer’s format exactly: their reference number in the subject, their line order in your pricing, and anything they asked you to confirm. State validity and lead time, list exceptions separately, and submit before the deadline. The RFQ template page shows what buyers send and how they compare replies.
