Sending quotation email samples that get a reply
Six short emails to copy, each naming the job, total and price deadline, with the PDF attached and clear steps to accept. Change the brackets and send.
- Subject lines that say exactly what is inside
- Versions for site visits, options and formal clients
- A last check before you press send
By WhizQuote Editorial · 8 minute read
A quote email should name the job and the quote number, give the total and the date the price holds until, say the full quote is attached as a PDF, and explain exactly how to accept. Keep it to a few short paragraphs, put the quote number and the job in the subject line, and send it as soon after the visit as you can.
What a quote email to a client must cover
The email is a cover note, not the quote itself. Its job is to get the attachment opened and make the next step obvious. Six parts do that: a clear subject line, an opening that links to your conversation, a one line summary, the total with its expiry date, the attachment, and how to accept.
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject line | Quote number, job and your business | Quote Q-1187: kitchen backsplash, Ridgeway Tile Co. |
| Opening | Refer to the visit or call | Thanks for showing me the kitchen on Tuesday. |
| Summary | The job in one sentence | Supply and tile 32 ft² of backsplash behind the counter and range. |
| Price and date | Total, tax status, valid until | $1,640 plus tax, held until 20 November. |
| Attachment | What is attached and what it shows | The attached PDF lists materials, labor and what is excluded. |
| Next step | How to accept and what happens then | Reply to accept and I will book a start date and send the deposit invoice. |
Subject lines that tell the client what is inside
A subject line that names the quote and the job is easy to find later, when the client is comparing prices or ready to accept. Vague lines such as Quote or Following up sink in a busy inbox. Put the quote number near the start so replies stay in one thread.
- Quote Q-1187: kitchen backsplash at 14 Elm Street
- Your quote for the bathroom fan and lighting, valid to 20 Nov
- Q-2040 fence replacement quote from Cedar Line Fencing
- Revised quote Q-1187 R2: backsplash with niche added
- Quotation QT-0315 in response to RFQ 2026-118
Mark revised quotes with a revision number in both the subject and the PDF, so nobody accepts the old version by mistake.
Standard quote email template
Use this version for most home jobs after a visit or a call. It is short enough to read on a phone, gives the client the key facts without opening the PDF, and ends with a single clear action. Replace everything in square brackets with your own details before sending.
Hi [Dana],
Thanks for walking me through the [kitchen] on [Tuesday]. Your quote for [supplying and tiling 32 ft² of backsplash] is attached as a PDF.
The total is [$1,640 plus tax], and the price holds until [20 November 2026]. The quote lists every material and labor line, plus the items that are not included.
To go ahead, reply to this email or sign the acceptance section and send it back. I will then confirm a start date and send the [25%] deposit invoice.
If you have questions, call me on [phone].
[Your name]
[Business name]
Quote email to a client after a site visit
When you have spent time on site, the email can prove you listened. Mention one or two things the client told you and how the quote deals with them. That detail separates your quote from a price that could have been sent to anyone, and it costs a single sentence.
Hi [Marcus],
Good to meet you on [Saturday]. You mentioned [water spilling over the back gutter above the patio door] and that you want it sorted before [the winter rains]. The attached quote covers [replacing 46 linear ft of gutter and two downspouts], and I can start in the week of [17 November] if you accept by [7 November].
The total is [$1,380 plus tax]. I could not see the fascia board behind the old gutter, so [replacing it if it is rotten] is priced as an optional line and is not in the total.
Reply here to accept, or call me if you would like to talk any of it through.
[Your name]
[Business name], [phone]
Short quote email and a quote with options
Small jobs deserve a short email: two or three sentences and the attachment. Larger jobs often go better with options, because the client then chooses between your prices instead of weighing you against someone else. Both versions follow, ready to adapt.
Hi [Priya], the quote for [replacing the bathroom exhaust fan and ducting] is attached: [$385 plus tax], valid until [14 November]. Reply yes and I will book you in.
[Your name], [Business name]
Hi [Leo],
As we discussed, I have priced the [front fence] three ways, all set out on the attached PDF:
Option A, [repair the leaning section and replace 20 pickets]: [$740]
Option B, [replace all pickets and rails, keep the posts]: [$2,180]
Option C, [new posts, rails and pickets with a matching gate]: [$3,960]
All prices are [plus tax] and held until [30 November]. Tell me which option suits and I will confirm dates. If none quite fits, I can adjust the scope.
[Your name]
[Business name]
Formal quotation email for business clients
Companies, property managers and public bodies often expect a more formal tone and specific references: their request number, your quotation number, payment terms and a named contact. Keep the same structure, match their language, and answer every point their request asked for so your quotation is easy to approve.
Dear [Ms Alvarez],
Thank you for the opportunity to quote for [annual gutter maintenance at your three sites]. Please find attached our quotation [QT-0315], which responds to each item in your request.
Total: [$4,860 excluding sales tax], for [four scheduled visits per site over 12 months].
Validity: [45 days from 28 October 2026].
Payment terms: [30 days from invoice].
The quotation includes our scope of work, visit schedule, exclusions and tax registration details. If you need the pricing in your own format or a purchase order reference added, I can supply that within one working day.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Title], [Business name]
[phone], [email]
For a printed or attached letter rather than an email, the quotation letter page has formal layouts you can adapt.
Checklist before you press send
Most quote email mistakes are embarrassing rather than costly: the wrong name, a missing attachment, or a total in the email that does not match the PDF. A one minute check catches them. Run this list every time, and especially when you start from an email you sent another client.
- The client’s name is spelled correctly in the greeting and on the PDF.
- The attachment is there, opens, and is the latest version.
- The PDF has a clear file name, such as Q-1187 Kitchen backsplash.pdf.
- The total and the valid until date in the email match the quote exactly.
- The subject line carries the quote number and the job.
- You are sending from your business address, with a phone number in the signature.
- No text is left over from a previous client’s email.
- The next step is one clear action: reply, sign or call.
After the quote email goes out
Sending the email starts the clock. Note the date, set a reminder to follow up in two or three working days, and another a few days before the quote expires. When the client accepts, reply the same day to confirm the start date and the deposit, so the decision turns into a booking while it is fresh.
Build the quote in the free quote maker, download the PDF (or email it to yourself first to check it), then attach it to any of the emails above. The quote follow up guide has the next messages in the sequence, the guide to quote acceptance covers confirming a yes, and there is more in our guides section.
Build the quote, download a PDF with selectable text, and attach it to your email.
Quote email questions
How do I write an email to send a quotation?
Open with a line that links to your conversation, sum up the job in one sentence, give the total and the date it is valid until, say the full quote is attached as a PDF, and tell the client how to accept. Close with your name, business and phone number. Five short paragraphs is plenty.
Should I put the price in the email or only in the attachment?
Put the total in the email. Clients often read on a phone and may not open the PDF straight away, and seeing the number up front saves a round of questions. Leave the line by line detail, exclusions and terms in the attached quote, where they can be printed and signed.
Is it better to send a quote as a PDF or in the email body?
Send a PDF. It keeps your layout, cannot be edited by accident, prints cleanly and can be signed and returned. The email body carries the summary and the next step. For very small jobs, a price in the body of the email is fine if the scope is confirmed in writing too.
What should the subject line of a quote email say?
The quote number, the job and ideally the site or your business name, for example Quote Q-1187: kitchen backsplash at 14 Elm Street. That makes the email easy to find when the client is ready to decide, and keeps their reply in the same thread as your quote.
How soon should I send a quote after a site visit?
As soon as you can do it accurately. The same day or the next working day keeps the job fresh in the client’s mind and shows how you are likely to run the work. If a supplier price will take longer, send a short note saying when the quote will arrive, then keep that promise.
How do I make a quote email sound professional?
Short sentences, the client’s name, accurate numbers and no filler. Avoid apologizing for the price or adding pressure such as limited time offers. A professional email is clear about what you will do, what it costs and what happens next. For the quote document itself, see how to write a quote.