Quote terms and conditions that protect you on every job
Set out validity, deposit, changes, payment and exclusions in one or two plain sentences each. Start from the 12 clause template and keep each term within your local consumer law.
- A 12 clause template to adapt for your work
- Samples for building, service and supply jobs
- Terms to drop before they cause trouble
By WhizQuote Editorial ยท 8 minute read
Quote terms and conditions should cover validity, the deposit and payment stages, how variations are priced, exclusions and hidden conditions, site access, cancellation, workmanship warranty and how the customer accepts. Keep each term to one or two plain sentences that fit the job. Consumer law in your country can override any term that tries to remove a customer’s legal rights.
What the terms on a quote actually do
Terms turn a price into a workable agreement. The line items say what you will do and for how much; the terms say what happens around the edges: when money is due, what happens if the customer changes their mind, who handles permits, and what you will not touch. Once the quote is accepted, those terms generally become part of the contract.
Timing matters. Terms the customer sees before accepting are generally part of the deal. Terms you send afterwards, or that only live on your website, are much harder to rely on. Print them on the quote, or on a second page the acceptance line refers to.
Terms do not replace a clear scope. If the scope says “paint the living room” and a term says “ceilings excluded”, you have created a contradiction. Write the scope precisely and let the terms handle money, time and risk.
The terms every quote should carry
Eight subjects cause nearly all quote disputes: validity, deposit, payment timing, changes, exclusions, hidden conditions, cancellation and warranty. A term for each, written in a sentence or two, covers most small and medium jobs. Larger or riskier work adds site access, delays, materials ownership and how disagreements are handled.
| Term | What it settles | Short sample |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | How long the price stands | Valid until 27 November 2026 |
| Deposit | What books the start date | 20% deposit secures the booking |
| Payment | When the rest is due | Balance due within 7 days of completion |
| Variations | How changes are priced | Changes priced in writing before work |
| Exclusions | What is not in the price | Permit fees and furniture moving excluded |
| Hidden conditions | Problems no one could see | Rot, asbestos or rock priced separately |
| Cancellation | What happens if the customer pulls out | Costs incurred are deducted from the deposit |
| Warranty | How long you stand behind the work | Workmanship guaranteed for 12 months |
A quote terms and conditions template
Copy the clauses below into your quote and replace anything in square brackets. Delete clauses that do not fit your work rather than leaving them in for safety, because irrelevant terms make the relevant ones look like boilerplate. Twelve clauses is a ceiling, not a target; a small repair quote may need five.
- Validity. This quote is valid until [date]. After that date prices may be revised.
- Acceptance. To accept, sign below or reply in writing quoting the quote number. Acceptance confirms you have read these terms.
- Deposit. A deposit of [percent or amount] is due on acceptance and secures the start date. Materials are ordered once it is received.
- Payment. [Stage payments as listed above.] The final balance is due within [7] days of completion.
- Scope. The price covers only the work described in the scope and line items above.
- Variations. Any change to the scope will be priced in writing and approved by you before the work is done.
- Hidden conditions. Work caused by conditions that were not visible when we quoted, such as [rot, damaged pipes, rock], is not included and will be priced before we proceed.
- Exclusions. Unless listed above, the price excludes [permit fees, structural repairs, moving furniture, waste beyond one load].
- Access. You will provide clear access to the work area, power and water during working hours of [7:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday].
- Delays. Start and finish dates are estimates. We will tell you promptly about delays caused by weather, supply or changes.
- Cancellation. If you cancel after acceptance, we will refund the deposit less costs already incurred, including materials ordered for your job.
- Warranty. We guarantee our workmanship for [12] months from completion. This does not affect your rights under consumer law.
Quotation terms and conditions samples by type of work
The template above suits most trades. Different kinds of work then need one or two extra clauses aimed at their own common problems: hidden damage on building jobs, revision rounds on design work, delivery and risk on supply orders, and access and notice periods on recurring service visits. Add the ones that match your work.
Building and renovation
Design, web and creative services
Supply and installation of goods
Cleaning, gardening and other recurring work
Deposits, stage payments and due dates
Payment terms should let the customer see exactly what they pay and when, in dollars, not just percentages. Tie each stage to a visible milestone the customer can check, such as cabinets installed, rather than to dates, and keep the deposit within any cap that applies to your work where you operate.
Worked example: an $18,400 kitchen renovation with three payments.
| Stage | Trigger | Share | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | On acceptance | 10% | $1,840 |
| Progress payment | Cabinets installed | 40% | $7,360 |
| Balance | Completion and walkthrough | 50% | $9,200 |
| Total | 100% | $18,400 |
Some places cap deposits on domestic building work; the Australian quote page lists the state caps we checked. For how much to ask generally, see deposits on quotes.
Terms that cause more trouble than they prevent
A term that sounds tough but cannot be enforced does more harm than good: it annoys the customer and can make the rest of your terms look unreasonable. Many countries have consumer laws that limit unfair terms and preserve rights that no wording can remove, so aim for fair and specific rather than sweeping.
- “No refunds under any circumstances.” Consumer law in many places gives rights a quote cannot cancel.
- “We accept no responsibility for any damage.” Too broad to rely on and likely to scare off careful customers.
- Terms in tiny print or on the back that the acceptance line never mentions.
- Terms sent after acceptance, such as in the confirmation email or with the invoice.
- Copied terms from another business that mention services, places or laws that have nothing to do with you.
- Charges not shown anywhere on the quote, such as a call-out fee that first appears on the invoice.
Where to put terms and how to get them accepted
Put the terms on the quote itself, below the totals, or on a second page that the acceptance block names. Then make acceptance refer to them: “I accept quote Q-4120 and the terms on page 2.” That one line does more to make your terms stick than any amount of legal language.
- Keep a version number on your standard terms, such as “Terms v3”, so you know which set each customer agreed to.
- Repeat the two terms customers care about most, validity and deposit, near the total.
- For repeat business customers, agree a master set once and refer to it on each quote.
- Reread your terms every year, and after any job that went badly.
Scope of work, exclusions, terms and signature lines each have their own place on the page.
Local rules that shape your terms
Your terms sit on top of the law where you work, not in place of it. Consumer guarantees, cooling off periods, deposit limits and tax wording all vary by country, and sometimes by state or province. Check the country page before you settle on standard terms, especially for building work and sales made at the customer’s home.
Country pages: Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, Canada, India, Singapore, South Africa and UAE. For what makes an accepted quote enforceable in the first place, read is a quote legally binding.
Questions about terms on quotes
What should be included in the terms and conditions of a quote?
At minimum: the validity date, deposit, when the balance is due, how changes are priced, what is excluded, what happens with hidden conditions, cancellation and your workmanship warranty. Add access, delays and materials ownership for larger jobs. Keep each one short and specific to your trade.
Are terms and conditions on a quote legally binding?
Generally yes, if the customer could see them before accepting and the acceptance refers to them. They cannot override consumer rights that the law in your country protects. Terms first shown after acceptance, such as on the invoice, are much weaker.
Can I copy terms and conditions from another business?
Copying wording is risky and often unhelpful. Another firm’s terms reflect its trade, its country and its problems, and copied text may also be someone else’s work. Start from a plain template like the one above and adapt it to the jobs you actually do.
How long should the terms on a quote be?
Long enough to cover your real risks and no longer. For a small repair, five short clauses may do. For a renovation, ten to twelve clauses on one page is typical. If customers regularly ask what a clause means, rewrite it in plainer words.
Do business customers need different terms from homeowners?
Often, yes. Consumer protection rules usually apply to homeowners and not, or less, to business buyers, and business customers may send purchase orders with their own terms. Keep one set for each, and when a purchase order arrives, confirm in writing which terms apply.