How to write a job quote
customers say yes to

What customers want to know

A customer comparing quotes is trying to answer four questions.

• What exactly will you do?
• What will it cost in total?
• When can you start, and how long will it take?
• What happens if something unexpected turns up?

A quote that answers all four in plain words is easier to compare and easier to accept. Price matters. So does being clear.

Quote or estimate?

Customers usually read a quote as a fixed price for the work described, and an estimate as a best guess that may change. Say which one you are giving.

If part of the job cannot be priced until you start, such as what is behind a wall, give a fixed price for the rest. Then explain how you will price the unknown part. What a quote commits you to depends on its wording and on the situation. If you are unsure, check with an adviser or your trade body.

What to include

• Your details. Business name, address, phone and email, and any registrations or memberships that apply to the work.
• The customer and the job. Their name, the job address and the date you visited.
• The work. What you will do, room by room or stage by stage.
• Materials. The main items, with brand, model or grade where it matters to the customer.
• What is not included. For example making good, decorating, skip hire or moving furniture.
• The price. The total, and whether VAT is included. Split labour and materials if it helps.
• Assumptions. Access, working hours, parking, and water and power being available.
• Unknowns. How you will price anything you find once work starts.
• Start date and time on site.
• Payment terms. Deposit, stage payments, final payment, and how to pay.
• Guarantee. What you guarantee and for how long, if you offer one.
• Validity. The date the quote expires. Material prices change.
• How to accept. Sign, reply by email, or pay the deposit.

A template you can copy

Replace everything in square brackets. Delete any line that does not apply.

Quote [number]
Date: [date]
Valid until: [date]

[Your business name]
[Address, phone, email]
[Registrations or memberships, if any]

For: [customer name]
Job address: [address]
Visited on: [date]

The work
1. [For example: remove the old bathroom suite and take away the waste]
2. [For example: supply and fit [brand and model] shower tray and enclosure]
3. [Task]

Materials: [main items, with brand, model or grade]

Not included
- [For example: tiling, decorating, moving furniture]

Assumptions
- [For example: water can be turned off during working hours]
- [For example: the floor under the bath is sound. If it is not, we will show you and agree a price before we repair it.]

Price
Labour: [amount]
Materials: [amount]
Total: [amount] [including / excluding] VAT

Start: [date or week], about [number] working days on site
Payment: [deposit] to book, [stage payment] at [stage], balance on completion
Guarantee: [what is covered, and for how long]

To accept, sign below or reply to this email.

Signed: ____________   Date: ____________

Wording that saves arguments

The price

The total price for the work above is [amount] including VAT. This is a fixed price for the work described.

Unknowns

If we find something we could not see when we visited, we will stop, show you, and agree the cost with you before we carry on.

Changes

Any extra work you ask for will be priced and agreed in writing before we start it.

Send it, then follow up

• Send it while the visit is fresh, in your mind and the customer's.
• Follow up a few days later. Ask if they have any questions. A short message is enough.
• Remind them before it expires. Mention the validity date and whether your prices will change.
• Ask why if they say no. Price, timing, or something missing from the quote? The answer helps your next one.

Jobs agreed at the customer's home

Consumer rules can give customers extra rights, such as a period in which they can cancel, when a contract is agreed in their home or online. The rules differ between countries and change over time. Check the current guidance from your government or trade body, or ask an adviser, and make sure your paperwork matches.

Take enquiries in a form you can price

Many quotes start with a vague message: "can you give me a price for a new bathroom?" A short form that asks for the job, the address and the timing can save a phone call.

Kavel's free quote request page gives you a hosted page where customers say what they need in labelled fields, line by line. Each request arrives in your inbox, and you reply to the customer directly.

QuoteDesk is a tool Kavel has built that reads a quote request and drafts a reply priced from your own price list. A person checks and sends every reply. You can try the demo or get started free on your own price list. See QuoteDesk for trades.

Written with AI.