How to write a trade quote that wins the job

Most clients get two or three quotes, and the cheapest one doesn’t always win. People choose the tradesperson they trust to turn up, do what they said and not surprise them with extras. Your quote is often the first real piece of work they see from you, so it does a lot of the selling.

Here’s how to write one that gets accepted.

Quote or estimate? Be clear which you’re giving

The words matter. In many places a quote is read as a fixed price for the work described, and an estimate as your best guess that may change. If you call something a quote and then charge more without an agreed variation, you may not be able to recover the extra. Check how your local consumer law treats the two, and label each document honestly.

Speed wins work

The tradesperson who gets a clear quote back first has a real advantage. The client is still keen, and you look organised. Aim to send it within a day or two of the site visit. If a big job needs longer, tell them when to expect it, then beat that date.

What every quote should include

1. Your business details: name, logo, contact details and any business or tax number your country requires
2. The client’s details and the site address
3. A quote number and date, and how long the price is valid for (30 days is common)
4. A scope of work in plain language: what you’ll do, line by line or stage by stage
5. Inclusions: materials, rubbish removal, cleanup, consents if you’re handling them
6. Exclusions: what you’re not doing, such as painting, making good other trades’ work, or hidden damage
7. Prime cost and provisional sums for anything not yet chosen or not yet known
8. The price, with tax shown clearly as included or added
9. Payment terms: deposit, progress payments and when each is due
10. An expected start date and how long it will take
11. How variations work: extras are priced and approved in writing before they’re done
12. Warranty or guarantee on your workmanship
13. How to accept: a signature, a reply, or an online accept button

It sounds like a lot, but most of it is the same on every quote. Set it up once in a template and you only fill in the job-specific parts.

Write it for the client, not for another tradesperson

Your client probably doesn’t know what a “fall to waste” or a “PC sum” is. Use plain words, and explain any term you have to use in a short line. Describe the result they care about, such as “a fully waterproofed shower with a 15-year membrane warranty”, not just the product codes.

Photos from the site visit, or of similar finished jobs, help a lot. They show you understood the job and that you’ve done it before.

Offer options

Giving two or three options moves the client’s question from “should I use this tradie?” to “which option do I want?” For example:

• Essential: the job done properly with standard fittings
• Recommended: better fittings, plus the extra that saves trouble later
• Premium: the full upgrade

Keep each option’s scope clear so there’s no argument later about what was included.

Make it easy to say yes

Every extra step between “I like this” and “you’re booked” loses some clients. A quote they can accept with one tap, and pay a deposit on straight away, gets accepted faster than one they have to print, sign and scan. Tell them exactly what happens next: “Once you accept, I’ll lock in your start date and order materials.”

Follow up without being pushy

Lots of quotes are lost not to a competitor but to silence. The client got busy and forgot. A short follow-up is good service, not pestering.

• Two or three days later: “Hi Sam, just checking you got the quote for the bathroom and that it all makes sense. Happy to answer any questions.”
• About a week later: “Hi Sam, I’ve got a gap opening up in a few weeks. If you’d like to go ahead, I can hold it for you.”
• When the quote is about to expire: let them know the price is valid until that date.

If they say no, ask what made the difference. You’ll learn more from one honest answer than from ten unanswered quotes.

Mistakes that lose jobs

• Taking a week or more to send it
• A single price with no breakdown, so the client can’t see what they’re paying for
• Jargon the client doesn’t understand
• No exclusions, which leads to arguments later
• No expiry date, so the price is still “valid” a year later after costs have gone up
• Making it hard to accept
• Never following up

A simple structure to copy

1. Header: your branding, quote number, date, valid until
2. Client and site details
3. A one-paragraph summary of the job in plain words
4. Scope, stage by stage
5. Options, if offering them
6. Inclusions and exclusions
7. Price with tax shown
8. Payment terms and deposit
9. Timeframe, warranty and how variations work
10. Accept button or signature line, and what happens next

A quote that is clear, quick and easy to accept beats a cheaper one that leaves the client guessing.