How to write a quote that wins the job

Send it the same day — ideally from the doorstep

The customer's interest peaks the moment you leave. Every day between the visit and the quote, two things happen: their enthusiasm fades, and a competitor's quote lands. A decent quote sent within an hour beats a beautiful one sent on Thursday.

The practical fix is to write the quote at the job, not at home. Walk the work with your phone out, add each item as you look at it, and send before you're back in the van. It also reads better: details are sharpest while you're still standing in front of them.

Itemise everything — one line per piece of work

A single unexplained number invites haggling; an itemised list answers the questions before they're asked. When labour, materials and each distinct piece of work sit on their own lines, the customer can see what the money buys — and comparing you to a cheaper quote becomes a comparison of scope, not just totals.

Itemising also protects you later. When the job grows — it always grows — the extra work becomes a new line with its own price, agreed before you do it, instead of an awkward renegotiation at the end.

• Labour and materials on separate lines, always.
• Prep and making-good as their own lines — it's real work, and the cheaper quote is usually cheaper because it skips it.
• Anything you're NOT doing, stated as an exclusion. "Excludes redecoration" costs one line now and saves an argument later.

What every quote must include

Whatever tool you use — an app, a template, a well-formatted email — a professional quote carries the same bones:

• Your business name and contact details.
• A quote number and the date, so 'quote 047' means something on the phone.
• The customer's name and the job address.
• Itemised lines with prices, and a clear total.
• Whether VAT (or your local sales tax) is included, if registered.
• How long the price holds — '30 days' is standard, shorter if materials are volatile.
• Payment terms: deposit required, stage payments, and when the balance is due.

Send a PDF, not a text message

A price in a WhatsApp message reads like an opinion; the same price on a PDF with your name at the top reads like a company. Customers forward quotes — to a partner, a landlord, a letting agent — and the version that gets forwarded should look like your business at its best, not a screenshot of a chat bubble.

A real file is also unambiguous. Months later, when memories differ about what was included, there is one document with a date, a number and the lines you both agreed to.

Follow up once, politely, at the right moment

Most quotes don't get rejected — they drift. The customer means to reply, life happens, and three weeks later they're embarrassed to answer. One friendly follow-up two or three days after sending catches them while they're still deciding, and reads as organised rather than pushy: "Just checking the quote came through all right — happy to adjust anything."

If your quoting tool shows when a quote has been opened, use that: a quote opened twice but unanswered is a customer weighing it up, which is exactly when a nudge helps. One that was never opened just needs re-sending.

Get the yes in writing

"Go ahead mate" over the phone is a price dispute waiting for a place to happen. However the customer accepts — a reply, a signature, a tap on an accept link — make sure the yes is attached to the itemised quote, so the scope and number they agreed to are on record. Tools like SoloDesks give every quote a private link the customer can accept with one tap, which gets the agreement in writing without asking anyone to print a form.

Common questions

What's the difference between a quote and an estimate?

A quote is a fixed price for defined work — once accepted, that's the price. An estimate is an informed guess that can move. Customers strongly prefer quotes, so quote whenever the scope is knowable, and keep anything uncertain out of it as a stated exclusion or a provisional line.

How quickly should I send a quote?

Same day, and from the job itself if you can. The quote that arrives first frames what the job 'should' cost, and every day of delay is a day a competitor's quote can land. Speed is the cheapest competitive advantage available to a sole trader.

Should I break down labour and materials separately?

Yes. An itemised quote builds trust, reduces haggling, and turns mid-job extras into cleanly priced new lines instead of end-of-job arguments. The exception is genuinely trivial jobs, where a single line is fine.

How long should a quote stay valid?

Thirty days is the common default. Shorten it when material prices are moving, and say so on the quote — a validity window also gives an undecided customer a gentle reason to stop drifting.

Should I charge for quoting?

For most domestic work, free quotes are the norm and customers expect them. Charging becomes reasonable when the quote itself is substantial work — a detailed specification, measured drawings, or a survey — and you say so upfront.

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