How to Prepare a Quotation for Your Services, Step by Step

To prepare a quotation, agree the scope with the client first, then list each piece of work as a priced line item, add tax, state how long the price is valid, and set out your payment terms. That is how to prepare a quotation a client can read once and accept without a follow-up call. The order matters: a price written before the scope is pinned down is a guess, and guesses are what turn into disputes halfway through a job.

Get the scope in writing before you price anything

Most quotes that go wrong were priced too early. The client said "a new website" or "fix the bathroom", you pictured one job, they pictured another, and the quote only covered yours. A few direct questions before you open a blank quote close that gap.

• What exactly is included? Rooms, pages, units, hours, deliverables. Write them down as a list.
• What is not included? Materials the client supplies, work another trade does, content they will write.
• When do they need it done? A tight deadline can change the price, so ask now.
• Who approves it? If the person asking can't sign off, find out who can and address the quote to them.
• Do they have a reference or order number? Company clients often need it on the quote before their accounts team will accept it.

Send the answers back in a short email ("Just to confirm, the job covers...") before you price. If the client corrects something, you have saved yourself a revised quote.

How to prepare a quote, step by step

Work through the quote from top to bottom in this order. A client comparing three quotes reads them the same way, so every section should be where they expect it.

1. Your details: business name, logo, address, phone, email, and your registration or tax number if you have one.
2. Client details and their reference: the client or company name, the contact person, and any reference or order number they gave you.
3. Quote number and date: a unique number such as QUO-0042, so you can match the quote to the invoice later.
4. Validity date: the date the price expires, usually 14 to 30 days out.
5. Line items: one line per piece of work, each with a description, quantity and unit price.
6. Tax: the rate and the amount, shown separately from the subtotal.
7. Total and deposit: the final price, and the deposit you need before starting.
8. Terms: payment terms, what happens if the scope changes, and how many revisions are included.
9. How to accept: "Reply to this email to accept" or a signature line. Make yes a one-step answer.

Our free quotation generator lays these sections out in this order and does the line totals and tax for you, so the only thinking left is the scope and the prices. For the wording of the terms section, see our guide to quotation terms and conditions.

A worked example: a quote for a service job

Here is a brand design job for a small café, quoted after a 20-minute call. Each deliverable gets its own line, so the client can see what they are paying for and drop a line if the budget is tight.

Under the table, the quote states a 50% deposit (1,868.75) to start, the balance on delivery of the final files, validity of 21 days from the quote date, and "Reply to this email to accept." The revision limit sits in the line description, where nobody can miss it. That is how to prepare a quotation for most service jobs: scope, priced lines, tax, terms, and one clear way to say yes.

When a custom quotation beats a standard price list

A price list works when every job is the same: a standard service at a standard price. Most service work isn't like that. A custom quotation, built around what this client asked for, wins in three situations.

• The scope varies: number of rooms, pages, site visits or hours changes from job to job.
• The client is comparing quotes: a quote that uses their words ("the upstairs bathroom", "the spring menu") reads as prepared for them.
• You want to offer options: two or three versions of the same job at different prices turn "should I hire you" into "which one do I want".

Custom doesn't mean starting from scratch. Keep your standard line descriptions and rates somewhere you can copy from, and change only the parts this client asked about. For how line items look in building, electrical and plumbing work, see our quotation format examples.

Quoting on site before you leave the job

Picture a contractor finishing a walkthrough of a renovation. Instead of promising "I'll send something over this week", they sit in the van, open the quote on their phone, add the line items they just discussed, and email the PDF before they drive off. The homeowner reads it while the conversation is still fresh. Once your rates and details are saved, the whole thing takes about five minutes:

1. Minute 1: open the quote. Your business details are already filled in from last time.
2. Minute 2: add the client's name, site address and any reference they gave you.
3. Minutes 3 and 4: add the line items from your notes, each with a quantity and unit price.
4. Minute 5: check names, quantities and the total, set the validity date, download and send.

If you can't price something exactly on site, send a range for that line ("Tiling: 4,000 to 6,000 depending on final tile choice") and tighten it once the client decides. A fast range keeps you in the running; a perfect number sent next week often arrives after the client has chosen someone else.

Mistakes that lose the job

• One lump sum: "Website: 5,000" invites "why so much?" A breakdown invites "that makes sense."
• Vague descriptions: "Design work" says nothing. "Homepage and 4 inner pages, 2 revision rounds" says what the client gets.
• No expiry date: a quote accepted eight months later at last year's material prices costs you money.
• Hidden extras: call-out fees, delivery or waste removal that appear for the first time on the invoice.
• No clear way to accept: if the client has to ask "so what now?", some of them won't bother.
• Sending it days later: the client's interest is highest right after the call. Aim to send the same day.