Is a quote legally binding?
A quote is generally treated as a fixed price you have offered, so once the customer accepts it you are expected to honour it. An estimate is not fixed. Always make clear which you are providing.
Quote & Estimate Template for Tradesmen
A clear, itemised quote wins more work and prevents disputes. Here is what to include — and the quickest way to price and send one.
A quote is the first real impression of how you run your business. A vague number scribbled on the back of a card invites haggling and misunderstandings; a clear, itemised quote sets expectations and wins the job.
The essentials are the same whatever the trade: who you are, what is included (and what is not), the price and how VAT is handled, and how long the quote is valid.
Build an itemised price from materials, labour and margin.
What to include
- Your business and contact details
- The customer's name and the job address
- A clear description of the work and what is included
- An itemised breakdown of labour and materials, or a clear all-in price
- How VAT is handled
- Any exclusions, assumptions or provisional sums
- How long the quote is valid for, and how to accept it
Quote vs estimate — get the wording right
A quote is a fixed price you are committing to; an estimate is your best guess that may change. Say which one you are giving, because the difference matters legally and to the customer's expectations.
If parts of the job are genuinely uncertain, price what you can as a quote and flag the rest as a provisional sum or an estimate, rather than blurring the whole thing.
Price it properly, then send it
Build the price from materials, labour hours and the margin you need — guessing a round number is how jobs lose money. The job-price calculator does this in one place and shows your profit.
In the TradePlanr app you can turn that into a branded quote, send it for e-signature, and convert it straight to an invoice when the work is done.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a quote be valid?
Many trades make quotes valid for 14 or 30 days, which protects you against material price rises. State the validity period clearly on the quote.
Should I itemise or give one price?
Both work. An all-in price is simple and keeps your margins private; an itemised breakdown builds trust on bigger jobs and makes variations easier to price later.
Related templates
Invoice Template for Tradesmen
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RAMS Template (Risk Assessment & Method Statement)
Main contractors ask for RAMS before you set foot on site. Here is what the document needs to cover — and how to keep yours consistent job to job.
EICR Certificate Template
An EICR is a formal BS 7671 document, not a blank you fill in freehand. Here is what it must contain — and the quickest way to produce a compliant one.
