How to Quote a Job as a Tradesperson (and Win the Work)

To quote a job as a tradesperson, cost the labour, materials and overheads properly, write them up as an itemised quote that says what's included and excluded, state the price, deposit, payment terms and how long the quote is valid, send it within a day or two of the site visit, and follow up. A clear, prompt, itemised quote often beats a vague cheaper one.

Quote or estimate? Say which you're giving

In everyday UK trade language, a quote is usually understood as a fixed price for the work described, while an estimate is your best guess, which could change. Customers often use the words interchangeably, so say which it is on the document. If you can see the whole job (a consumer unit change, a like-for-like boiler swap, a room to decorate), a fixed quote is what most homeowners want. If you can't see what's behind the plaster or under the floor, give an estimate, or a fixed price with clearly written assumptions, and explain how any unforeseen work will be priced.

Cost the job properly before you put a number on it

Underquoting rarely comes from bad maths on the job itself. It comes from forgetting the costs around it. Before you price, add up:

• Labour: realistic days or hours for you and anyone helping, including return visits for first and second fix
• Materials: today's prices from your merchant, not last year's, plus a margin for handling and wastage
• Travel and parking, plus congestion or clean air zone charges where they apply
• Waste disposal and skip hire
• Plant or tool hire
• Certification or notification costs, where your trade has them
• Your overheads: van, insurance, phone, software, and the unpaid time spent quoting

If you're not sure what your day rate should be in the first place, our guide to pricing trade work and the free rate calculator will get you to a number that covers your costs.

Break it down so the customer can see what they're paying for

A homeowner comparing three quotes will often trust the one they understand. List the main stages of the work, then materials, then extras such as waste removal. You don't need to show your margin, but you should show enough that the price looks considered. A kitchen fitter's quote that separates strip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrics, fitting units and worktops, and making good reads as someone who has thought the job through.

Say what's included, and what isn't

Exclusions protect you more than anything else on the page. If plastering, making good, decorating, skip hire or customer-supplied fittings aren't in your price, say so. If you're assuming the existing pipework is sound or the walls are solid, write that assumption down. When something unexpected turns up, you can point to it and price the change instead of absorbing it. Our post on charging for extras on site covers how to handle variations once the job is under way.

Put deposits and payment terms on the quote

The quote is the best place to agree money, because nobody is upset yet. State whether you need a deposit (common when you're buying materials up front), whether there are stage payments on longer jobs, and when the balance is due. For wording that makes this feel routine rather than awkward, see how to talk about payment with customers.

Send it quickly, and make it look professional

Speed is part of the impression. Customers who are ready to go ahead often book the first sensible quote that arrives, so aim to send yours the same day or the next. A branded PDF with your logo, contact details and a clear total looks far more trustworthy than a price in a text message. The free estimate generator builds one in your browser. In the AllSquare app you can save common items in a price list so repeat jobs take minutes, or describe the job out loud and let AllSquare's AI draft the estimate for you to check. Our pages for roofers and heating engineers show how this works for those trades.

Follow up politely, once or twice

Plenty of quotes go quiet because the customer is busy, not because they've gone elsewhere. A short message three to five days later (“Just checking you got the quote for the bathroom and whether you had any questions”) is usually enough. If you hear nothing after a second follow-up, move on. And if a customer's first move is to haggle before you've even priced the job, read our red flags list before you cut your price.

From accepted quote to invoice

When the customer says yes, you shouldn't have to type the job out again. In AllSquare an accepted estimate converts to an invoice in one tap, with the same customer, line items and VAT; add any agreed extras, deduct the deposit and send. If you're writing the invoice yourself, follow our step-by-step invoice guide.

Quick checklist for a winning quote

• Your business name, logo and contact details
• Customer name, billing address and site address
• Description of the work, broken into stages
• Materials and extras listed separately
• What's excluded, and any assumptions you've made
• Total price, and whether VAT is included (if you're registered)
• Deposit, any stage payments and when the balance is due
• How long the quote is valid