A good quote does more than put a number on a job. It tells the customer you’re organised, professional and worth the price — before you’ve lifted a tool. A vague one scribbled on the back of a job sheet does the opposite, and it’s often why the faster, tidier quote down the road wins the work.

This guide walks through exactly what to put in a professional quote, how to price it, and the difference between a quote and an estimate (it matters more than most people think). There’s a template at the end you can copy for your next job.

Quote vs estimate: know the difference

People use the words interchangeably, but legally they’re not the same thing — and getting it wrong can cost you.

A quote is a fixed price. Once the customer accepts it, that’s the price for the work described. You can only charge more if the scope changes or you both agree in writing.
An estimate is your best guess. It’s a rough figure that can move as the job unfolds. Useful when you genuinely can’t see the full extent of the work yet — but it gives the customer far less certainty.

For most defined jobs — a bathroom, a rewire, a patio — a fixed quote wins more work, because customers value knowing exactly what they’ll pay. Use an estimate only when there are real unknowns, and always say clearly on the document which one it is. (This guide on quote vs estimate goes deeper on where you stand legally.)

What every professional quote should include

Whatever your trade, a quote that closes the sale has the same bones:

Your business details — name, logo, address, phone, email, and your VAT number if you’re registered.
The customer’s details — name and the address the work is at.
A quote number and date — so you and the customer can both refer back to it.
An itemised breakdown of the work — this is the part that wins jobs (more below).
The price — clearly totalled, with VAT shown separately if it applies.
What’s included and excluded — remove the assumptions that turn into arguments later.
Payment terms — deposit, stage payments, when the balance is due.
How long the quote is valid — 30 days is standard; it protects you against rising material costs.
Your terms and conditions — even a short paragraph sets expectations.

Why itemising matters

A single line that says “Bathroom refit — £4,800” invites the customer to haggle the whole number. Break the same job into its parts — strip-out, first fix, tiling, suite, second fix — and each line justifies the one above it. The customer sees the work, not just the cost, and the price feels earned rather than plucked from the air.

Itemising also protects you. When a customer later asks “can you just add a heated towel rail?”, you’ve got a clear line to price it against instead of renegotiating the lot.

How to price the job

Your price needs to cover four things, in this order:

Materials — everything you’ll buy in, with a bit of margin for waste and price rises.
Labour — your day rate (or the crew’s) multiplied by realistic days, not optimistic ones.
Overheads — van, fuel, insurance, tools, phone, the hours you spend quoting. These are real costs even when they’re invisible.
Profit — the reason you’re in business. Build it in deliberately; don’t hope it’s left over at the end.

A common mistake is quoting only materials plus labour and wondering where the money went. Price the whole cost of doing the work, then add your margin on top. If you’ve never worked out what your time actually needs to be worth, start with how to work out your day rate — it’s the foundation every job price is built on.

Tip: Walk the job before you price it, room by room. Pricing from memory back at the van is how the small extras — the ones that quietly eat your margin — get forgotten.

A quote template you can copy

Here’s a simple structure that works for any trade:

[Your Business Name]                         Quote #: Q-000123
[Logo]                                        Date: 20 July 2026
[Address · Phone · Email · VAT No.]           Valid for: 30 days

Prepared for:
[Customer name]
[Job address]

--------------------------------------------------------------
Description                                    Amount
--------------------------------------------------------------
Strip out existing bathroom & dispose         £  350.00
First fix plumbing & electrics                £  680.00
Wall & floor tiling (incl. materials)         £1,150.00
Supply & fit bathroom suite                   £1,400.00
Second fix, seal & test                        £  520.00
--------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal                                       £4,100.00
VAT @ 20%                                       £  820.00
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                          £4,920.00
--------------------------------------------------------------

Included: all labour and materials listed above.
Excluded: replastering, tile upgrades beyond £30/m².
Payment: 30% deposit, balance on completion.
Terms: [your terms & conditions]

Swap the lines for your own work and rates. The format is what matters — clear, itemised, branded and professional.

Send it fast — the fastest quote usually wins

Here’s the part most guides skip: timing beats everything. Research and experience both say the same thing — the tradesperson who gets a professional quote to the customer first, while the job is still fresh in their mind, wins a disproportionate share of the work. A brilliant quote that lands three days later is often too late. (Speed is just one of the seven reasons trades lose quotes — and most have nothing to do with price.)

That’s the whole reason we built Queezy. Instead of writing quotes up at 9pm on a spreadsheet, you build them on your phone while you’re standing in the job — room by room, adapted to your trade — and send a branded, itemised PDF before you’ve left the driveway. Whether you’re an electrician, a plumber, a builder or a decorator, the quote takes shape as you survey, and the price is professional and consistent every time.

The takeaway

A professional quote is itemised, branded, clear about what’s in and out, and — above all — sent fast. Nail those four and you’ll win more of the jobs you go out to price, at a price that actually pays.

Want to send quotes like this in minutes, not hours? Join the Queezy waiting list and be first in when we launch.

How to Write a Quote for Trade Work (Template & Examples)