How to Write a Quotation That Wins the Job

What a quotation is

A quotation, or quote, is a written offer to do a defined piece of work for a stated price. You send it before the work starts. If the client accepts, you both know what is being delivered and what it costs.

That makes it different from a casual price mention in a chat. A quote is specific. It lists what is included, the total price and how long the offer stands. Because it is in writing, it protects both sides. The client knows what they will pay, and you have a clear record of what you promised.

Quote, estimate or invoice: what is the difference?

These three words are often mixed up, so here is a plain way to separate them.

• A quotation is a fixed price offer. If the client accepts and the work stays the same, you charge that price.
• An estimate is a best guess of the likely cost. It can change if the work turns out bigger or smaller, and it is usually not binding.
• An invoice is a request for payment, sent after the work or delivery. See our guide on how to make an invoice for what to include.

In everyday use, people say quote for all of these, so state clearly which one you mean. If your price can move, call it an estimate and say what could change it. If it is fixed, call it a quotation and say for how long.

What to include in a quotation

A strong quote answers every question the client might otherwise have to ask. Include these parts.

1. The word quotation, clearly at the top, plus a quote number so you can find it later.
2. Your business name, address, email, phone number and logo, and your tax number if you have one.
3. The client's name or company and the contact person.
4. The date you issue it and a valid-until date.
5. A clear description of the work or goods, broken into lines, each with quantity, unit price and line total.
6. Subtotal, discount if any, tax shown separately and the final total.
7. Your terms: deposit, payment schedule, delivery time and what counts as extra work.
8. What is not included, so there is no confusion about the scope.
9. How to accept: reply by email, sign and return, or pay the deposit.

The scope is where most disputes start. Spell out what the price covers, such as three rounds of revisions or one site visit, and say that extra work will be quoted separately.

How to price a quote fairly

Pricing is the part people dread. A simple method helps. Start with your time. Estimate the hours for each part of the job and multiply by your hourly rate. Add your direct costs, such as materials, software or travel. Then add a margin for the unexpected, since most jobs take a bit longer than planned.

Do not price only against the cheapest competitor. Clients pay for reliability and clarity too, not only for the lowest number. At the same time, be honest. A price that is too low to deliver well will hurt you and the client.

Offering two or three options can help. A basic, a standard and a premium package give the client a choice, and many people pick the middle one. It also moves the conversation from whether to hire you to which option suits them.

A worked example

Imagine you are a designer quoting for a small brand project. You estimate 10 hours of design at 85 an hour, a project setup fee of 450, and three rounds of revisions at 120 each. The client is a repeat customer, so you offer 5% off, and your local sales tax is 8%.

The lines come to 850 for design, 450 for setup and 360 for revisions. The subtotal is 1,660. A 5% discount takes off 83, leaving 1,577. Tax at 8% adds 126.16. The total is 1,703.16.

Add a valid-until date 30 days away, a note that the price covers three revision rounds and a line such as 50% deposit to start, the rest on delivery. That is a complete, professional quote. You can build this exact one in the quotation maker with the sample button, then change the numbers to match your job.

Why the valid-until date matters

Prices change. Materials get dearer, your time fills up, and a quote that is open forever can become a trap. A valid-until date protects you. Thirty days is common for services, and shorter for anything affected by market prices.

It also gives the client a gentle reason to decide. You are not pressuring them, you are simply showing the offer has an end. If they come back after the date, you can happily re-quote.

Make it look professional

Presentation shapes trust. A clean, consistent quote tells the client you will be careful with their project too. A few simple choices help.

• Use one clear template with your logo and a colour that matches your brand.
• Keep the layout simple, with plenty of space and a readable font.
• Put the total where the eye lands first.
• Keep descriptions short and specific rather than long and vague.
• Check for spelling mistakes and wrong figures before you send it.

Send the quote as a PDF so it looks the same on every device. If the file is large, shrink it with the free PDF compressor first. If a client asks for the final price with tax, our percentage calculator and sales tax calculator are handy for quick checks.

Follow up without being pushy

Many quotes are not answered, simply because the client got busy. A short, friendly follow-up often wins the job. Send the quote promptly, ideally within a day or two of the conversation, while you are fresh in their mind.

If you do not hear back, follow up once after three to five days. Something like: Hi, I just wanted to check you received the quote and see if you have any questions. Then, if there is still no reply, one final note near the valid-until date. After that, leave it, and move on with a good impression.

When the answer is yes, confirm in writing, collect the deposit if you agreed one, and then turn the quote into an invoice at the right moment, with the same lines and numbers.

Mistakes that cost you jobs

A few small errors can lose a client or lose you money.

• A vague scope that lets the project grow without extra pay.
• No valid-until date, leaving the price open forever.
• Mixing up quote and estimate, then arguing about a fixed price later.
• Forgetting tax, deposits or delivery costs in the total.
• Slow replies. The first good quote often wins.
• A messy layout or typos that suggest the work will be careless too.

None of these takes long to fix. A checklist, and a good template, keeps you consistent.

Protect yourself with a clear scope

Most disagreements about price are really disagreements about scope. The client assumed something was included, and you assumed it was not. A good quote closes that gap before work begins.

Describe the deliverables in plain words. Instead of website design, write design of a five-page website, including a home page, and two rounds of changes. Name what you will need from the client, such as text and images by a certain date, since delays on their side often push the timeline.

Then say what happens with extra requests. A short line like additional work outside this quote will be priced separately is enough. It keeps the conversation friendly when the client later asks for one more thing, because you are only applying a rule you both agreed.

Terms and conditions worth adding

You do not need a long legal document, but a few short terms prevent most problems.

• Deposit: for example 30% to 50% before work starts, which shows commitment from both sides.
• Payment schedule: when each part is due, tied to clear milestones such as delivery of the first draft.
• Delivery time: a realistic date or a time range from the day you receive the deposit and any materials.
• Cancellation: what happens to the deposit if the client cancels after work has started.
• Ownership: who owns the finished work and when ownership passes, usually once payment is complete.

If the job is large or the risk is high, ask a lawyer to check your standard terms once. After that you can reuse them on every quote.

From accepted quote to invoice

When the client says yes, treat the quote as the plan for everything that follows. Confirm acceptance in writing, ask for the deposit if you agreed one, and note the date.

Later, build the invoice from the quote. Use the same items, the same prices and the same tax treatment, so nothing the client already agreed to changes. Add the quote number as a reference. If the scope changed along the way, put the extra work on its own line so the client sees exactly what was added.

Following this path, the client never gets a surprise, and you never have to argue about what was promised. Our guide on how to make an invoice covers the next step in detail, and the invoice generator lets you create it in minutes.

A final checklist before you send

Read the quote once more as if you were the client. Would you understand it and feel safe saying yes? This checklist helps you answer honestly.

1. Is the quote number unique, and is the date correct?
2. Are the client's name and contact details right?
3. Does every line say what is included, with the quantity and the price?
4. Do the subtotal, discount, tax and total add up? Check them with a calculator, because one wrong figure can cost you the job or your margin.
5. Is the valid-until date clear?
6. Are the deposit, payment schedule and delivery time written down?
7. Does it say what is not included and how extra work is handled?
8. Is there one clear way to say yes, such as reply to this email or sign below?

A quote that passes this check feels calm and professional. It tells the client what to expect, and it gives you a firm base to stand on if things change later. That small bit of preparation is often what separates the quotes that win from the ones that never get a reply.

Questions people ask

Sources and further reading

• GOV.UK – Business and self-employed guidance
• U.S. Small Business Administration – Run your business
• Citizens Advice – Quotes and estimates