How to Write a Quote as a Tradesman — What to Include and How to Win the Job

Most tradespeople lose jobs not because they're the most expensive, but because their quote looks less professional than the one that won it. A typed quote with clear line items will beat a handwritten price on a bit of paper almost every time — even if the number is the same.

Here's how to quote properly.

What every quote needs to include

A professional quote should have: Your name and business name Your address and contact details The customer's name and address A quote reference number The date and a validity period (e.g. valid for 30 days) A clear description of the work to be carried out Labour and materials broken out separately The total price including VAT (or a note that you're not VAT registered) Payment terms — deposit required, staged payments, balance on completion Any exclusions — what is not included in the price

The exclusions section is underused and important. If the quote is for fitting a bathroom suite and doesn't include tiling, write that down. If it doesn't include making good, write that down. Disputes almost always come from something the customer assumed was included that wasn't.

How to price a job accurately Start with your materials. Get actual prices, don't estimate from memory. A 10% uplift on materials is reasonable to cover your time sourcing, ordering and handling them.

Then estimate your labour time honestly. Most tradespeople underestimate — they price for how long the job should take on a good day rather than how long it will actually take accounting for access, unexpected issues and the inevitable trip to the merchant for something that wasn't on the van.

Add a contingency. 10-15% on the labour element covers the unexpected. If nothing goes wrong, your margin is better. If something does, you're not losing money.

Fixed price vs day rate

Fixed price quotes suit customers who want certainty. They suit you on jobs you know inside out. They don't suit jobs where the scope is genuinely unclear — a bathroom refurb where you don't know what's behind the tiles, or a rewire where the state of the existing wiring is unknown.

For uncertain-scope jobs, quote a day rate with an estimated number of days and a caveat that the final cost depends on what's found on opening up. Get that caveat agreed in writing.

How to present your quote A PDF sent by email is the standard. It creates a paper trail, it looks professional, and the customer can forward it to a partner or spouse without having to type out what you said.

Paper quotes handed over on site are fine for small jobs. WhatsApp prices are not quotes — they have no legal standing and leave you exposed.

How to follow up If you haven't heard back within a week, follow up. A single message — not multiple — is all it takes:

"Hi [Name], just checking in on the quote I sent over for [job]. Happy to answer any questions or talk through anything. Let me know either way."

That last phrase — let me know either way — is important. It signals you're not desperate and you're not going to chase endlessly. It also gives people permission to say no, which many find hard to do unprompted.

If they've gone with someone else, a quick "no problem, thanks for letting me know" leaves the door open for next time. People remember how you handle a no.

When a customer wants you to lower your price Some will. Decide in advance how you want to handle it. Options:

Hold your price and explain what's included — value sell Offer to remove scope rather than drop the rate — "I can leave the tiling out and you can arrange that separately" Offer a small discount for a quick start or early payment — but only if it genuinely works for you

Don't drop your price just because someone asks. It signals you weren't confident in it to begin with.

Dayrates lets you send professional PDF quotes from your phone, convert them to invoices in one tap when the job is confirmed, and track whether they've been opened. The whole quote-to-invoice process in one place.