What Should a Quote Include? The Complete Guide for Tradespeople

You've done the site visit, sized up the job, and now the customer's waiting on a price. But what exactly should your quote include?

A scrappy number on the back of a napkin isn't going to cut it. Not if you want to win the job, avoid disputes later, and look like the professional you are.

Whether you're a plumber pricing a bathroom refit, a builder quoting an extension, or a painter working up a price for a full house exterior, the bones of a good quote are the same. Here's everything yours should cover.

Your Business Details

Every quote should start with who it's from. That means:

• Your business name
• Your name
• Phone number and email address
• Your business address
• Your tax number if applicable (VAT number in the UK, ABN in Australia, EIN in the US)
• Your logo, because it makes the whole thing look more professional and helps the customer remember who you are when they're comparing three or four quotes side by side

This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many tradespeople send a price over text with no context. The customer's got four plumbers quoting. Make sure they know which one you are.

Customer Details

Include the customer's name and the property address where the work will be carried out (if it's different from their home address). This ties the quote to a specific person and a specific job, which matters if there's ever a disagreement down the line.

A Quote Reference Number

Give every quote a unique reference number. It doesn't need to be complicated. Something like Q-0042 or 2026-04-015 is fine.

This makes it much easier to track your quotes, follow up with customers, and keep your records organised. It's also a small detail that signals professionalism.

The Date (and an Expiry Date)

Always date your quote, and always include a "valid until" date. Material prices change, your availability changes, and you don't want someone coming back six months later expecting to hold you to a price you gave when timber was half the cost it is now.

A validity period of 14 to 30 days is standard for most trades. After that, you're within your rights to requote.

A Clear Job Description

Before you get into the money, lay out exactly what the job involves in plain English. This is the part most tradespeople skip or skim over, and it's the part that causes the most arguments.

For a painting job, don't just write "paint house." Write something like:

"Prepare and paint all external woodwork including fascias, soffits, window frames (x8), and front and rear doors. Two coats of exterior gloss on all surfaces. Minor filling and sanding included."

For a builder's quote, break it down by phase: strip out, first fix, plastering, second fix, finishing. The more specific you are, the fewer surprises for the customer, and the fewer free extras they'll try to squeeze out of you.

Scope of Works

This is the detailed breakdown of what you'll actually do. Depending on your trade and the size of the job, this might be a numbered list of phases or a set of individual line items.

Scope-based quotes work well for bigger jobs. You'd list the major phases of work (demolition, structural, plumbing first fix, plastering, plumbing second fix, tiling, snagging) with a description of what each phase includes.

Itemised quotes work better for smaller or more straightforward jobs where the customer wants to see individual costs. Each line item gets its own description and price.

Either way, the key is clarity. If the customer can read your quote and understand exactly what they're getting, you've done it right.

Materials

Be clear about what materials are included in the price and what the customer needs to supply. If you're a tiler and the customer is supplying their own tiles, say so. If you're including all paint and materials in the price, say that too.

Where you're specifying materials, mention the brand or grade if it's relevant. "Dulux Trade vinyl matt" tells the customer a lot more than just "paint." It also protects you. If they later complain about the finish, you can point back to what was agreed.

What's Not Included (Exclusions)

This is just as important as what is included. If your plastering quote doesn't include painting, say so. If your electrical quote doesn't cover making good the walls after chasing, spell it out.

Common exclusions include:

• Structural work
• Asbestos removal
• Dumpster/skip hire
• Permit or building control fees
• Scaffolding
• Decoration
• Anything that depends on what you find once you open things up (like hidden damp or rotten joists)

Being upfront about exclusions builds trust. Customers don't like surprises, especially ones that come with an extra bill attached.

The Price

Obviously. But think about how you present it. Show the subtotal, then tax (VAT, GST, or sales tax if applicable), then the grand total clearly. If you've given an itemised breakdown, each line should have its own price with the total at the bottom.

Don't bury the number. Make it easy to find and easy to understand.

Payment Terms

How do you want to be paid, and when? This is where a lot of tradespeople leave money on the table or create problems for themselves by not being specific.

Common payment structures include:

1. Full payment on completion
2. Deposit + balance, e.g. 30% deposit, 70% on completion
3. Stage payments for larger jobs, e.g. 30% deposit, 40% at midpoint, 30% on completion

Whatever your terms are, put them on the quote in writing. It's much harder for a customer to dispute payment terms when they agreed to them before the work started.

A Warranty or Guarantee

If you offer a guarantee on your work, include the details. Something like:

"All workmanship guaranteed for 12 months from completion."

This gives the customer confidence and sets a clear boundary for how long you'll come back to fix things.

How to Accept

Tell the customer what to do next. It might be as simple as "To accept this quote, please reply to this email confirming you'd like to go ahead." Or you might ask for a signed copy back with the deposit.

Either way, don't leave them guessing.

Why This All Matters

Research shows that 50% of customers reject quotes that are vague or unclear. And when the average homeowner is getting four to six quotes before choosing someone, the tradesperson who sends a clear, professional, detailed quote has a serious advantage over the one who texts a number and "let me know."

It's also about protecting yourself. A detailed quote is a written agreement. If a customer tries to add extras without paying, or disputes what was included, you've got something to point back to.

The Quick Way to Get This Right Every Time

Writing all of this out from scratch for every job takes time. Time you could spend actually doing the work. That's exactly why tools like Priced exist.

You describe the job (type it, photograph your handwritten notes, or just talk through it using voice-to-quote), and AI generates a professional PDF quote with all of the above: scope of works, materials, exclusions, payment terms, tax, the lot. If you've set up a price list, it'll even match your job description to your saved prices and fill in the costs automatically.

It takes seconds instead of an hour hunched over a laptop. Your quote looks professional, covers everything it needs to, and you can send it to the customer before your competitors have even started typing.

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Priced is an AI-powered quoting app built for tradespeople. Describe the job, and AI writes a professional quote ready to send in seconds. Try it free at getpriced.app.