Free tool
Free quote and estimate generator
Price the job, set what's included and what isn't, add a deposit and a validity date, and download a proper PDF quote or estimate. No account, no payment, no watermark.
Document type
A quote is a fixed price you are agreeing to hold. An estimate is your best guess and can change — say so clearly in the wording.
Your business
Customer and site
Quote details
Labour and materials
Item 1
VAT, discount and deposit
Add VAT
Only if you are VAT registered.
Terms and notes
Preview
Your business
Quote
QUO-0001
Date: 11 Oct 2026
Valid until: 10 Nov 2026
For
Customer
| Description | Qty | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour — installation(labour) | 1 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
Acceptance in writing required. Deposit payable before work starts, balance on completion.
This quote is a fixed price for the work described and is valid until the date shown.
Quote or estimate — which should you send?
A quote is a firm price. Once the customer accepts it, you are generally bound by it unless the job changes, so only quote when you know what you are dealing with. An estimate is an informed guess and should say so plainly, with the assumptions it is based on. Getting this wrong is the single most common cause of arguments at the end of a job — the difference is explained in full in quote vs estimate.
What a good trade quote includes
- Your business name, address, phone, email and VAT number if registered.
- The customer's name and address, plus the site address if it differs.
- A unique quote number and the date it was issued.
- A scope of work written so a non-trade reader understands it.
- Exclusions and assumptions — what happens if the joists are rotten.
- Labour and materials priced separately.
- VAT shown clearly, or a note that you are not VAT registered.
- Deposit, stage payments and the balance due on completion.
- A validity date, so merchant price rises are not your problem.
Why exclusions matter more than the price
Most disputes come from work nobody priced. Write down what you have assumed — sound timbers, working isolation valves, parking available, no asbestos — and state how extras will be charged. A single line about a day rate for unforeseen work saves a very awkward conversation later.
Deposits and stage payments
For anything with significant material cost, ask for a deposit that covers the materials rather than a round percentage. On longer jobs, set stage payments against clear milestones. Put the schedule on the quote so acceptance also means accepting how you get paid.
How long should a quote be valid?
Thirty days is normal, fourteen if merchant prices are moving fast. Say what happens after that — usually a re-quote rather than an automatic increase. Follow up after a week; most jobs are lost to silence rather than to price.
Turning an accepted quote into an invoice
Keep the numbers identical to what was accepted, add any agreed variations as separate lines, and reference the quote number on the invoice. Then send it the day you finish — the free invoice generator will do it, and getting paid faster covers the chasing.
Quoting more than the odd job?
Telaro stores your customers, rate cards and numbering, tracks which quotes were accepted, and converts them to invoices in a tap. It’s free: 10 invoices a month plus unlimited quotes and estimates, no card needed.