Writing a quote that gets accepted: what to put in and what to leave out
What a customer actually reads on a quote, how much detail helps, and the small habits that turn more quotes into booked work.
By The Osmuch team · · 6 min read
In short
- Open with one line saying what the work is, in the customer's words, before any prices.
- Group lines by room or stage so the customer can see what they are paying for.
- Show quantities where they help and hide them where they only invite haggling.
- Say how long the price stands, what is not included and how you want to be paid.
- Follow up once, a few days later. Most quotes that go quiet were simply forgotten.
A quote is the first piece of paperwork a customer gets from you, and often the thing they compare you on. Price matters, but a clear quote wins work that a cheaper, muddled one does not, because the customer can see exactly what they are agreeing to. Most of what makes a quote clear costs nothing.
Start with what the work is
Before the first price, write one or two lines describing the job as the customer would: "Replace the combi boiler in the kitchen and move the flue to the side wall." It tells them you listened, it gives the quote a name they will remember, and it saves a phone call asking which quote this was.
Group the lines so they make sense
Forty lines in one list is hard to read. Grouping them under headings, by room or by stage, lets the customer see that the bathroom is this much and the landing is that much. It also makes it easy for them to ask you to drop one part of the job, which is better than losing the whole thing.
Keep labour on its own lines rather than hiding it inside the price of parts. Customers understand paying for time, and separating the two makes your prices easier to defend if they are questioned.
How much detail to show
Quantities help on a quote for eight radiators. They do not help on a line like "sealant and fixings", where "2.5 tubes at £6.40" invites a conversation about the half tube. For lines like that, showing a single price is clearer. The same goes for consumables generally: the customer needs the total, not your shopping list.
The small print that saves arguments
- How long the price stands. Thirty days is common, and shorter if your material prices move quickly.
- What is not included: making good, decorating, skip hire, anything you would otherwise be asked about later.
- Whether the prices include VAT. Individuals usually expect a VAT-inclusive figure, and businesses a VAT-exclusive one.
- How you want to be paid, including any deposit and when it is due.
- What happens if you find something you could not see when you quoted.
Make saying yes easy
The fewer steps between reading a quote and accepting it, the more quotes get accepted. A clear "to go ahead, reply to this email or pay the deposit" works better than leaving the customer to work out what to do next. If you take card payments, a link to pay the deposit online turns "I'll get back to you" into a booked job.
Follow up, once
Most quotes that go quiet have not been turned down. The customer got busy, or put it to one side to talk it over and forgot. A short, friendly message a few days later asking whether they have any questions wins a surprising amount of work back. One follow-up is helpful; a string of them is pressure, and customers notice the difference.
If the job changes after you have sent the quote, send a revised quote rather than agreeing the change by text. The customer then has one document that matches what you are doing, and so do you.
Questions
How long should a quote be valid for?
Thirty days is a common default. If the price of your materials moves quickly, a shorter period protects you, as long as the quote says so clearly.
Should a quote include VAT?
If you are VAT registered, say plainly whether the prices include it. Private customers usually expect to see the price they will pay, including VAT, while businesses usually expect prices before VAT.
Should I chase a quote the customer has not answered?
Yes, once, a few days after sending it. A short message asking if they have any questions is enough, and it often wins work that would otherwise have been forgotten.
Doing this in Osmuch
In Osmuch a quote has a description at the top, lines grouped under your own section headings, labour marked separately from parts, and a switch to hide quantities on the customer's copy. It goes out as a PDF from your own email address, with an optional link to pay online through your own Stripe account. You can set Osmuch to follow up a quote once, after the number of days you choose, and a revised quote keeps the original alongside it. Customers with access to your customer portal can accept a quote there too.
Guide: building and sending a quote · Guide: asking for a deposit · Guide: turning a quote into a job