Free Tradesman Quote Template + How to Quote a Job
A scribbled number on the back of a business card loses you jobs. A clean, itemised quote wins them. Here's the template — and the eight things that separate a quote customers accept from one they ignore.
Whether you're a plumber, electrician, builder, painter or landscaper, the quote is your first real impression. Customers comparing three tradespeople often pick not the cheapest, but the one whose quote looks the most professional and leaves the fewest questions. A good quote signals that you'll be organised on the job too.
Below is the exact structure of a winning trade quote, what each section should say, and a copy-ready template.
Your details · Customer details · Quote number & date · Itemised labour & materials · Clear total · What's not included · Payment terms · Validity period. Miss the last three and you'll get disputes and chased payments.
The tradesman quote template
Here's the structure, top to bottom. Copy it, or generate it automatically at the end.
| Section | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Header | Your business name, logo, phone, email, address, and trade licence / registration number |
| Quote details | Unique quote number, date issued, and valid-until date |
| Customer | Their name, job address, and contact details |
| Scope of work | A short paragraph describing exactly what you'll do |
| Line items | Each task or material with quantity, unit price and line total |
| Totals | Subtotal, tax (VAT/GST), and grand total |
| Exclusions | What is not covered (e.g. "making good plasterwork") |
| Terms | Deposit, payment schedule, and how long the price holds |
How to itemise so customers say yes
The biggest mistake tradespeople make is quoting a single lump sum: "Bathroom refit — £4,200." It gives the customer nothing to understand and everything to haggle. Break it down:
| Item | Qty | Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strip out existing suite | 1 | £280 | £280 |
| First & second fix plumbing | 1 | £950 | £950 |
| Tiling — walls & floor | 14 m² | £55 | £770 |
| Supply & fit suite | 1 | £1,400 | £1,400 |
| Electrics — lighting & extractor | 1 | £420 | £420 |
Now the customer sees where the money goes, can adjust scope ("skip the tiling, I'll do that"), and trusts the number. Itemised quotes consistently convert better than lump sums.
The three lines that protect you
- Exclusions. Spell out what's not included so "while you're here, can you also…" doesn't eat your margin.
- Payment terms. State the deposit (commonly 25–50% on larger jobs), stage payments, and the final balance due on completion.
- Validity. "This quote is valid for 30 days" protects you from material price rises and nudges the customer to decide.
Generate a professional quote in 60 seconds
Trade-specific templates for plumbers, electricians, builders and painters. Itemise, add your logo, set validity and terms, and send a clean PDF — free, no signup.
How to price the job (not just present it)
A tidy template won't save an under-priced quote. Build your number from:
- Labour — your day rate × realistic days, including travel and clean-up.
- Materials — at your real cost, plus a sensible markup (10–20% is common) for sourcing and handling.
- Overheads — van, insurance, tools, fuel, admin time spread across jobs.
- Contingency — a buffer for the surprises every trade knows are coming.
- Profit — a margin on top, not just wages for the days worked.
Follow up — most jobs are lost in the silence
Sending the quote isn't the finish line. A short, friendly follow-up two or three days later — "Did you have any questions about the quote I sent?" — recovers a surprising number of jobs that would otherwise drift. Quotes with a clear validity date plus one follow-up convert markedly better than fire-and-forget.