How to Write a Professional Quote for Trade Work
By Boksit Editorial Team ·
A quote does two jobs at once. It has to persuade someone to choose you, and it has to define what you are agreeing to do. Quotes that only do the first job tend to cause problems on site; quotes that only do the second rarely get accepted.
The structure below covers both, and works for anything from a half-day repair to a multi-week refurbishment.
Customer details
Name the person or business you are contracting with, not just the property. On rental and managed work these differ, and the difference matters when it comes to who pays.
- Full name or registered company name
- Billing address
- Contact email and phone number
- Any reference the customer needs on paperwork, such as a purchase order number
Service or site address
Where the work happens is often not where the bill goes. Show the site address separately, along with access notes if they affect the price — parking restrictions, stair access, limited working hours or shared entrances.
Scope of work
The scope is the heart of the quote. Describe the work in the order it will happen, in language the customer can follow. Group it into sections when a job has distinct parts: strip out, first fix, second fix, making good, decoration.
Sections also make it easier for a customer to choose. If bathroom tiling is a separate section with its own figure, they can decide about it without renegotiating the whole quote.
Descriptions that hold up
Good descriptions are specific about quantity, material and standard without becoming a specification document. "Supply and fit 12 downlights, LED, fire-rated, to the positions marked on site" answers the questions that otherwise get asked later.
Say what is assumed. "Assumes existing pipework is serviceable" is a single line that prevents an entire argument.
Unit breakdown
A unit breakdown shows quantities, unit rates and line totals underneath a description. It is particularly useful where the customer may vary quantities — number of radiators, square metres of flooring, number of sockets — because it makes the effect of a change obvious to both sides.
In Boksit, each main description section can carry its own Unit Breakdown, so quantities stay attached to the part of the job they belong to.
Pricing, VAT and deductions
Show labour and materials in a way the customer can follow, then a clear subtotal, any discount, the net figure, VAT if you are registered, and the total. Where the contract involves CIS deductions, present the amount due after deduction so nobody has to work it out.
Keep the order consistent between quotes and invoices. Familiar layout builds confidence.
VAT and CIS treatment depends on your registration and the contract. Check with your accountant or the relevant HMRC guidance where you are unsure.
Exclusions
Exclusions are not defensive — they are the clearest way to prevent an expectation gap. List what is genuinely not included: making good beyond a stated level, decoration, scaffolding, asbestos surveys, builder's work, disposal of items you did not remove.
Terms, payment and validity
- Payment terms: deposit, stage payments, and how long the customer has to pay each invoice.
- What triggers a stage payment: a date, or completion of a defined stage.
- How changes will be handled and priced once work starts.
- How long the quote stands, especially where material prices move.
Presentation
Presentation is not decoration. A quote with your business details, consistent layout, readable figures and a clear total signals that the rest of the job will be organised too. Send it as a PDF that opens properly on a phone, and follow up a few days later.
Boksit's Quotes are built from reusable Content Templates and branded document Template Designs, so the wording and layout stay consistent between jobs. If you struggle to turn site notes into readable descriptions, the AI Description Assistant can draft wording from rough notes for you to review and edit.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a trade quote be valid for?
- Many trades use 14 or 30 days. Choose a period that reflects how quickly your material prices move, and state it on the quote rather than leaving it open.
- Should I show labour and materials separately?
- It usually helps. A customer who can see the split is less likely to assume the price is arbitrary, and it makes pricing changes later much easier to explain.
- What is a unit breakdown?
- It is a set of quantity and rate lines shown under a description, so the customer can see how a section total is made up and what happens if a quantity changes.