What every professional quote should include

A good quote does two jobs. It tells the customer exactly what they are paying for, and it protects you when something goes sideways. The trades that win more work usually aren't cheaper, they just look more organised. Here is everything a professional quote should contain, and why each part matters.

Your details and theirs

Start with the basics so the document stands on its own months later. Include your business name, contact details, and your VAT number if you are registered. Add the customer's name and the address where the work will happen. Give the quote a reference number and a date. None of this is exciting, but it is what makes a quote look like a real business document rather than a text message.

A clear scope of work

This is the most important part and the one most disputes come back to. Describe the work in plain language: what you are doing, where, and to what standard. Be specific. "Fit kitchen" invites argument. "Remove existing units, fit 8 supplied base and wall units, plumb in sink and dishwasher, tile splashback" leaves nothing to guess.

The price, broken down

Customers trust a price they can understand. Where it helps, split labour from materials, or break the job into stages. Price your own materials and labour based on your costs and the local market. If VAT applies, show the subtotal, the VAT, and the total separately so the customer can see exactly what they are paying.

• Labour: your day rate or a fixed price for the work.
• Materials: either itemised or as a single supply figure.
• Any specialist work or subcontractor costs.
• Subtotal, VAT (if applicable), and final total.

Inclusions and exclusions

Spell out what is in the price and, just as importantly, what is not. If you are not removing the old waste, making good plaster, or supplying the tiles, say so. Exclusions are not you being difficult. They stop a customer assuming something is covered when it isn't, which is where bad feeling starts.

Timeline, payment terms and validity

Give a realistic start window and a rough duration. State your payment terms clearly: any deposit required to book, stage payments for longer jobs, and when the balance is due. Add a validity date so the price isn't held against you in six months. If you offer a guarantee or warranty on your work, state what it covers and for how long.

A simple way to accept

Make it easy to say yes. The faster a customer can accept, the less time they have to call three other trades. A shareable link they can accept online beats waiting for a signed bit of paper to come back. KeenQuote builds all of this into one document, including a button the customer taps to accept.

If you are still deciding whether to send a fixed quote or an estimate, our guide on quote vs estimate covers when to use each. For renovation work specifically, see how to quote for a bathroom renovation for a worked example of breaking a job into clear line items.