How to Write a Quote That Wins the Job (With a Template)
What to put in a quote, how long it should stay valid, and a template you can copy, written for South African freelancers and tradespeople.
By Joshua Trow, founder of Invo. Published . 7 min read.
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The short answer. A quote needs a number, a valid-until date, the scope of the job, every cost on its own line, and your deposit and payment terms. Keep the client's acceptance in writing, because an accepted quote is usually the agreement for the job.
A quote does two jobs
A good quote tells the client what it will cost, and it also sets out what you're agreeing to do. A vague one wins you a job at a price you can't stick to, or loses it because the client couldn't tell what they'd get. A short quote that covers a handful of things clearly usually works better than a long one.
If you're not sure how a quote differs from an invoice, invoice vs quote explains it. The short version is that a quote is the offer and the invoice is the request for payment.
What to put in a quote
- Your business name and contact details, and your client's name and address
- A quote number that runs in sequence, like QUO-2026-0001
- The date, and a "valid until" date
- The scope: what the job covers, and what it doesn't
- Line items with the quantity and price of each: labour, materials, travel, call-out fees
- The total. Add VAT only if you're VAT registered. If you aren't, our post on invoicing without VAT explains why the quote and invoice should match.
- Your deposit and payment terms
- How to accept, and what the client should send you to confirm
The scope is the part that saves you later. Say what's included, and say what would change the price, such as extra visits, a bigger area or materials the client chooses to upgrade. A line like "Any work outside this scope will be quoted separately" prevents most arguments at the end of a job.
Itemise everything
It's tempting to quote one figure for the whole job and keep it simple. The trouble is that clients can't compare it with anything, and you can't point at a line when costs change. Materials, travel, parking, subcontractors and your own time all belong on the quote, each on its own line. Plenty of tradespeople swallow the small costs to look cheaper, and then the year-end numbers look worse than expected. If you're unsure what to charge for your time, how to price your services works through it.
How long should a quote stay valid?
Pick a date and write it on the quote. 14 or 30 days are common choices. The right length depends on how fast your costs move: if your supplier's prices change monthly, a 30 day quote can put you out of pocket. An expiry date also gives you a polite reason to follow up, and a clear way to say the price has changed after it passes.
In Invo a quote stays open through its valid-until date and then expires on its own, so you don't have to keep track of it.
Deposits and payment terms
If the job needs materials up front, say so on the quote and ask for a deposit before you buy anything. Put the balance terms in the same place, for example "Balance due within 7 days of completion". Setting the terms before the work starts is far easier than raising them afterwards, and it carries straight over to the invoice. Our guide to getting paid faster covers deposits and terms in more detail.
What the law says about estimates
For most quotes there's no prescribed format. One rule is worth knowing if you do repairs or maintenance for consumers. Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act says that for repair or maintenance work above a threshold set by the Minister, you can't charge for preparing the estimate, and once you've given an estimate you can't charge more than it unless you tell the client about the extra charges and they authorise them. The regulations behind it also ask for the estimate to set out how long it's valid. If your work is repairs or maintenance, read the section and check whether it applies to you. This is general information, not legal advice.
More generally, a quote the client has accepted is usually the agreement for the job, so keep the acceptance. A WhatsApp reply or an email saying "Yes, go ahead" is a record. Keep it with the quote.
A quote template you can copy
Quote number: QUO-[year]-0001
Date: [date]
Valid until: [date]
Prepared for: [client name], [client address]
Scope of work: [what's included, in a sentence or two]. Not included: [anything you're leaving out].
Item | Quantity | Price | Total
[Labour] | [hours] | R[rate] | R[amount]
[Materials] | [qty] | R[price] | R[amount]
[Travel or call-out] | 1 | R[price] | R[amount]
Total: R[amount] (add VAT only if you're VAT registered)
Deposit: R[amount] due before work starts. Balance: R[amount] due [terms].
Work outside this scope will be quoted separately.
To accept, reply "Accepted" to this message or email.
Copy it into a document or message, or build it as a quote in Invo, which does the numbering and totals for you. If you also need an invoice layout, the free invoice generator is there.
Sending the quote and following up
Send it promptly. A quote that arrives the same day looks more reliable than one that arrives a week later. Then give the client a few days and send a short message if you haven't heard. Something like "Hi [Name], just checking you got the quote and whether you have any questions" works. If the quote includes a valid-until date, mention it.
When they accept, send the invoice with the same lines and numbers. A client who agreed to a figure is less likely to dispute it. Our guide to creating an invoice covers the next step, and the most common invoicing mistakes lists what trips people up after that.
Doing this in Invo
Quotes in Invo use the same line builder as invoices. You send them by WhatsApp or email, and you can see when the client has opened it. When they accept, one click turns it into an invoice with every line carried across, and the VAT too if you charge it. Quotes are numbered in sequence for each year, and the Free plan includes 5 a month. See how quotes work, or start on the free plan. You can compare plans on the pricing page.
Questions people ask
Is a quote legally binding?
A quote the client accepts generally becomes the basis of your agreement, so quote only what you're prepared to do at that price. Keep the acceptance in writing.
Can I charge for giving a quote?
For repairs and maintenance covered by section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act you can't charge for the estimate. Outside that, it's up to you, but tell the client before you start.
What if the cost goes up after the client accepts?
Tell the client as soon as you know, in writing, and agree the change before you do the extra work. For repairs and maintenance the Consumer Protection Act requires this.
Should my quote include VAT?
Only if you're VAT registered. If you aren't, quote the full price with no VAT line.
Do I need a quote number?
It isn't required by law, but a running number makes quotes easy to find and match to the invoice.