Free quote template for builders and tradespeople

A clear written quote wins more jobs and starts fewer arguments. This free template is set up for UK builders and trades: materials with a markup column, labour, VAT, exclusions, deposit terms and a box for the customer to accept.

What does the quote template include?

• Your business details, logo space and a quote number (for example Q-1045)
• Customer name, billing address and job address
• A scope of work section: what is included, in plain English
• An exclusions section: what is not included (for example skip hire, making good, decoration)
• A materials table with cost, markup % and selling price columns
• A labour table priced by day, hour or fixed price
• Subtotal, VAT (if registered) and total including VAT
• Validity date, start date, expected duration and payment stages
• Deposit amount and how it is paid
• A customer acceptance box with name, signature and date

The Excel version hides the cost and markup columns when you print, so the customer sees selling prices only.

Download the Word and Excel versions

Download the Word template (.docx)

Download the Excel template (.xlsx)

Use Word if your quotes are mostly a written scope with a few prices. Use Excel if you price lots of materials, because the markup and VAT maths is done for you. When the job is done, move the figures into our matching free invoice template.

How do you fill in the quote template?

1. Number the quote and add the date. Use a separate series from your invoices (Q-1001, Q-1002) so you can track which quotes turned into jobs.
2. Add the customer and job address. Landlords and letting agents often have a billing address that differs from the property.
3. Write the scope of work. Describe the finished result: "Remove existing kitchen, supply and fit 12 units, worktops, sink and tap, connect to existing plumbing". Avoid trade shorthand the customer will not understand.
4. List exclusions. Anything you have not priced: plastering, decorating, waste removal, or work behind walls you cannot see yet.
5. Enter materials at cost and choose a markup. The sheet adds your markup to give a selling price. If you think in margin rather than markup, check the figure with our markup and margin calculator first.
6. Price labour. Days multiplied by your day rate, or a fixed price for the job.
7. Add VAT if you are registered. For homeowners, make the VAT-inclusive total the headline figure.
8. Set validity and payment terms. For example: "Valid until 11 November 2026. 20% deposit on acceptance, balance on completion, payable within 7 days of invoice."
9. Add cancellation information for home visits. If the customer accepts at their home, include the cancellation notice and form (see the rules below).
10. Send as PDF and follow up. A quick call or message two or three days later is often what wins the job.

Worked example: a kitchen fit quote

A VAT-registered joiner prices a kitchen fit for a homeowner. These are illustrative figures, not market rates.

A 20% deposit would be £1,360.32. For the full method behind these numbers, read our guide on how to write a quote that wins work.

Tips by trade

• Builders: break larger jobs into stages with their own prices, and add a line for provisional sums (an allowance for items not yet chosen, such as tiles at an example £30 per square metre) so the customer knows the price will be adjusted.
• Electricians: state which certificate will be issued, and whether making good after chasing walls is included.
• Plumbers and heating engineers: name the appliance make and model, and say whether you are removing and disposing of the old one.
• Roofers: include access equipment (scaffold or tower) as its own line, so the customer sees why the price is what it is.

Variations

When the customer asks for extra work mid-job, write a short variation on the template (same quote number with "V1", "V2") and get it accepted before you start. It turns "you never said it would cost more" into a signed record.

What UK rules must a quote meet?

There is no set legal format for a quote, but several consumer rules affect what you put on it. We checked these on 12 October 2026.

A quote is a fixed price

Citizens Advice tells homeowners that a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guide, so the final bill can be higher than an estimate. Once a quote is accepted it is an agreement, whether written down or not. If you cannot price the job firmly, call the document an estimate and say what could change the price.

Show the full price to homeowners

The CMA's pricing guidance (updated 7 January 2026) says prices shown to consumers should normally include unavoidable charges, including taxes such as VAT. Hiding charges until later ("drip pricing") is banned. So for a homeowner, the headline figure should be the total including VAT.

Cancellation rights for quotes accepted at home

Quote or estimate: which should you send?

The template has a heading you can switch between "Quotation" and "Estimate". Pick the honest one. If you start with an estimate, you can always follow it with a fixed quote once you have opened things up.

Fair terms

GOV.UK's guidance on writing a fair contract says terms must be clear and fair to consumers. A clause letting you change the price at will, or keeping a large deposit whatever happens, is likely to be unfair and unenforceable.

These consumer rules apply across the UK. Business-to-business quotes are mostly governed by what you agree, so be just as clear with contractors.

Payment terms wording you can copy

• Small job: "Payment in full on completion, by bank transfer or card. Price valid until 11 November 2026."
• Larger domestic job: "20% deposit on acceptance to order materials. 40% at first fix. Balance on completion, payable within 7 days of invoice."
• Business customer: "Prices exclude VAT at 20%. Payment within 30 days of invoice. Statutory interest may be charged on late payment."

Link every deposit and stage to something the customer can see, such as materials delivered or first fix finished. It makes each payment easier to ask for.

What are the most common quoting mistakes?

• No exclusions. The customer assumes everything is included, then disputes the extra.
• No expiry date. Material prices move. Thirty days is a common choice.
• Quoting ex VAT to homeowners. It looks cheaper, then causes a row when the invoice arrives.
• Confusing markup and margin. A 25% markup gives a 20% margin, not 25%.
• Calling an estimate a quote. If the price might change, say so.
• No written acceptance. Get a signature, a reply email or an online acceptance before you order materials.
• Forgetting the cancellation notice. Without it, a homeowner's right to cancel can run for over a year.

When should you switch from a template to software?

Switch when you send more than a few quotes a week, lose track of who you need to chase, or keep retyping prices. Quoting apps let you load supplier price lists, reuse kits of materials, send quotes from your phone and turn an accepted quote into an invoice in one tap. Compare the options in our guide to the best quote and invoice software for tradespeople.

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