Quote Generator

What the free quote generator makes

A PDF quote with your business name at the top, plus your logo, address, email and phone number if you add them. It lists the customer's name, email and address, the quote date and a valid-until date, then each line of work with its quantity, rate and amount. Add a tax rate and it works out the VAT and the total. Notes and terms and conditions go at the bottom. You pick the brand colour and the font style, and the PDF is emailed to you, not straight to the customer, so you can check it before you send it on.

What a good trade quote includes

A customer should be able to read the quote and know exactly what they are paying for, without ringing you to ask.

• Who you are and how to reach you, and who the quote is for.
• The address where the work happens, if it is not the customer's own address.
• The work broken into lines a customer recognises: "Cut and shape front hedge, approx. 12m" says more than "Hedge work".
• What is not included, such as taking away the waste or making good afterwards.
• The total, with VAT shown separately if you are registered.
• How long the price stands, when you expect to be paid and how.

Price lines the way you work them out. If you charge for time, show the hours and the rate. If you have a set price for a job, one line with a clear description is enough. The hourly rate calculator helps if you are not sure what your time is worth.

How long to make a quote valid for

Long enough for the customer to decide, short enough that your costs have not moved. Thirty days is a common choice for labour-only work. If the job relies on materials whose prices change, such as timber, aggregates or turf, a shorter window protects you. Put the date on the quote with the valid-until field rather than writing "30 days", so nobody has to count.

Deposits and payment terms

For regular maintenance or a short job, many trades take no deposit and invoice when the work is done. For bigger jobs, a deposit that covers the materials you have to buy upfront is common practice. Whatever you decide, write it in the terms: the deposit amount, when the balance is due (on completion, or within a set number of days) and how you want to be paid. If you agree work at the customer's home, consumer law can give them a cancellation period, so check the rules on GOV.UK or Citizens Advice before you start early or spend a deposit.

Quote or estimate?

In everyday UK usage, a quote is a fixed price for the work it describes, and an estimate is a guide that can change. Customers tend to hold you to a quote, so if something could change the price, such as roots under a patio or more waste than expected, name it on the quote and say how you would charge for it. If you cannot price the job properly without starting it, call the document an estimate.

Questions about the quote generator