How to Quote a Job as a Tradie — Templates, Tips and What to Include

A professional, detailed quote does two things: it wins you the job, and it protects you if something goes wrong. Most tradies underprice and under-document their quotes — which costs money both ways. Here's how to quote correctly.

What a Professional Quote Must Include

• Your business details — name, ABN, licence number, phone, email
• Client's details — name, address, phone
• Quote number and date
• Quote validity period — how long is this price valid? (usually 30 days)
• Clear scope of work — exactly what you will and won't do. Be specific. "Supply and install 15m of 20mm copper pipe from meter to hot water system" is better than "plumbing work"
• Materials included — what's covered in the price vs what the client supplies
• Labour breakdown — hours estimated, rate per hour (or fixed price total)
• GST — shown separately if you're GST-registered: "Subtotal $X + GST $Y = Total $Z"
• Payment terms — deposit required? When is the balance due?
• Exclusions — what's NOT included. This is critical for dispute prevention.

How to Price Your Quote Correctly

Most tradies underquote because they forget to include their true costs. Before setting a price, account for:

• Your actual hourly rate — not just what you want to earn, but what you need to cover all costs and make a profit. Use our hourly rate calculator →
• Travel time — if the job is 30 minutes away, include an hour of travel in your quote
• Materials with markup — 15–30% markup on materials is standard and fair. You're procuring, delivering and warranting them
• Contingency — add 10–15% for unexpected complications, especially on older properties
• Disposal costs — tip runs cost time and money; include them if demolition is involved

Quoting for Materials

Never quote materials at cost price. You spend time sourcing, ordering, picking up and delivering materials — and if something is wrong, you fix it. Mark up materials by 15–30% depending on the job size and your relationship with the client.

For larger jobs, get current prices from your supplier before quoting — material costs have been volatile. Add a clause to your quote: "Material prices subject to change — quote valid for 30 days."

How to Present Your Quote

A quote sent as a professional PDF or through quoting software always looks better than a text message or rough email. It signals that you're organised and professional — and organised, professional tradies win more work at higher prices.

Send your quote within 24 hours of the site visit. The faster you respond, the more likely you are to get the job — clients often accept the first professional quote they receive.

Follow up once — a brief message 3–4 days after sending: "Just checking in on the quote I sent — happy to answer any questions." This alone can significantly increase your conversion rate.

Common Quoting Mistakes

• Quoting too low to win the job — then resenting the client and cutting corners. Quote what it's worth or don't quote at all.
• Vague scope — "bathroom renovation" with no detail. Every ambiguity becomes a dispute.
• No validity period — material costs change. A quote from 3 months ago may cost you money.
• No payment terms — when do you get paid? Large jobs need progress payments.
• Quoting verbally — always put it in writing, even for small jobs. Verbal agreements are almost impossible to enforce.

Quoting Software for Tradies

Good quoting software lets you create professional quotes in minutes, send them digitally, get client sign-off electronically and convert accepted quotes to invoices with one click.

ServiceM8 and Tradify both include quoting, job management and invoicing in one tradie-specific app. See our full comparison →