What should a tradesperson's quote include? A UK checklist

A good trade quote tells the customer what you will do, what it will cost and what is not included. It also records when the work can start, how payment will work and how long the price stays open. Put those points in writing before the customer says yes and there is far less room for an argument later.

A complete quote should include: your details, the customer's details, a clear scope of work, the materials or allowances, the fixed total, VAT where relevant, timing, payment terms, exclusions, how changes will be agreed, how long the quote is valid and a clear way for the customer to accept.

First, decide whether it is a quote or an estimate

A quote and an estimate are not the same thing. A quote is an offer to do the stated work for an agreed price. Once the customer accepts it, that agreement may be binding. An estimate is your best assessment of the likely cost, which can change if the job changes or the unknowns turn out differently.

Use a quote when you can see and price the scope properly. Use an estimate when there is a genuine unknown, such as the condition of pipework behind a sealed wall. Do not call a figure an estimate simply to leave yourself room to increase it later.

Citizens Advice explains that a trader cannot normally charge more than a quoted price unless the customer asks for extra work, agrees to necessary extra work, or the original price contained an obvious genuine mistake. That is why the scope and change process matter as much as the total. Read the Citizens Advice guidance on written quotes.

The 12 things to put in a trade quote

1. Your business details

Show your trading name, your own name if you are a sole trader, a business address, phone number and email address. Add a company number if you trade through a limited company. Add your VAT registration number if you are VAT registered.

2. The customer's details

Name the person or business accepting the quote. Include the job address if it is different from their billing address. This avoids confusion when a landlord, letting agent or main contractor is paying for work at another property.

3. A quote number and date

Give every quote its own reference. A simple sequence such as QT-104, QT-105 and QT-106 is enough. Add the date you issued it so both sides know which version they are looking at.

4. A clear description of the work

Write down the result you have priced, then break it into sensible parts. "Bathroom works" is too loose. "Remove the existing suite, alter hot and cold feeds, install the listed bath, basin and WC, then test the new plumbing" is much easier to understand.

The level of detail should match the size and risk of the job. A small tap replacement may need three lines. A bathroom refit or extension needs phases, assumptions and exclusions.

5. Materials, products and allowances

List important products by description, model or allowance. If the customer has not chosen the tiles or sanitaryware, state the amount included for them. Say what happens if their final choice costs more or less.

Be clear about who is supplying each item. "Customer to supply finished light fittings before second fix" is better than discovering halfway through that you both thought the other person was buying them.

6. Labour and other charges

Show enough of the price for the customer to understand it. You do not have to reveal every part of your internal calculation, but labour, materials, plant hire, waste removal and other significant items should not be hidden inside an unexplained total.

7. The total price and VAT

State the fixed total prominently. If you are VAT registered, make clear whether the figure includes VAT and show the VAT treatment required for the job. If you are not VAT registered, do not add VAT or present yourself as charging it.

Current government guidance says consumer prices must be clear, complete and include unavoidable charges. If the final total cannot reasonably be calculated in advance, explain how it will be calculated. See the CMA price transparency guidance.

8. How long the quote remains valid

Set an expiry date or a clear period, such as 30 days from the quote date. Supplier prices and availability can move. A validity period gives the customer time to decide without leaving you tied to the same cost indefinitely.

9. Start date and likely duration

If the date is agreed, write it down. If it is not, state the current lead time and explain that the booking is confirmed only when the customer accepts and pays any agreed deposit.

For longer work, include the expected duration and the main factors that could change it, such as drying time, delayed customer choices or access to other parts of the site. Avoid promising a completion date you cannot control.

10. Payment terms

Say when each payment is due and how the customer can pay. A small job may be due on completion. A larger job may use a deposit, one or more stage payments and a final balance. Use dates or clear milestones rather than "payment to follow".

If you want help choosing a sensible period, read payment terms for tradespeople.

11. Assumptions and exclusions

This is where a careful quote earns its keep. State what you have assumed and what is outside the price.

• Making good is limited to the area opened for the work.

• Decoration is not included.

• The customer will provide clear access and parking permits.

• The price assumes existing services are sound and suitable for connection.

• Asbestos testing and removal are not included.

Only use exclusions that fit the actual job. A page of generic small print that nobody can connect to the work is not a substitute for a clear scope.

12. Acceptance and changes

Give the customer a clear way to accept. That might be a signature, an online acceptance or a written email that refers to the quote number and version.

Then state that extra or changed work will be priced and agreed before it is carried out. The Consumer Rights Act says that information a trader gives about a service can become part of the consumer contract, and later changes need the customer's express agreement. Read section 50 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

What about cancellation rights?

Consumer cancellation rights depend on where and how the agreement is made, what is being supplied and whether the customer has asked for urgent work to start. Do not copy a cooling-off clause from another business and assume it fits your job.

If you agree work in a customer's home or remotely, get current Trading Standards or legal advice on the information and cancellation notice you need to provide. The rules can affect whether you are entitled to payment when work starts during a cancellation period.

An illustrative quote structure

The example below is fictional. It shows the shape of a clear quote, not a recommended price.

Quote QT-105: replace bathroom suite

Customer: Sample Customer
Job address: 10 Example Street, Exampletown
Issued: 10 September 2026
Valid until: 10 October 2026

Work included: isolate and remove the existing bath, basin and WC; alter the existing hot, cold and waste pipework where accessible; install the customer-approved replacement suite; reconnect, test and remove trade waste.

Price: £3,000 plus VAT. Total including VAT: £3,600.

Payment: £900 advance payment when the start date is booked, £1,800 after first fix and £900 on completion.

Not included: tiles, decoration, asbestos work and repairs to concealed pipework that could not be inspected before this quote.

Changes: any work outside this scope will be described and priced for written approval before it is carried out.

A final check before you send it

1. Can the customer tell exactly what result you have priced?

2. Is the total clear, including VAT where relevant?

3. Have you written down the important materials, assumptions and exclusions?

4. Are the start, duration and payment points clear?

5. Does the quote explain how extra work will be agreed?

6. Is the quote number, version and validity date correct?

TradePilot lets you build a branded quote from your own saved prices, check the PDF and send it from your phone. The customer can open it, sign and accept online. The accepted quote can then carry into the job and invoice without typing the customer and job details again. See how TradePilot handles quotes and accepted work.

Written by Chris, founder of TradePilot. This guide is general information for UK trade businesses. It is not legal advice. Contract and cancellation rules depend on the customer, the way the agreement was made and the work being supplied.