Make This Useful

Updated · Make This Useful

How to write a quote for a job

A quote tells the customer what you will do, what it costs and how to say yes. Write the scope in plain words, the price, what is not included, when payment is due and how long the price holds, plus a quote number and the customer's details. For example: 180 feet of two-story gutter at $1.25 a foot, $225, valid 30 days, due on completion.

What should a job quote include?

The customer needs to know what they are buying, what they will pay and what happens next. Include your business and contact details, the customer's name and job address, the work, the price, exclusions, payment terms and the quote's validity. Give each quote a reference so revisions stay clear.

Write the scope as a description of the finished job. "Clean gutters on the house and detached garage; remove debris from site" tells the customer more than "gutter work". Name anything that could otherwise be assumed, such as flushing downspouts, moving furniture, surface preparation or waste removal.

The FTC asks US homeowners to get a written estimate covering the work, materials, completion date and price. Give your customer those details together, with your contact information and a clear place to accept.

How do you turn rough notes into a clear scope?

Group your notes into the work requested, the materials needed and the conditions that affect the job. Put the agreed work in the main scope. Put optional extras in a separate section. State any assumption that could change the price, such as access, surface condition or disposal requirements.

  • Name the rooms, surfaces, equipment or areas covered, using the customer's terms.
  • Include preparation and cleanup when they are part of your price.
  • Separate a repair you have agreed to do from damage you only noticed.
  • State how extra work will be priced and agreed before it begins.

How do you calculate the quote price?

Start with the costs you expect to pay: labor, materials, travel, equipment and any subcontracted work. Add the share of overhead that the job needs to cover. Then calculate your selling price using your chosen margin. Check the final total separately from the wording you send to the customer.

Margin and markup use different denominators. Margin is profit divided by the selling price; markup is profit divided by cost. To price for a target margin, divide the job cost by one minus the margin expressed as a decimal. Adding that percentage to cost instead calculates markup.

For a calculation example, take $280 of job costs and a 30% target margin. Divide $280 by 0.70 to get $400. Adding 30% to the cost instead gives $364, which leaves about 23% margin.

Keep your internal costing in your job notes. The customer quote shows the selling price and what it buys. Show any discount, tax or optional work separately so the customer can follow the total.

What should you check before sending the quote?

Read the quote as if you were the customer seeing it for the first time. Check the address, included work, exclusions, totals, dates and payment instructions. Make sure any optional work is clearly separate. Confirm that the customer can accept the exact version you are sending and knows the next step.

When the customer changes the job, revise the quote reference or version and repeat the complete agreed scope. Keep the earlier version with your job notes so you can explain what changed without searching through a long message thread.

Worked example: a $225 gutter-cleaning quote

180 linear feet on a two-story house at $1.25 per foot: 180 × $1.25 = $225. That rate sits inside HomeGuide's $0.75–$2.00 two-story range (checked October 15, 2026). A minimum charge or guard work would change the total.

Quote GC-014 — Gutter cleaning Clean 180 linear feet of gutters on the two-story house, check water flow through the downspouts, and bag and remove the leaves and debris. Access is through the rear gate. 180 linear feet × $1.25 = $225.00 Total: $225.00. No tax is assumed in this example. The loose bracket beside the garage is outside this quote and can be priced separately. This price is valid for 30 days from issue. Payment is due on completion. Reply to accept and arrange the visit.

The customer can accept the cleaning price while leaving the bracket repair undecided. If they add that repair, send a revised total with both lines before doing the extra work.

Frequently asked questions

Is a quote the same as an estimate?

Call a fixed price for a defined scope a quote and an expected cost an estimate. Put the assumption that could move the number, such as hidden rot or an extra coat of paint, directly below the total. Say how you will agree on any extra work.

Can I use this alongside Jobber, Housecall Pro or QuickBooks?

Yes. Keep the customer, job and payment record in the system you already use. Make This Useful can help turn rough notes into the scope and customer wording, which you can copy into that system.

What if the customer asks for a small extra?

Check the time, materials and extra visit that the request would add. Send the extra price and revised scope before doing the work. If you choose to include it at no charge, say exactly what you have included so the next request is a separate decision.

Can I write a quote from a voice note?

Yes. Talk through the job, quantities, materials, access and your pricing instructions. Make This Useful can turn those notes into a quote you can review. Check the scope and total, then send it using the workflow you already use.

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