A quote is a document you send a customer before you start work or ship goods, setting out exactly what you’ll provide and what it will cost. When the customer signs it to accept, it becomes your agreement for that job. Our free quote template is built for that second step: it’s a price quote the customer signs, rather than a bare price list.
When do you need a quote template?
You need one any time a customer asks “how much?” and the answer depends on the job. Painters, IT consultants, caterers, print shops, landscapers and small manufacturers all quote before they work.
Picture a small painting crew quoting $2,650 to repaint a client’s living room, hallway and stairwell: paint, labor, a 25% deposit, valid for 30 days. The client signs it. When they ask halfway through why the ceilings aren’t being done, you both look at the same line items. That’s the whole point of getting the quote signed rather than agreeing on the phone.
A quote works well for defined, one-off jobs. For ongoing work, or a big project with milestones and changing scope, a proper service agreement fits better. And once the job’s done and paid, record the handover of goods with a bill of sale if the customer is buying equipment outright.
What should a quote include?
Our quotation template has these sections.
Your details and the customer’s
Your business name, address, phone, email and any license number your trade uses. The customer’s name and the job address if it’s different from their billing address.
Quote number, date and validity
A unique quote number makes it easy to reference later. The “valid until” date protects you when costs rise: if the customer signs after that date, you can re-quote.
Scope of work
A plain description of what you’ll do, and a short list of what’s not included. That second part prevents most arguments. “Excludes removal of existing concrete” is worth a lot more than it looks.
Line items
Each item or task with quantity, unit price and line total, then subtotal, discount, tax and grand total. Keep the descriptions specific enough that someone who wasn’t in the conversation could understand them.
Quote or estimate
A checkbox to say whether this is a fixed quote or an estimate, and if it’s an estimate, how far the final price can go above it without the customer’s written approval. Being upfront here builds trust.
Timeline, deposit and payment terms
Expected start and finish dates, the deposit amount, when the balance is due, and accepted payment methods.
Changes, cancellation and acceptance
How changes are priced (in writing, before the extra work), what happens to the deposit if the customer cancels, and the acceptance block the customer signs.
Is there anything to check for your business or state?
Some states have rules for particular trades about written estimates, deposits or cancellation rights. If you work in a licensed trade, check your state licensing board’s rules and add anything they require to the template.
If the customer signs your quote at their home, the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule may apply. Under 16 CFR Part 429 it covers consumer sales of $25 or more made at the buyer’s home and $130 or more made at temporary locations such as hotel rooms, convention centers or fairgrounds, when the seller solicits the sale there. The seller has to tell the buyer about the right to cancel and give them two copies of a cancellation form, and the buyer can cancel for a full refund until midnight of the third business day after the sale. There are exclusions (sales at your fixed place of business, for example), so read the rule’s definitions and the FTC’s plain-English summary. Our template has a spot in the cancellation section to note that any required notice is attached.
If you’re selling goods rather than services, the paper trail matters for another reason too. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, a contract for the sale of goods for $500 or more generally isn’t enforceable unless there’s a signed writing showing the deal, including the quantity. A signed quote with clear quantities covers that.
How do you fill in the quote and get it signed?
- Download the free quote template in Word or PDF and add your logo and business details once, so you can reuse it.
- Fill in the scope, exclusions and line items. Check the math twice.
- Set a realistic validity date and deposit.
- Sign it as the business, then send it to the customer.
- The customer reviews, asks questions, and signs to accept. Don’t start work until you have the signed copy and the deposit.
E-signing is a natural fit for quotes, because speed matters and customers rarely want to print anything. Under the federal ESIGN Act, a contract can’t be denied legal effect solely because an electronic signature or record was used to form it. For more, see are electronic signatures legally binding and, if you’re sending to several people at a client company, how to get a document signed by multiple people.
Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (SignWren, the tool we’re building, is meant for exactly this job, and the waitlist is open.)
This page is general information, not legal advice. For a specific contract or dispute, talk to a lawyer licensed where you are.