A good quote does three jobs. It wins the work, it sets out exactly what the client is paying for, and it protects you when something changes. A vague one-line quote ("bathroom refit, £8,500") does none of those.
Below is a free builder's quote template for UK building work, followed by a section-by-section explanation so you can adapt it for your own jobs. For pricing the work itself, see how to price a building job properly.
Quote or estimate?
They're not the same, and clients notice the difference.
- A quote is a fixed price for a clearly defined scope. If the scope doesn't change, the price doesn't change.
- An estimate is your best guess. It can change as the work reveals more.
If you can't be sure, for example behind walls or below ground, quote what you can and include a clearly labelled provisional sum for the unknowns.
The template
[YOUR BUSINESS NAME] · [Address] · [Phone] · [Email]
[VAT number, if registered] · [Company number, if limited]
QUOTATION
Quote number: Q-0001
Date: [date]
Valid until: [date, e.g. 30 days from issue]
Client: [Name]
Site address: [Address]
1. SCOPE OF WORK
[Plain-English description of the job, in the order it will be done]
- Strip out existing ...
- Supply and install ...
- Make good and decorate ...
2. WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Labour
- Materials as specified below
- Skip hire and waste disposal
- Daily site tidy and final clean
3. WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED (EXCLUSIONS)
- Client-supplied items (e.g. sanitaryware, tiles)
- Building Control fees, structural engineer, planning
- Unforeseen work (e.g. rotten joists, asbestos)
- Redecoration beyond the work area
4. MATERIALS AND SPECIFICATION
[Brand / model / finish / quantity, or allowance per item]
Tile allowance: £X per m² supplied
5. PRICE
Labour £
Materials £
Skip and waste £
Provisional sums £
Subtotal £
VAT at 20% (if registered) £
TOTAL £
6. PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Deposit on acceptance (materials) X% £
Stage 1: [milestone] X% £
Stage 2: [milestone] X% £
On completion X% £
Payment due within [7] days of each invoice.
7. TIMESCALE
Proposed start: [date] · Estimated duration: [X working days]
8. CHANGES TO THE WORK
Any changes requested after acceptance will be agreed in writing
with a price before the work is carried out.
9. TERMS
[Attach your terms and conditions, guarantee and insurance details]
ACCEPTANCE
I accept this quotation and the attached terms.
Name: ______________ Signature: ______________ Date: ________What each section does
Business details. Include your full trading name, address and contact details. If you're VAT registered, your VAT number must appear on VAT invoices, and it's good practice to show it on quotes too.
Quote number, date and validity. Material prices move. A 30-day validity period protects you if a client comes back in three months expecting the old price.
Scope of work. The most important section. Write it in plain English in the order the work will happen. If you'd struggle to explain a line to the client face to face, rewrite it. Speech to text helps here: describe the job out loud as you would on site.
Exclusions. This is where most disputes start or are prevented. List anything a reasonable client might assume is included but isn't.
Materials and specification. Either name the exact product or give an allowance ("tiles up to £35 per m²"). Allowances let clients choose while protecting your price.
Provisional sums. Use these for work you can't price until you open up, such as replacing joists or rewiring. State clearly that the final cost will be confirmed before the work goes ahead.
Price breakdown. A breakdown builds trust and makes variations easier to price. Show VAT separately if you're registered.
Payment schedule. For anything longer than a few days, use stage payments tied to clear milestones. See our guide to stage payments for building work.
Changes. One sentence here saves a lot of arguments later. Our variations guide explains how to handle them.
Acceptance. Get it signed, or accepted in writing by email or e-signature, before you order materials.
A note on cancellation rights
If you agree a contract with a homeowner at their home (rather than at your premises), the Consumer Contracts Regulations usually give them a 14-day right to cancel. You should give them the cancellation information in writing, and get their express request if they want work to start within those 14 days. Take advice if you're unsure how this applies to you.
Common quoting mistakes
- One-line quotes with no scope or exclusions.
- No validity date, so old prices get held against you.
- Forgetting your own non-site time (quoting, travel, chasing).
- No deposit on jobs with significant materials.
- Sending it late. A quote sent the same day often beats a cheaper one sent next week.
How Tradeways helps
Tradeways turns this template into a proposal you can build in minutes: reusable templates for your common jobs, line items with per-m² pricing, payment schedules, terms and attachments, and e-signature acceptance. Once it's accepted, you raise the stage invoices from those same lines, without typing the job out again.