How to Create a Professional Quote for Building Work

25 January 2026

A good quote does more than state a price. It sets expectations, builds trust, and can be the difference between winning a job and losing it to a competitor. Yet many tradespeople still send prices as a quick text message or a rough figure scribbled on the back of a business card.

If you want to win more work and avoid disputes down the line, here's how to create a professional quote that customers take seriously.

What's the Difference Between a Quote and an Estimate?

Before we start, it's worth being clear on terminology. A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope of work. Once a customer accepts it, you're generally bound to that price (unless the scope changes). An estimate is a rough idea of cost that can change as the job progresses.

For most building and trade work, customers prefer a quote because it gives them certainty. If you're quoting, make sure you're confident in your numbers — and that the scope is clearly defined so there's no room for misunderstanding.

What to Include in a Professional Quote

A complete, professional quote should contain:

• Your business details — Business name (or your trading name), address, phone number, and email. If you have relevant trade body memberships (Gas Safe, NICEIC, FMB, etc.), include those too. They build confidence.
• The customer's details — Their name, address, and the site address if it's different from their home address.
• A unique quote reference number — This keeps your records tidy and makes it easy to refer back to a specific quote. Something like QUO-0042 works perfectly.
• The date — When the quote was issued. This is important because quotes have a shelf life.
• A clear description of the work — This is the most important part. Break the job down into sections and describe exactly what's included. For a bathroom refit, you might list demolition and removal, plumbing first fix, tiling, sanitaryware installation, and plumbing second fix as separate items.
• Individual line items with prices — List each part of the job with its price. This transparency helps the customer understand where their money is going and builds trust. It also makes it easier if they want to adjust the scope ("Can we skip the tiling and do that ourselves?").
• Materials vs. labour — Where possible, show materials and labour separately. Some customers like to supply their own materials, and separating them makes this straightforward.
• The total price — Clearly stated, including or excluding VAT as appropriate.
• VAT information — If you're VAT-registered, show the net amount, VAT amount, and gross total. If you're not VAT-registered, state "No VAT charged — not VAT registered" so the customer understands why there's no VAT line.
• Validity period — How long the quote is valid for. 30 days is standard. Material prices fluctuate, so you don't want to be held to a quote you issued six months ago.
• Payment terms — When payment is expected. Will you require a deposit? Is the balance due on completion or within 14 days? State it clearly upfront.
• What's excluded — This is just as important as what's included. If you're quoting for a kitchen fit but not the electrics, say so. "Excludes: electrical work, decorating, appliance supply" prevents arguments later.

Common Quoting Mistakes

These errors cost tradespeople money and jobs every day:

• Being too vague. "Bathroom refit — £4,500" tells the customer nothing about what they're getting. They'll go with whoever provides the most detailed breakdown, even if the price is slightly higher.
• Forgetting to include exclusions. If you don't state what's excluded, the customer may assume everything's included. That leads to awkward conversations mid-job.
• No validity period. Without one, a customer could accept a quote you issued eight months ago when material costs were 20% lower. Always set a clear expiry date.
• Slow turnaround. If a customer has asked three tradespeople for quotes and you're the last to respond, you've already lost ground. Speed matters — the first professional quote to arrive often wins the job.
• Unprofessional presentation. A quote sent as a WhatsApp text or a blurry photo of a handwritten sheet doesn't inspire confidence. A clean PDF with your business name, logo, and a professional layout shows you're serious about your work.
• Not following up. You sent the quote. The customer went quiet. Don't just leave it. A polite follow-up after a few days shows you're keen and reminds them to make a decision.

Tips for Winning More Quotes

Beyond the content of the quote itself, a few habits will improve your conversion rate:

• Be fast. Send the quote within 24 hours of the site visit if possible. Same-day is ideal.
• Be thorough. A detailed quote gives customers confidence that you understand the job and have thought it through properly.
• Be transparent. If there are potential additional costs (e.g., "If we find rotten joists under the floor, replacement will be quoted separately"), mention them upfront. Customers respect honesty.
• Present it well. A professionally formatted PDF will always beat a text message. It's the first impression of how you run your business.

How NippyAgent Makes Quoting Easy

NippyAgent lets you create professional PDF quotes directly from WhatsApp in under 60 seconds. Just tell it the customer details, describe the work, add your line items and prices, and it generates a clean, branded PDF with your business name, a unique quote number, payment terms, and a validity date — all included automatically.

You can send the quote to your customer straight from the chat. No app to download, no login to remember, no template to fill in. You can even save regular customers so their details auto-fill on the next quote.

The faster you can get a professional quote in front of a customer, the more likely you are to win the work. NippyAgent helps you do exactly that.