Quoting Guide for Tradespeople

How to write quotes that win work, price jobs profitably, and avoid the mistakes that cost tradespeople money every day.

Why quoting well matters more than anything

Your quote is the first professional document most customers see from your business. It's your sales pitch, your contract, and your brand — all in one page. A messy quote loses jobs. A professional quote wins them. It's that simple.

What every trade quote must include

A professional quote should have: your company name, address, phone number and logo; the customer's name and address; a unique quote number; detailed breakdown of work; itemised costs for labour and materials; total including VAT; payment terms; valid-until date; and your terms and conditions.

Most tradespeople miss at least half of these. Use JobStacker's quoting software to include everything automatically.

Pricing strategies for tradespeople

Get your pricing wrong and you either lose the job or lose money on it. The three most common pricing models are: fixed price (best for defined jobs like a boiler service), day rate (best for projects with uncertain scope), and time and materials (best for emergency work where you can't predict what you'll find).

Read the full guide to pricing electrical work — includes example calculations and markups.

Common quoting mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Under-pricing materials — always add 20% for wastage and trips to the merchant.
• Forgetting admin time — quoting, buying materials, and doing paperwork takes time. Bill for it.
• No valid-until date — prices change. Always include a 14 or 30-day expiry on your quotes.
• Not following up — 80% of sales need 5+ follow-ups. Send a reminder after 7 days.
• Handwritten quotes — they look unprofessional and are easy to lose. Use digital quotes instead.

How quoting software helps

JobStacker creates itemised quotes with tax, line items for labour and materials, and automatic totals. Send them as branded PDFs or share links. Customers can accept online, and when they do, the job appears on your calendar automatically. No re-typing, no lost paper, no forgotten follow-ups.

Try JobStacker's quote software — for electricians | for plumbers | for builders

How to write a professional plumbing quote