You've been round to look at the job. You know what it needs. You've worked out your price in your head on the drive home. Now you need to get a quote across to the customer — and this is where a lot of tradespeople lose the job without even realising it.
It's not usually the price that kills it. It's the quote itself. A scruffy text message saying "I can do it for 800 quid" doesn't fill anyone with confidence, even if you're the best person for the job.
Why Presentation Matters More Than You Think
Put yourself in the customer's shoes. They've had three tradespeople round. One sent a proper written quote with an itemised breakdown within two hours. Another texted a number the next day. The third never sent anything at all.
Who are they going to pick? Usually the first one — even if they're not the cheapest. A professional-looking quote signals that you'll do professional-quality work. Fair or not, that's how customers think.
What to Include in Every Quote
Your details: Full name or business name, phone number, email address. If you're registered for gas, electrical certification, or any other accreditation, include the registration numbers. This builds trust before you've laid a finger on anything.
Customer details: Their name and the property address. This seems obvious but plenty of tradespeople skip it. It shows you're organised and you know where you're going.
A clear description of the work: Not just "bathroom refit" but what that actually includes. "Strip out existing bathroom suite, tile walls and floor (customer to supply tiles), fit new bath, basin, toilet, and thermostatic shower. All plumbing and waste connections included." The more specific you are, the fewer arguments later about what was and wasn't included.
Itemised breakdown: Split the quote into labour and materials where possible. Customers appreciate transparency. It also protects you — if they ask you to swap from a standard bath to a freestanding one, you can show them exactly how the materials cost changes without renegotiating the whole job.
Timeline: When you can start and roughly how long it'll take. "Available to start week commencing 17th March, estimated completion 3–4 working days." Customers are planning around you — they might need to book time off work or arrange to use a neighbour's bathroom.
Payment terms: How and when you expect to be paid. More on this below.
Validity period: "This quote is valid for 30 days." Material prices change, your diary fills up. Without an expiry date, someone could accept a quote three months later and expect you to honour a price based on old material costs.
Payment Terms That Protect You
State your payment terms clearly on the quote. Don't leave it vague. Here's what works for most trades:
For jobs under £500: payment on completion, due same day. For jobs between £500 and £2,000: 30% deposit before starting, balance on completion. For jobs over £2,000: 30% deposit, a stage payment halfway through, balance on completion. These are reasonable terms that any serious customer will accept.
The deposit serves two purposes. It commits the customer — they're far less likely to cancel once they've paid something. And it covers your material costs so you're not funding their project out of your own pocket.
Send It Fast
Speed matters more than most tradespeople realise. The sweet spot is within two to four hours of visiting the property. Same day at the absolute latest. Every hour you wait, the chance of winning the job drops.
Why? Because the customer's enthusiasm fades. They were excited about the new bathroom when you were there measuring up and talking through options. Two days later, they've gone cold and they're second-guessing whether they can afford it. Get the quote across while they're still excited.
This is one area where having a system makes a massive difference. Some tradespeople use tools like Gaffer to generate and send quotes straight from their phone on the drive home, while the job details are still fresh. However you do it, the faster you get it across, the better your win rate.
Following Up Without Being Pushy
You've sent the quote. Two days pass. Nothing. Most tradespeople either never follow up or leave it so long the customer's already booked someone else.
A good follow-up is simple and low-pressure. After two or three days: "Hi Sarah, just checking you received the quote I sent over for the bathroom work. Happy to answer any questions if anything's not clear." That's it. No hard sell, no pressure. Just a nudge.
If you don't hear back after a week, one more message: "Hi Sarah, just a quick one — are you still looking to go ahead with the bathroom? No worries either way, just want to make sure I keep the right week free for you if so." This creates a gentle sense of urgency without being annoying.
After two follow-ups with no response, leave it. They've either booked someone else or shelved the project. Chasing any harder than that starts to feel desperate.
Common Mistakes That Lose Jobs
Being vague: "Labour and materials: £2,400" tells the customer nothing. They can't see what they're getting. They can't compare it meaningfully with other quotes. And if there's a dispute later, you've got nothing to point to.
No expiry date: Without one, you're locked into a price indefinitely. Copper pipes went up 15% last year. If someone accepts an expired quote, you either eat the cost or have an uncomfortable conversation.
Texting instead of a proper document: A WhatsApp message with a price is not a quote. It might work for a small repair, but for anything over a few hundred pounds, send a proper written document — even if it's just a well-formatted PDF.
Forgetting exclusions: If something isn't included, say so. "This quote does not include making good plasterwork, decoration, or disposal of existing suite." Clear exclusions prevent the dreaded "I thought that was included" argument.
Not showing your workings: Customers don't know what things cost. If you show them that the toilet alone is £280, the bath is £350, and tiles are £45 per square metre, your total price makes sense. Without the breakdown, £3,200 is just a big scary number.
A Simple Quote Structure
You don't need fancy software. A clean template works fine. Here's the structure: your business details at the top, customer name and address, date, quote reference number, description of work, itemised costs (labour and materials separated), total, payment terms, validity period, and any exclusions or notes at the bottom.
Print that as a PDF, email it across, and you look more professional than 80% of your competition. The trades are full of brilliant workers who lose jobs because their quoting process is a mess. Don't be one of them.