What to Include in Every Quote (Complete Checklist)

A field tested checklist of every line item, term, and detail that should be on your quotes so you stop losing jobs and arguments.

There is no legal template for a quote in most countries. That sounds like freedom. In practice it means every tradesperson invents their own format and most of them are missing something important. The missing piece is usually the thing that bites them later.

This checklist is the sum of about a thousand quotes, the disputes they caused, and the line items that would have prevented those disputes. Use it as a sanity check on your current template.

Identification details

Every quote should be provably yours and provably for that client. If a dispute ever lands in front of a tribunal, the basics matter.

• Your business name and trading name if different
• Your ABN, ACN, or local equivalent
• Your trade licence number where applicable
• Your insurance reference (public liability, workers comp)
• Your phone, email, and physical address
• Quote number and issue date
• Client name and site address

If you are setting up your business documents from scratch, ready-made free quote templates already have these fields baked in for every trade.

Scope of work

Describe the work in the order it will happen on site. Not a sales pitch. A plan.

• What you will do, in clear language
• Where you will do it (rooms, areas, dimensions if relevant)
• What materials and brands you will use
• How long the work will take in working days
• Who is responsible for prep, access, and approvals

Itemised pricing

A single total tells the client nothing. An itemised quote tells them what they are buying and helps them justify the spend to a partner, an insurer, or a strata committee.

• Labour, broken into sensible stages
• Materials, with brand and quantity where relevant
• Access or equipment hire
• Sub trade work (electrical, plumbing, gas)
• Disposal and cleanup
• Travel or site fees if applicable
• GST shown as a separate line
• Total clearly highlighted

Inclusions and exclusions

This is the section that prevents arguments. Be explicit about what the price covers and what it does not. If the client wants something added later, you can quote it as a variation rather than swallowing it.

Common exclusions worth listing

• Painting, patching, or making good unless specified
• Removal of asbestos or hazardous materials
• Engineering or council approvals
• Delays caused by client material selections
• Repairs to pre existing damage discovered during work
• Out of hours work or weekend rates

Payment terms

If you do not specify, the client will assume terms that suit them. Spell it out.

• Deposit amount and when it is due
• Progress payment schedule for larger jobs
• Final payment terms (on completion, 7 days, 14 days)
• Accepted payment methods
• Late payment fees or interest if applicable
• Bank details or payment link

Plumbers and electricians often build deposit terms straight into their quotes. Working the numbers up in a free quote calculator with deposits set saves a huge amount of chasing later in the job.

Validity and expiry

Material prices move. Your availability shifts. Quote validity protects you from honouring a January price in June. Standard is 14 to 30 days. State it on the quote.

Acceptance method

Tell the client exactly how to accept. A signature line, a reply yes, a click to accept link, or payment of the deposit. Pick one and make it obvious.

Variations clause

Add a short paragraph stating that any work outside the scope will be quoted separately and approved in writing before it starts. This is gold for builders, who deal with variations on almost every job. It is one of the reasons quoting and invoicing for builders includes a variations workflow as standard.

Sample wording for the fine print

Use this as a starting point and adapt to your trade.

• "Quote valid 30 days from issue date."
• "Deposit of 25% required to confirm booking. Balance due on completion."
• "Variations to scope will be quoted in writing and approved before work proceeds."
• "Excludes work caused by pre existing defects unless noted in the scope above."
• "Late payments may incur a $ 25 administration fee plus 10% per annum interest."

The quick checklist

Before you hit send, run this list. If anything is missing, add it. Once your template covers every item end to end, you only have to set it up once.

The bottom line

A quote is a contract waiting to happen. Treat it like one. Get the basics on every quote, every time, and you will spend less time arguing and more time building.

QuoteGenio comes with free quote templates built around this exact structure. Pick one, customise it, and send in minutes.