How to write a quote as a tradie (with a checklist)

A quote does two jobs. It tells the customer exactly what they're getting for their money, and it protects you if there's an argument later about what was agreed. The best quotes are short, clear and easy to say yes to on a phone.

This guide walks through what to put on a tradie quote, in a sensible order, with a checklist you can copy. If you want a ready-made layout, grab a free quote template for your trade.

For the legal side (what a quote must say so it holds up, and where NSW, VIC and QLD differ), read what a compliant quote must include in Australia.

Start with who you are

The top of the quote should answer "who is this from, and can I trust them?" in two seconds.

• Your business name and logo
• Your ABN (and "registered for GST" if you are)
• Your licence number, if your trade is licensed in your state
• Phone and email, so they can ask a question without hunting

Electricians, plumbers, gasfitters and builders in particular should always show the licence number. Customers look for it, and in some states you're required to put it on contracts and advertising.

Then who it's for

• Customer name
• Site address (where the work is, which may not be where they live)
• Quote number and the date you sent it
• Valid until date

A quote number matters more than people think. When the customer rings in three weeks and says "about that quote", the number gets you to the right one fast.

Describe the job in plain words

Write one or two sentences that describe the whole job before you get into lines. "Supply and install 30 metres of 1.8 metre Colorbond fencing along the rear boundary, including one pedestrian gate and removal of the old paling fence."

Then break it down. You can group lines into sections (for example "Fence supply and install", "Gates", "Old fence removal"), which makes a long quote easier to read.

Itemised, section totals or just the total?

There's no single right answer.

• Full breakdown builds trust on bigger jobs and makes it easy to remove a line if the customer wants to trim the price.
• Section totals keep things tidy without inviting arguments over every screw.
• Total only suits small, simple jobs.

Whichever you pick, make sure the scope is clear. A customer who can't tell what's included will assume everything is. More on what to show and what to keep for yourself in the quote breakdown guide.

Show the price properly

If you're registered for GST, quote consumers a price including GST. The ACCC expects businesses to show a single total price that includes GST and any unavoidable charges, and that total should be at least as prominent as any part prices (ACCC: price displays). Showing the GST amount as its own line is good practice.

If you're not registered for GST, don't add GST and don't show a GST line. More on this in GST on quotes.

Optional extras and choices

Optional extras are a great way to lift the job value without pressuring anyone. "Add a lockable latch for $85" or "Upgrade to 2.1 metre height". Under the ACCC's component pricing rules, extras the customer hasn't chosen don't need to be in the total, but the total for what they have chosen must be clear (ACCC: optional extras and the total price).

Pick-one choices work the same way: "Tri-colour downlights or premium dimmable downlights". Give the customer two or three options, not ten.

Say what's not included

Exclusions stop most arguments before they start. Common ones:

• Council or certifier fees
• Making good painted surfaces after electrical or plumbing work
• Rock, hidden services or asbestos found once work starts
• Rubbish removal (if you're not doing it)
• Anything the customer is supplying

Payment terms and deposit

Spell out how and when you get paid: deposit on acceptance, progress payments if it's a bigger job, and the balance on completion. Put the due dates or the triggers ("balance due on completion") in writing.

Deposits for residential building work are capped in several states, so check the limits in deposits for tradies before you set a percentage.

Timeframe, variations and warranty

• Timeframe: a rough start date and how long the job takes. Say what can delay it (weather, materials, access).
• Variations: any change to the scope gets priced and agreed in writing before you do it.
• Warranty: what you guarantee and for how long, plus any manufacturer warranties you'll register.

Make it easy to accept

The fewer steps between "looks good" and "yes", the more jobs you win. A link they can open on their phone and accept, with the deposit paid by card there and then, beats "print, sign, scan and email it back" every time.

That's how Karven works: you build the quote from your trade's common items as you type, choose what the customer sees, and they accept and pay the deposit on their phone.

The tradie quote checklist

Copy this and check every quote against it:

• Business name, logo, ABN, licence number, phone and email
• Customer name and site address
• Quote number, date and valid-until date
• One-line summary of the job
• Lines or sections with prices
• Optional extras and choices, clearly marked as optional
• Total including GST (if registered), with the GST amount shown
• What's not included
• Deposit, progress payments and balance terms
• Timeframe and what can delay it
• Variations clause
• Warranty
• How to accept

Common mistakes

• Vague scope. "Bathroom reno" is not a scope. Room by room, item by item.
• No expiry date. A six-month-old quote at last year's prices is a loss.
• Hiding the total. If they have to add it up themselves, they'll assume the worst.
• No follow-up. Many quotes are lost to silence, not to a cheaper tradie. See how to follow up a quote.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state's fair trading or building regulator for the contract rules that apply to your trade.