You've done the site visit, assessed the job, and worked out your price. Now the quote you send will determine whether you win the work or lose it to a competitor.
Most tradespeople underestimate how much the quote itself matters. It's not just a number on a page. It's the first impression of how professional and reliable your business is.
Here's how to write quotes that get accepted.
Why Customers Reject Quotes
Before improving your quotes, understand why they get rejected:
- Too slow — A competitor sent theirs first and the customer committed
- Unclear pricing — Vague line items make customers nervous about hidden costs
- No breakdown — A single lump sum with no explanation feels like a guess
- Unprofessional format — Scribbled on paper or sent as a plain text message
- No follow-up — The customer forgot and you never reminded them
Fix these five things and your win rate will improve significantly.
The Anatomy of a Winning Quote
1. Respond Fast
Speed matters more than most people realise. The first tradesperson to respond with a professional quote wins the job roughly 50% of the time, regardless of whether they're the cheapest.
If you're visiting a site in the morning, the quote should be in the customer's inbox by lunchtime. Not tomorrow. Not "when I get back to the office."
How to do this: Use quoting software on your phone. AI quoting tools can generate a professional quote in under a minute, so you can send it before you've left the customer's driveway.
2. Break Down the Costs
Never send a single number. Always itemise:
Bad example:
Kitchen renovation: £8,500
Good example:
- Removal of existing units and disposal: £450
- Supply and fit new base units (6x): £2,800
- Supply and fit new wall units (4x): £1,600
- Worktop supply and installation (granite): £1,800
- Plumbing connections: £650
- Electrical (additional sockets): £400
- Final clean and snagging: £200
- Total: £7,900
The itemised version actually costs less but feels more trustworthy because the customer can see exactly where their money goes.
3. Include What's Not Covered
Managing expectations prevents disputes later. State clearly:
- What's included in the price
- What's excluded (and might cost extra)
- Assumptions you've made (e.g., "assumes no asbestos found")
- Payment terms (deposit, staged payments, final payment)
4. Set a Valid-Until Date
An open-ended quote gives the customer no reason to decide quickly. Set an expiry:
"This quote is valid for 14 days from the date above."
This creates urgency without being pushy. Material prices change, your schedule fills up, and an old quote might not be viable a month later.
5. Make It Easy to Accept
If the customer needs to phone you, email back, or print and sign something, you're adding friction. Modern quoting software lets customers accept with a single click and pay a deposit immediately.
Cadobook's customer portal lets customers view the quote, ask questions, accept it, and pay — all from their phone.
Quote Templates by Trade
Plumbing Quote Template
Include:
- Description of the issue or work requested
- Materials specified (brand and model for fixtures)
- Labour broken down by task
- Callout/assessment fee (if applicable, or note if it's waived)
- Warranty on work and materials
- Emergency rate (if different from standard)
Electrical Quote Template
Include:
- Scope of work (e.g., "full rewire of ground floor")
- Materials with specification (cable type, consumer unit model)
- Labour per phase if it's a large job
- Certification costs (Part P, EICR)
- Testing and sign-off included
- Any work that requires additional trades (plastering after chase-outs)
General Building/Renovation Template
Include:
- Phase breakdown (strip-out, structural, first fix, second fix, finishing)
- Materials with allowances where customer is choosing (e.g., "tile allowance: £30/m²")
- Subcontractor costs clearly separated
- Timeline with milestones
- Payment schedule tied to milestones
- Contingency note (e.g., "5% contingency for unforeseen works")
Following Up Without Being Annoying
Sending the quote is not the end of the process. Most jobs are won or lost in the follow-up.
The Follow-Up Timeline
- Day 1 — Send the quote within hours of the site visit
- Day 3 — Short message: "Just checking you received the quote. Happy to answer any questions."
- Day 7 — Phone call or message: "Are you ready to go ahead? I have availability starting date."
- Day 10 — Final follow-up: "I'll be closing this quote on expiry date. Let me know if you'd like to proceed."
Automate It
If you're manually remembering to follow up on every quote, you'll forget. Set up automated workflows to send follow-up emails at the right intervals. This way, every quote gets consistent follow-up without you thinking about it.
Common Mistakes That Lose Jobs
1. Quoting Too Low to Win the Job
Customers rarely choose the cheapest quote. The cheapest option often signals low quality or corner-cutting. Price fairly, explain your value, and let the breakdown justify the cost.
2. Sending Quotes as PDFs via Email Only
Customers check their phones, not their email attachments. If your quote requires downloading a PDF, opening it in a separate app, and then somehow responding, you're losing to competitors who send clickable links.
3. Not Showing Your Work
A bare-bones quote with three line items tells the customer nothing about the scope, quality, or care you'll bring to the job. More detail equals more trust.
4. Forgetting to Follow Up
The average customer gets 3-5 quotes. If you don't follow up, someone who does will win the job. It's not about being the cheapest. It's about being the most responsive and professional.
Speed Up Your Quoting Process
The best quote is the one that arrives first, looks professional, and is easy to accept. Manual quoting with spreadsheets or Word documents slows you down at every step.
With Cadobook's AI quoting, you can:
- Generate quotes in seconds using AI suggestions based on your pricing history
- Send professional, branded quotes from your phone
- Let customers accept and pay deposits online
- Automatically follow up with customers who haven't responded
- Convert accepted quotes to invoices with one click