Why quotes get rejected (and it's not the price)
The customer is comparing three quotes on their kitchen table. Two are A4 PDFs with a logo, an itemised breakdown and clear payment terms. Yours is a WhatsApp message saying "£3,400 all in mate". You lose — even if you were £200 cheaper.
A proper quote signals: I do this for a living, I'll show up, and I won't hit you with surprise costs. That's worth more than the price difference on almost every job.
The 9 sections every winning quote needs
- Your branding — logo, business name, trading address, phone, email, VAT number if registered, Gas Safe / NICEIC / FMB number if applicable. Trust signals.
- Customer details & site address — never just "Mr Smith". Use the full job address.
- Unique quote number and date — and a validity period (14 or 30 days is standard, protects you from material price hikes).
- Scope of work — what you're doing, in plain English, broken into stages. "Strip existing tiles, prep walls, supply & fit 12m² porcelain tiles, grout and seal."
- Itemised pricing — split labour, materials and any specialist sub-contractors. Customers will pay more for a quote they can understand.
- Exclusions — this is the bit most trades skip and then argue about later. "Quote excludes: removal of asbestos, structural repairs found behind existing tiles, decorative finishes after tiling."
- VAT breakdown — see our VAT guide. Always show net, VAT and gross separately.
- Payment terms — deposit, stage payments, final balance and due date. The clearer this is, the less you'll need to chase later (more in our late payments guide).
- How to accept — a clear next step. A signature line, a reply-with-yes, or in Job Snapper a one-tap "Accept quote" link.
Pricing structure: fixed price, day rate, or estimate?
- Fixed price — for well-defined jobs (bathroom refit, rewire, boiler swap). Customer knows the number, you carry the risk if it overruns. Build in 10-15% contingency.
- Day rate — for open-ended work (snagging, repairs, maintenance). Always cap with an estimated number of days and an "if more days needed, agreed in advance" clause.
- Estimate (not a quote) — when you genuinely can't see what's behind the wall. Label it clearly as an estimate, not a quote, and confirm the final number once exposed.
The follow-up that doubles your win rate
Quotes go cold fast. Send the PDF the same day you visit (ideally before you leave the driveway), then follow up:
- Day 2: "Just confirming the quote landed — happy to answer any questions."
- Day 5: "Wanted to check timings — I've still got the week of [date] free if you'd like to lock it in."
- Day 10: "Closing this one off — let me know if you'd still like to proceed."
Job Snapper sends these follow-ups automatically and tells you the moment a customer opens the PDF — so you know exactly when to ring.
A 60-second quote workflow (instead of an evening on the laptop)
- Capture the job on a phone job sheet while on-site — photos, measurements, materials.
- Tap "Create quote". Line items, labour rate and VAT pre-fill from your defaults.
- Adjust prices, add exclusions from your saved snippets, hit send.
- Customer gets a branded PDF and a one-tap accept link before you've stowed your ladders.
Try the quote builder free — no card needed. Or browse the FAQ for more on quoting, invoicing and payments.