A job quote template is the working document of every trade and service business: one page that tells the client what the job is, what it costs, and how to say yes. If your current process is “I’ll text you a number tonight,” this template is the upgrade that costs nothing and changes how clients read you.
When to Quote a Job (and When Not To)
Quote when you’ve seen the work and the scope is defined — the client gets a fixed price and you get a committed job. When the scope has unknowns (concealed conditions, unselected materials), an estimate with allowances is the honest document — committing to a fixed price on an unfixed scope is how jobs go underwater. The full quote-vs-estimate breakdown is here.
What Goes in a Job Quote
The Identification Block
- Quote number and date — and an expiry date, always
- Your business name, phone, email, license and insurance details
- Client name and the job address
Scope in Plain Words
Two or three sentences describing the finished result: what you’ll do, where, with what materials, and what happens to the mess. Write it so a neighbor could read it and know exactly what was agreed.
Line Items
| Item | Qty | Unit Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor — install, finish, cleanup | 12 hrs | $70 | $840 |
| Materials as specified | 1 | $610 | $610 |
| Disposal and haul-away | 1 | $95 | $95 |
| Total | $1,545 |
Exclusions and Terms
- What the price doesn’t cover — permits, repairs found mid-job, work outside the listed scope
- Deposit and payment timing
- Change orders: priced and approved in writing before extra work happens
- Acceptance line: signature or reply-to-approve
Pricing the Job Before You Quote It
- Walk the job with a checklist, not a glance. Access, condition, and cleanup time hide in plain sight.
- Count your real hours — including setup, supply runs, and the drive. The quote pays for all of them or nobody does.
- Price materials at today’s replacement cost plus a handling margin.
- Apply your loaded rate — wages plus insurance, vehicle, tools, and the unpaid hours that keep the business running. If your rate only covers wages, you own a job, not a business.
- Sanity-check against your last similar job. Memory flatters; records don’t.
For the full method, see how to quote a job as a contractor.
Why the Document Itself Wins Jobs
Two contractors can offer the same price and the same dates. The one whose quote arrives as a clean, itemized PDF with license details and a signature line gets read as organized, insured, and likely to show up — before any reference gets called. The number matters; the paper carrying it closes.
Get the Template
Start with the free quote template, or go straight to your trade: quote and estimate templates by industry. Or skip the document setup entirely and create your job quote in OfferKit — itemized, branded, and in the client’s inbox before you’ve left the curb.
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