How to Write a Quotation That Wins the Job (Not Just the Price)

Quotation, Estimate, or Proposal?

Clients use the words interchangeably. You should not.

Sending an estimate when the client expected a quotation reads as evasive. Sending a quotation before the scope is settled means you absorb the difference.

The Structure That Converts

1. Header: your details, client details, quotation number, date, and validity.
2. One-line restatement of what the client asked for. This proves you listened.
3. Itemised pricing: description, quantity, unit price, line total.
4. What is included — spelled out.
5. What is excluded — spelled out.
6. Timeline and any client dependencies.
7. Payment terms and accepted methods.
8. Acceptance block — a signature line turns a quote into an order.

The Validity Clause

Every quotation must expire. "This quotation is valid for 30 days from the date of issue" protects you from a client accepting your Q1 price in Q4 after your costs rose. It also creates gentle urgency without a discount.

Never Send a Single Number

A lone total invites a single question: can you do it cheaper? An itemised quotation invites a better one: what can we remove? The second conversation preserves your rate.

Discovery workshop            1 x   800.00      800.00
UI design, 8 screens          8 x   250.00    2,000.00
Frontend build                1 x 3,400.00    3,400.00
Two revision rounds           included             0.00
-----------------------------------------------------
Subtotal                                      6,200.00
Tax @ 18%                                     1,116.00
Total                                         7,316.00

Excludes: content writing, photography, hosting.
Valid for 30 days. 40% due on acceptance.

Write the Exclusions Before the Inclusions

It is counter-intuitive and it works. Listing exclusions first forces you to think about where the project actually leaks — content, third-party licences, migration, training — and turns each one into either a paid line item or a documented boundary.

Follow Up Once, Properly

Send the quotation, then a single follow-up three working days later that adds something rather than asking for a decision: a relevant case study, a clarified assumption, or a note that the validity date approaches. Then stop. The wording conventions in our formal email writing guide apply directly.

From Quotation to Invoice

When the quotation is accepted, the line items should flow straight into the invoice with the same descriptions and the same numbers. Rewriting them introduces discrepancies that delay payment. Our free quotation templates and invoice templates share a layout for exactly this reason. If the work needs more persuasion than pricing, write a business proposal instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a quotation legally binding?

Once accepted within its validity period it generally forms a binding agreement on those terms. That is precisely why the validity clause matters.

Can I revise a quotation?

Yes, before acceptance. Issue a new quotation number and mark the old one superseded rather than editing it silently.

Should tax be shown separately?

Always. A tax-inclusive total hides your actual rate and confuses the client's finance team.

Pricing sits inside a wider sales document in many industries — a business proposal — so match the format to what the buyer is deciding.