How to write quotes that win work

Send it within 24 hours

Enthusiasm decays fast. A quote sent the same evening lands while the customer is still thinking about the job; one sent the following week lands after they have accepted somebody else's.

If you cannot write it up properly that night, send a holding message with a date for the full quote. Silence is what loses the job.

Itemise it

A single total invites one question: can you do it cheaper? Lines for materials, labour and stages invite a different question: which parts do we need? That is a conversation you can win.

Itemising also protects you when the customer changes their mind, because the change has a visible price.

Make it look like a company sent it

Your logo, your details, a quote number, a validity date and your terms. It costs nothing and it is often the difference between two identically priced quotes.

Say what is not included

Making good, waste removal, scaffolding, parking, discovering something behind the plaster. Stating exclusions up front prevents the argument that sours an otherwise good job.

Make accepting it easy, and record it

A quote a customer can accept by clicking a link, with the acceptance recorded with a date and time, converts better than one requiring a reply email — and it settles what was agreed if memories differ later.

Follow up once, properly

One polite message a few days later asking whether they have any questions recovers a meaningful share of quotes. Chasing three times does not; it makes you look short of work.