How to write a building quote clients understand

By James Daly, Founder, Oi Guvnor · Updated 2026-10-09

Most disputes on small building jobs don't start on site. They start in the quote, when something the builder assumed was obvious was never written down. A good quote is not long — it is specific. It tells the client what you will do, what you won't, what it is based on and when money changes hands.

This guide walks through the parts of a quote that do the most work, with an illustrative example at the end you can adapt.

Start with the scope, in the order the work happens

Write the scope as a list of tasks in roughly the order you will do them. It reads naturally to the client and makes it easier for you to spot gaps. Use the room or area name, the task and the finish — for example "Kitchen: strip out existing units and worktops, make good walls ready for plaster" rather than "kitchen works".

If you visited site or worked from drawings, say so and give the drawing reference or visit date. If something on the drawings is not part of your price, say that too. Don't assume every item shown on a drawing belongs to your job.

Write the exclusions as clearly as the inclusions

Exclusions are the part most builders skip and most clients don't read until there is a problem. Keep them short and concrete. Common ones:

Building control, planning or party wall fees and applications
Skip hire or waste removal, if the client is arranging it
Decoration after plastering
Client-supplied items such as sanitaryware, tiles or appliances
Anything hidden that can't be seen until opened up, such as rotten joists or old wiring
Electrical or plumbing work beyond the stated points

Separate labour, materials and subcontractors

Even if you give the client a single total, work it out in separate lines: your labour, materials, any subcontract trades, and plant or hire. It shows you where the margin is, and when the client asks to swap a material or drop a task you can re-price quickly instead of guessing.

Whether you show the breakdown to the client is your call. Many builders show labour and materials separately on bigger jobs, and a single figure per stage on smaller ones.

State your assumptions

Assumptions protect both sides. Write down the things your price depends on: clear access to the work area, power and water available, the client choosing finishes by a certain date, working hours, and the condition you expect behind walls and floors. If an assumption turns out wrong, you have a clear starting point for a variation rather than an argument.

Set clear payment stages

Tie each payment to something both sides can see happen — a stage of work, not a date. Say how much is due at each stage, how you will invoice it and how long the client has to pay. Keep any deposit proportionate to materials you need to buy up front.

Also say how long the quote is valid for. Material prices move, and a quote accepted months later may no longer reflect your costs.

Check before you send

Client name and site address are correct
Every task in the scope has a price behind it
Exclusions and assumptions are written down
Payment stages add up to the total
Validity period and start date are stated
How the client accepts the quote is clear — a signature, a reply in writing

Illustrative quote layout

Illustrative example — fictional job, prices left for you to fill in

Job: Ground-floor internal doors — [client name], [site address]
Based on site visit [date]
Scope: remove 5 existing internal doors and linings; fit 5 new doors in new linings; fit architrave both sides; fit handles and hinges supplied by client
Excludes: decoration, client-supplied ironmongery, making good to flooring
Assumes: openings are square to within normal tolerance; clear access during working hours
Labour: [£] · Materials: [£] · Total: [£]
Payment: 30% on materials order, balance on completion. Invoices payable within [x] days
Valid for 30 days from [date]

Where Oi Guvnor fits

Oi Guvnor lets you talk a job through and turns it into a draft quote you check and edit before sending. Nothing is sent without you. If you want to see the layout it produces, look at the job pack demo, or answer four questions in the free business guide to see an example draft for your trade.

This guide describes common good practice. It isn't legal, tax or contractual advice — check anything specific with a qualified adviser.