A short guide
What a UK quote should include
A quote is a promise about price. The clearer it is, the fewer questions you answer later and the sooner your customer says yes. This is what a good one carries.
Who it is from, and who it is for
Your business name, your address and a way to reach you, then your customer's name and address. If you trade as a limited company, use the name registered at Companies House, exactly as it is registered.
The work, line by line
Describe each item so it could not be mistaken for anything else: the material, the size, the finish, the labour. A quantity and a unit price on every line lets your customer see how the total was built, and a price they can follow is a price that feels fair.
VAT, done properly
If you are VAT registered, show your VAT number, the price of each line before VAT, the rate that applies to it and the VAT in total. Most work is standard rated at 20%. Some is reduced to 5%, such as fitting mobility aids in the home of someone over 60, and some is zero rated, such as installing energy saving materials like loft insulation in a home, which is zero rated until March 2027. HMRC's guide to VAT rates on goods and services lists the rest.
If you are not VAT registered, do not add VAT and do not show a VAT number. You only have to register once your VAT taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in any rolling twelve months.
How long the price stands
Materials and labour change price. A validity date, often 30 days, protects you when a customer comes back six months later, and gives them a reason to decide.
Terms that prevent arguments
- When you need paying: a deposit before work starts, the balance on completion, or payment within 30 days.
- What is not included, and that anything extra will be quoted separately before it is done.
- How the customer accepts: by signing, by email or by paying the deposit.
A quote or an estimate?
An estimate is your best guess and can move. A quote is a fixed price for the work described, and once it is accepted it is generally what you are held to. If part of the job cannot be priced until you start, say so on the quote and price that part separately.