Sending professional-looking quotes helps your home service-based business stand out from the competition, sets a great first impression for potential clients, and can land you more jobs. Writing a clean, easy-to-read quote is simple when you use Housecall Pro’s intuitive quote template function.
Learn how to create a professional quote for HVAC, plumbing services, electrical work, general handyman services, roofing, and more with our step-by-step instructions below. We’ll also give you tips on the best way to send online quotes and manage your follow-up! And don’t forget to sign up for a free 14-day trial of Housecall Pro so you can see just how easy it is to create accurate, professional quotes on the go!
What is a Quote?
A quote is a formal quotation for the cost of services, including labor, parts, and other associated fees that a customer would pay. It breaks down the total cost of a job so that potential customers understand the exact pricing, how you arrived at the total, and the scope of the work to be completed.
Quotes differ from estimates in that they have more detailed information and are specifically created for a certain customer and project; an estimate is a more general idea of the approximate cost and timeline for its completion.
Professional quotes should contain the following:
- Names and contact information for both service provider and customer
- An itemized list of the services to be provided
- Price for each item involved, including parts and labor
- Details on the scope of the project, including a timeline for completion and the specific location where the project will be completed (kitchen, bathroom, roof, etc.)
- Any necessary disclaimers about the project or scope
- Payment terms, including any discounts or the terms of any payment plan arranged
There may be other details specific to the job that should be included in your quote, depending on its scope, whether you need a subcontractor, etc.
Why Do I Need to Write a Quote?
When a customer buys a home improvement item in a store, they walk in, compare prices, and purchase the one that meets their needs and is priced well for its value. When your customers need home-based services, like an air conditioning repair or installing a new kitchen sink, they usually have to contact each service provider directly to ask for the price. When the customer calls you or fills out the online contact form on your website, you send them a quote, so they can compare providers to select the company for the job.
You know that each job is slightly different—even installing two kitchen sinks may not cost the same, depending on the parts you must provide and how difficult each job is. Labor for one quote may be higher than another, so it’s important for you, the service provider, to be able to accurately determine your cost for the job while providing competitive pricing to secure a steady stream of jobs.
Although quotes are detailed in scope, contain pricing and payment terms, and are more formal than estimates, they are still not binding service agreements. Once a customer accepts the quote, though, the prices and terms must remain the same unless something unexpected happens and you need more parts or take more time to complete the job properly. Your pricing agreements can contain language to account for price increases should the project become more complicated once you get started.
If you have an electronic quote system, it can easily be converted into an invoice and either presented to the customer at the conclusion of the service or sent digitally to your customer.
What Should Be Included in a Quote?
Quotes and invoices should have the same basic information, and the templates for each should mirror one another. If you use a business estimate template, like the one on Housecall Pro’s platform, it’s simple to generate custom quotes in minutes, which you can easily convert to invoices.
Be sure to clearly write “quote” and “invoice” on each document to differentiate them.
Our template has fields where you can enter:
- Your business name and address
- The customer’s name and address
- A specific quote number
- The date of the quote and how long it’s valid for
- Detailed description of the service to be provided
- List of parts to be provided by you and an itemized cost for each
- Scope of the service to be provided
- Any discounts offered
- Total amount the job will cost the customer, including any applicable taxes
If you contract with the government and your business is registered for VAT, then be sure to include that on the quote.
Your customers will be reviewing quotes side-by-side: yours and your competitors. A professional-looking quote stands out from a handwritten one or one jotted down in the body of an email. When you present thoughtful, detailed, well-presented quotes, your business appears more professional.
Make your quote as enticing as possible. For example, you may choose to offer a small discount if the quote is accepted within 24 or 48 hours. If you have extended warranties or parts or offer a warranty on labor, be sure to include those details as well.
How to Create a Quote For a Job
Creating custom quotes is a breeze with Housecall Pro’s job estimating software. Even without our user-friendly interface, creating custom quotes is fairly straightforward as long as you use the steps outlined below:
1. Select or Create a Template
Every quote should be standard and uniform so it’s easy to add unique information for each job. Keeping each quote consistent, with the same fields, ensures that you don’t leave anything important out.
Different types of home-based service providers may have a few fields that are unique to other types of businesses. For example, if you offer after-hours or emergency services, you may wish to have a separate field for the cost of after-hours services.
2. Date and Quote Number
You can easily file your quotes by number, assigning a unique number to each quote. Date each quote and note how long it is valid for. Limiting the length of time the quote is valid may motivate potential customers to act quickly. If you number quotes sequentially, you can more easily keep track of what was sent and when and quickly access any quote or invoice in your database.
3. Your Business Information
Your business-identifying information should be at the top of the quote so your customers can easily see how to contact you when they’re ready to book service or if they have questions. If you send electronic quotes, consider building a hyperlink to your email so customers can quickly reach you.
Include any other important information, such as the employee who provided the quote or will close the sale or the information of any subcontractor you’ll use for different phases of the job.
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4. Billing and Payment Information
Include the billing information prominently underneath your business contact information. If you have electronic invoicing, you can also include a link to a payment portal on your website, making it even easier for customers to pay.
5. Itemized List of Parts and Services
This is the majority of your quote. Our software has a table row for each individual item and a column for the information you need to include about each item, like the brand name of the parts or details about the type of labor to be provided.
If your job is multi-phase, you may wish to break this portion of the quote out into phases. For example, with a kitchen remodel, you may have a section for the counter installation, one for cabinetry, and one for plumbing.
6. Subtotal and Grand Total
Calculate the total cost of parts and labor, then provide a subtotal. Add any applicable taxes for the grand total you’ll charge the customer.
If you are offering a discount, calculate the grand total and then subtract the discount amount so your customer can easily compare the prices.
7. Terms and Conditions
If you have any specific terms and conditions for the job, be sure to include these at the bottom of the quote. For example, you may offer full cleanup services for plumbing jobs or limited backfill services for outside pipe work. Or, if the quote is only valid under certain conditions or for a certain length of time, state that, as well. Finally, the terms and deadlines for payment should be clearly stated.
How Can Estimating Software Help My Business?
With a robust, reliable home service-based software, you can easily automate much of the quoting process. For example, you can load the price of each part you use and the hourly labor cost for each tech (or each tier of techs; a journeyman’s hourly labor rate may not be the same as your Master Electrician’s or Master Plumber’s). Then, you simply load the items you need for each quote, and your job-costing software can do the rest. It’s even better when your home-based service business software can easily convert a quote to an invoice!
Housecall Pro’s professional estimating software system can do all that, plus more. It helps plumbers, handymen, electricians, HVAC service providers, and other home-based service business owners easily create quotes, invoices, and manage their customer information, all from one easy-to-use dashboard. Plus, Housecall Pro can be used on the go with our field service mobile app, on your phone or tablet, so you can quickly complete a quote in the field or revise one if it turns out that the scope of the project is much more extensive than the customer realized when they initially requested the quote.
Custom quotes are just the beginning. From streamlining payment to making it easier for customers to book jobs on your website, Housecall Pro automates many of the back-office tasks necessary for running your business. You can even use it to set up and maintain service agreements and maintenance plans you offer your regular customers.
Grow Your Business With Housecall Pro
Do you want to learn more about how easy Housecall Pro can make invoicing and quoting? Our user-intuitive platform keeps all the information you need about your customers’ quotes you’ve sent. It can also set reminders to follow up with quotes you’ve sent. Sign up for a free 14-day trial of Housecall Pro today!
