The Quote That Starts at the Job Site
Trades quotes have a shape that office-born templates miss: they’re written standing in someone’s garden, half-covered in the dust of the job being inspected. The quote needs to capture what the eyes found — the access problem, the surprise under the decking, the wall that turns out to be load-bearing — and turn it into a number before leaving the driveway.
This work quote template is built for that workflow: open it on the phone at the site, walk the job with the customer, record what you find, and send the estimate before the van door shuts.
Materials and Labor, Kept Apart
Every trades dispute starts with a blended number. The form keeps the two apart:
- The labor. What the job takes in time — number fields for hours and rate, or your standard job prices as a multiple choice list.
- The materials. Listed as items, not a lump — because the customer who sources their own slabs needs a quote that can shed them, and the supplier price change three weeks out needs a quote that shows which line moved.
What the Site Visit Found
The section that separates working quotes from remembered ones: a long text field for what the visit actually revealed — access constraints, existing damage, the contingency everyone hopes won’t be needed. Attach the photos through document upload: the quote’s evidence travels with the quote, which settles “you never mentioned that” arguments before they’re born.
Money Matters, Settled Early
- The deposit. A legal acknowledgment of your deposit terms — percentage, timing, what it covers. The trades businesses that survive growth are the ones that stopped starting work on a handshake.
- The validity. How long the number holds — materials move, and thirty days is a fair promise.
- The payment schedule. Tied to stages, stated plainly, so the final invoice never arrives as a surprise wearing a total.
From Site to Signed
Send the finished quote from the driveway — share the link before driving off, and let respondent email notifications put the written copy in the customer’s inbox automatically. Speed matters in trades quoting: the first credible number on the kitchen table usually wins the job. For the estimate-stage formats that feed this one, see the estimate collection and the quote shelf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quote on site or back at the office?
On site, whenever the job allows — the visit’s findings are fresh, the customer’s questions get answered where the answers live, and the same-day quote has a closing rate the office-delayed version never sees.
How do we price jobs with real uncertainty?
Name the contingency as a line: the quote shows the likely number and the known unknown beside it. Customers accept documented uncertainty; they resent discovered costs.
Should waste removal and access costs be included?
Yes, always as named lines. The hidden extras — skip hire, parking permits, the appliance that needs two people — are where trades quotes earn their bad reputations. Line items turn resentment into choices.
What if the customer wants to negotiate after signing?
The signed quote’s answer is the schedule: scope can flex, price follows scope. The itemized structure is what makes that conversation professional instead of personal.