Free Quote Generator for UK Small Businesses

Build your quote above

Use the free quote generator at the top of this page to enter your details, list what you're charging for, and download the finished quotation as a PDF. Everything below explains how to price a job properly, how VAT and deposits should appear, and the small print that stops a quote turning into an argument later.

What a quote actually is (and how it differs from an estimate)

A quote and an estimate are not the same thing, and the wording matters. A quote is a fixed price for clearly defined work: once the client accepts it, that's the figure you've both agreed, and you can only change it if the scope changes. An estimate is your best, honest guess at the likely cost when the full scope isn't yet known, so the final invoice can move up or down.

If you label a document a quote, treat it as binding. If there's genuine uncertainty (you can't see behind the wall, the brief is still loose), call it an estimate and say what could push the price. A good quotation template for UK work makes the distinction obvious at the top so nobody assumes a number is locked when it isn't.

How to price the job: the simple formula

Whatever trade you're in, a defensible quote comes down to one line:

Quote total = (labour + materials + overheads + margin) + VAT (if registered)

• Labour = hours or days x your rate. Be honest about how long it really takes, including setup and clean-up.
• Materials = parts, consumables and any sub-contracted work, ideally with a sensible mark-up so you're not out of pocket if a supplier price rises.
• Overheads = the slice of insurance, fuel, tools, software and admin time that this job should carry. Solo workers forget this constantly.
• Margin = your profit. It is not a luxury; it's what keeps you trading when a job overruns.
• VAT = 20% standard rate, added only if your business is VAT-registered.

If you tend to quote by the day, work out a realistic figure with our contractor day rate calculator first, then carry that into your quote. And if you're not sure whether a materials mark-up leaves you any real profit, sanity-check it with the profit margin calculator before you send anything.

Worked example: a freelancer pricing a website

Say you're a self-employed web designer quoting a five-page brochure site. You estimate four days of work at a day rate of 320 pounds, plus 90 pounds of stock images and a year of hosting you'll pass on at 120 pounds.

• Labour: 4 x 320 = 1,280 pounds
• Materials/passed-on costs: 90 + 120 = 210 pounds
• Subtotal (net): 1,490 pounds

You're not VAT-registered, so that's the figure on the quote: 1,490 pounds, valid for 30 days, with 50% (745 pounds) due to start and the balance on launch. Clean, fixed, easy for the client to say yes to.

Worked example: a VAT-registered trade quoting a kitchen

Now take a VAT-registered plumber quoting a bathroom refit. Labour comes to 1,800 pounds, materials to 1,400 pounds, and you add a 15% mark-up on materials to cover handling and price risk.

• Materials with mark-up: 1,400 x 1.15 = 1,610 pounds
• Net subtotal: 1,800 + 1,610 = 3,410 pounds
• VAT at 20%: 3,410 x 0.20 = 682 pounds
• Quote total: 4,092 pounds

Always show the net price, the VAT, and the gross total separately. A business client cares about the net figure because they reclaim the VAT; a homeowner cares about the gross figure they actually pay. If you want to double-check the VAT line, run the numbers through our VAT calculator. When the job is done and the quote is accepted, the same figures roll straight into an invoice generator so you're not re-typing anything.

What every UK quote should include

A quote that wins work and protects you covers the basics without burying the client in text:

• Your trading name, address and contact details (and company number plus VAT number if applicable).
• A unique quote reference and the date issued.
• The client's name and address.
• A clear description of the work, broken into line items where it helps.
• The net price, VAT shown separately, and the total payable.
• An expiry date, so the price doesn't haunt you in six months when material costs have moved.
• Payment terms: deposit, stage payments, what's due on completion, and how soon.
• What's included and, just as important, what isn't.

You don't legally have to be VAT-registered until your taxable turnover crosses the registration threshold, but once you are, your quotes and invoices must show VAT correctly. HMRC sets out the rules on VAT-inclusive and exclusive pricing at gov.uk/vat-businesses.

Setting a sensible expiry and payment terms

A quote without an expiry date is an open-ended promise. Thirty days is a common default; tighten it to 7 or 14 days if your material or fuel costs are volatile. Spelling out the validity period is the single easiest way to avoid being held to an old price.

On payment, decide upfront whether you're taking a deposit. For materials-heavy jobs, asking for a deposit to cover stock is normal and reasonable. State your terms clearly (for example "payment due within 14 days of invoice") so there's no ambiguity. If a client later pays late, you have a statutory right to charge interest and a fixed recovery sum on commercial debts; MoneyHelper and gov.uk both explain how late-payment interest works.

Quoting as a sole trader vs a limited company

A sole trader quote can be wonderfully simple, but it still needs your real name or registered business name and a way to be paid. A limited company quote must show the registered company name and number. Either way, keep a copy of every quote you send: if a client disputes the scope, the quote is your evidence of what was agreed.

Remember that the money on an accepted quote is turnover, not take-home pay. Before you decide a day rate feels "enough", factor in the tax and National Insurance you'll owe on the profit. A quick run through the self-employed tax calculator shows what's actually left after HMRC, which often changes how you price.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting overheads. If you only bill labour and materials, your insurance, tools and admin time come straight out of your own pocket.
• Mixing up VAT-inclusive and VAT-exclusive prices. Decide which you're quoting and label it. Quoting a net figure to a homeowner who then sees 20% added on the invoice is a classic complaint.
• No expiry date. Prices move. Without a validity window you can be held to a stale number.
• Vague scope. "Tidy up the garden" means different things to you and the client. List what's in and what's out.
• Round numbers with no breakdown. A single lump sum invites haggling. Line items make the price feel fair and justified.
• Under-pricing to win the job. A quote you resent doing is one you'll rush. Build in a margin that lets you do good work.

After the quote is accepted

Once the client says yes, convert the quote into a formal order or invoice using the same figures and reference. Keep the accepted quote on file with the matching invoice; together they form a clean paper trail for your records and your Self Assessment. These figures are estimates for guidance only and not personal tax or financial advice, so check anything VAT- or tax-related against gov.uk or a qualified accountant before you rely on it.

Related tools to price and bill with confidence

Once your quote is ready, keep the rest of your paperwork tidy: turn an accepted quote into a bill with the invoice generator, raise a purchase order when you're buying in materials, and confirm your selling prices leave enough headroom using the profit margin calculator.