Free Quote Template (Fillable PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the page

Quote number, date, valid until

A quote expires. Thirty days is normal; shorter if your costs move. The number goes on the invoice later.

Your reference / RFQ

Business customers send requests for quotation with their own number. Quote it back so their purchasing team can match it.

Itemized lines

Description, quantity, unit price, amount. On the product design: part number, unit of measure and lead time per line.

Discount, shipping, tax

Shown separately so the customer sees what they are paying for and what is taxable.

Delivery and payment terms

When the goods arrive, who pays freight, and when the invoice is due. These terms become binding once the quote is accepted.

Milestones and payment schedule

On the service design: each deliverable with its date and when its payment falls due.

Assumptions and exclusions

What the price depends on. If the client is supplying data, access or materials, say so here.

Acceptance signature

A signed quote is a contract. Leave room for a PO number on the product design.

Quote vs estimate: the difference matters

An estimate is an approximation and the final bill may differ. A quote is a fixed price offer; once accepted, you're expected to deliver at that price unless the scope changes. Use "quotation" when you're confident of your costs and want the customer to commit, and use "estimate" when there are unknowns you cannot price. Writing "quote" on a document and then charging more is the fastest way to lose a customer and, for regulated trades, to attract a complaint.

Business customers often ask for quotes through a request for quotation (RFQ) and compare several side by side. A quote that itemizes clearly, states lead times, and separates shipping and tax wins those comparisons more often than one with a single lump sum.

Which design to use

• Standard quote: services and goods priced by line, one delivery, one invoice. Signage, printing, catering, equipment hire, repairs with known costs.
• Product quote: physical goods with part numbers, units of measure, lead times, freight and a ship-to address. Wholesale, manufacturing, parts, packaging.
• Service quote with milestones: projects delivered and paid in stages. Software, design, consulting, construction phases, events.

How to write a quote that holds up

1. Price every line from current costs, not last year's. Lead times too.
2. Put the validity period on it and mean it. Re-quote after it expires.
3. State delivery terms (where, when, who pays freight) and payment terms (net 30, deposit, milestone payments).
4. List assumptions. "Client supplies artwork in vector format" saves an argument later.
5. Say how changes are handled: written change order, hourly rate for extras.
6. Ask for a signature or a PO number. Work that starts on a verbal yes is work that gets disputed.

Mistakes that make a quote expensive

• No expiry, so the customer returns months later holding you to old prices.
• Freight and tax missing, then added to the invoice.
• Scope described only in the line descriptions, with no assumptions section, so "the quote included that" becomes a matter of opinion.
• Milestone payments not tied to dates or deliverables, so cash arrives late.
• Quoting a fixed price for work with real unknowns. That's an estimate; call it one.

After the quote is accepted

The customer may send a purchase order quoting your quote number; check it matches before you start. Ship with a packing slip or delivery note, then invoice using the invoice template, again quoting the quote number and the PO. For milestone projects, invoice each milestone as it's delivered and issue a payment receipt when each payment lands.

Editing the Word and Excel versions

Excel calculates amounts, subtotals, discount, shipping, tax and the quoted total on every design. Put your business block, tax ID and standard terms in once and save a master; the terms box is the part most people reuse unchanged. In Word, the product design's seven-column table is wide; it fits Letter and A4 portrait as built, but if you add columns switch the page to landscape.

Questions

Is a quote legally binding?

Once the customer accepts it (signs, sends a PO, or says yes in writing) and you start work, yes, it is generally treated as a contract on the stated terms. Before acceptance it's an offer you can withdraw or let expire.

How long should a quote be valid?

Thirty days is standard. Use shorter periods when your costs change quickly (fuel, metals, lumber, imported goods) and longer for large projects with long decision cycles.

Can I change the price after the quote?

Only if the scope changes or the quote has expired. Put that in the terms and use a written change order for any addition.

Does the PDF calculate totals?

No. The fillable PDF is for typing and printing. The Excel version calculates every line and total.

What is the difference between a quote and a proposal?

A quote is the price and terms. A proposal adds the case for the work: approach, team, timeline, why you. For most small jobs the quote is enough; for larger bids attach the quote to a proposal.