How to write a quote (that gets accepted)

A good quote does two jobs: it tells a client exactly what they're getting and for how much, and it makes your business look organized and trustworthy. Here's how to write one that gets accepted.

What every quote should include

• Your business details — name, logo, contact info, and a tax number if you charge sales tax.
• The client's details — company name and the contact you're quoting.
• A unique quote number and dates — the issue date and a "valid until" date so the price doesn't stay open forever.
• Line items — each product or service on its own line with a description, quantity, and unit price.
• Subtotal, tax, and total — with tax (GST/HST/PST or state sales tax) shown clearly.
• Terms — payment terms, what's included and excluded, and how to accept.

Step by step

1. Start from your catalog, not a blank page. Keep your common products and services with prices saved so you're not re-typing them. It's faster and prevents pricing mistakes.

2. Itemize clearly. Break the work into line items a client can understand. Separate one-time costs from anything recurring (like a monthly plan) so the numbers aren't confusing.

3. Price for margin. Know your cost on each line and set a target margin or markup so you never quote below your floor. A quick way to check the math is a margin calculator.

4. Apply the right tax. Set the correct sales tax per section — this matters if different parts of a quote are taxed differently.

5. Make it easy to say yes. Add a clear total, a valid-until date, and a simple way to accept. A quote a client can approve and sign online closes faster than a PDF they have to print and scan.

Tips that win more quotes

• Send it fast. The first professional quote often wins. Speed beats perfection.
• Look the part. Your logo and clean formatting signal that you're established.
• Follow up at the right time. Knowing when a client has opened your quote tells you exactly when to check in.
• Keep it simple. Fewer, clearer line items beat a wall of detail.

Do it in minutes

You can build a quote in a spreadsheet or start from a free quote template — but tools like SimpliQuote handle the totals, tax and margin automatically and let clients accept and sign online, so you spend less time formatting and more time selling.