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What to say on a quote so you win more work

Sonadesk · practical guides for UK trades · updated July 2026

Two firms look at the same job. One sends “£1,850 + VAT” in a text. The other sends a clear, itemised quote the same evening with a start date and a one-line guarantee. Same price — but only one of them usually gets the job. Here’s how to be that one.

Why good jobs go to the other firm

When you lose a quote, it’s tempting to assume you were beaten on price. Sometimes you were. But talk to homeowners about how they actually choose a tradesperson and the same things come up again and again: who got back to them first, who explained things clearly, who seemed like they’d actually turn up, and who made it easy to say yes.

Price matters — but it’s usually the tie-breaker between the two or three firms who did those other things well. If your quote is slow, vague or just a bare number, you often aren’t even in the final two.

1. Speed wins before words do

The most persuasive thing about a quote is often how quickly it arrives. A customer who’s decided to get work done is at their most motivated in the first day or two. Every day a quote doesn’t arrive, their enthusiasm cools and someone else’s quote lands.

• Acknowledge the enquiry immediately, even if the quote will take longer: “Thanks for having me round — I’ll get your quote over by Thursday evening.” Now they’re waiting for you, not shopping around.
• Quote small jobs on the spot where you can. If you know it’s a day’s work and roughly what materials cost, giving a price there and then beats a perfect PDF three days later.
• Set a deadline for yourself — same day for small work, 48 hours for anything you had to visit. If you can’t hit it, tell them when to expect it.

2. Break the price down — even a little

A single number invites a single comparison: is it bigger or smaller than the other number? An itemised quote changes the conversation, because now the customer can see what they’re getting.

You don’t need to give away your costing sheet. A simple structure works:

• Scope — what you’re actually doing, in plain English, line by line.
• Materials — either itemised or as one line, but stated.
• Labour — how many days on site, how many people.
• What’s included — waste removal, making good, certificates, tidy-up.
• What’s excluded — decorating, scaffold, anything you can’t see yet. This protects you as much as it informs them.

Excluding things isn’t negative — it reads as honest. The firm that says “price assumes the joists are sound; if not, we’ll agree any extra before doing it” sounds like someone who’s done this before. The firm that goes quiet and adds it to the bill later is the one people leave bad reviews about.

3. Use words that lower the customer’s risk

Remember what the customer is afraid of. It’s rarely the price itself — it’s being let down: no-shows, half-finished work, surprise extras, mess. Every sentence on your quote that reduces one of those fears makes your price easier to accept.

• A start window and duration: “We can start the week of the 14th; allow three days on site.”
• Your credentials, once, briefly: insured, and whatever applies to your trade — NICEIC, Gas Safe, TrustMark, years trading. One line, not a brochure.
• A guarantee: “All work guaranteed for 12 months” (whatever you genuinely stand behind).
• How you leave the place: “We sheet up, hoover through and take all waste with us.” It sounds small; customers remember it.
• Personalise it. Reference their actual house and their actual problem — “the damp patch on the chimney breast in the back bedroom” — so it’s obviously not a copy-paste job.

That covering message takes two minutes and does more selling than the numbers do.

4. Talk about price with a straight back

Don’t apologise for your price, and don’t pad the quote with justifications. State it clearly, once, and let the itemisation do the explaining. Two habits worth building:

• Offer a choice where it’s genuine. “Repair: £X. Replace with new: £Y.” People like choosing between two of your options more than choosing between you and someone else. Only do this when both options are real — never invent a fake cheap option.
• Put a validity date on it. “Price valid for 30 days” is standard, protects you against material price rises, and gives the customer a gentle reason not to sit on it forever.

5. Make saying yes a five-second job

Plenty of quotes are “won” in the customer’s head and then lost in the follow-through, because accepting was a faff. End every quote with one obvious next step:

• “To go ahead, just reply to this message and we’ll book you in.”
• Better: a link where they can pick a slot and pay a deposit there and then. The moment money changes hands, the job is real — and the customer stops shopping around.

6. Follow up — because almost nobody does

Ask tradespeople how often they chase a quote and the honest answer is usually “when I remember”. Yet a quote that’s two or three days old is often just buried, not rejected — life got in the way, they meant to reply.

One polite nudge is enough: “Hi Sarah, just checking you got the quote over okay — happy to answer any questions. No rush either way.” No pressure, no discount offered. If you don’t hear back after a second touch a week later, let it go with grace: “No problem at all — if it’s useful down the line, you’ve got my number.” People remember who was easy to deal with.

The quote checklist

1. Acknowledged the enquiry same day, quote within 48 hours
2. Scope itemised in plain English, inclusions and exclusions stated
3. Start window, days on site, and who’s doing the work
4. One line on insurance/accreditations and your guarantee
5. Personal covering message that mentions their actual job
6. Price stated once, validity date, genuine options where they exist
7. A five-second way to accept — ideally book a slot and pay a deposit
8. One friendly follow-up after 2–3 days