Free Quote Template UK: Make Your Quotes Look Professional

It’s not fancy design. It’s the customer being able to see, at a glance, who you are, what they’re getting and what it costs. A professional quote has:

• Your logo and business name at the top, with a phone number and email
• A quote number and the date
• The customer’s name and the job address
• A short summary of the job in plain words
• A list of the work and materials, each with its own cost
• The total, and whether it includes VAT
• How long the price is valid for
• Your payment terms, if you take a deposit

Citizens Advice tells homeowners to look for a fixed price, a breakdown of the work and materials, how long the price is valid and whether VAT is included. If your quote already shows all of that, you’re giving people what they’ve been told to expect.

Google Docs is free with a Google account, and it saves as you type.

• Step 1. Open Google Docs and create a blank document.
• Step 2. Click Insert, then Page elements, then Header. Put your logo and business details in the header, so they appear on every page.
• Step 3. Underneath, type the headings from the list above, with blank lines for the details.
• Step 4. Add a simple table for the work and materials: one column for the item, one for the cost.
• Step 5. Name the file “Quote template” and leave it alone.

For each new quote, open the template, click File, then Make a copy, and fill in the copy. That way your clean template never gets typed over.

When it’s ready, click File, then Download, and choose PDF. That’s the file you send.

If you’d rather use Word, you don’t need to buy Office. Microsoft offers Word for the web free with a Microsoft account, as long as your files are saved in OneDrive.

Set it up the same way: logo and details at the top, the same headings, a table for the costs. To make the PDF in Word for the web, click File, then Print, choose Save as PDF, then Save.

If you already have desktop Word, use File, then Save a Copy, and pick PDF from the list.

A PDF looks the same on the customer’s phone as it does on your laptop. Your layout doesn’t jump about, and your logo stays where you put it.

One thing to know: Microsoft points out that a PDF isn’t locked. Plenty of programs can edit one. So keep your own copy of every quote you send, with the quote number on it, in case there’s ever a question about what was agreed.

• No quote number. It makes it harder for you and the customer to talk about the same version. Number them in order, like Q001, Q002.
• One lump sum and nothing else. A single figure with no breakdown makes people nervous. Split the work and the materials.
• Missing the VAT line. Say whether the price includes VAT, every time.
• No end date. Material prices move. Say how long the quote is valid for.
• A blurry logo. Use the original file from whoever designed it, not a screenshot from Facebook.
• Typing over your template. Always make a copy first.

You can use ChatGPT to turn your rough job notes into the wording, then paste it into your template. I wrote a separate post on using ChatGPT to write a quote, including what to check before you send it.

There are also AI tools that lay out documents for you, such as Gamma. For most small trades, a plain template does the job just as well. If you’re weighing up paid quoting software, The AI Till has a UK quoting software comparison that’s worth a read first.

If you’d rather someone just built the template for you, logo and all, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’ll sort for free. One techy thing, up to 30 minutes, done remotely, nothing to buy. I’m a local business owner based in Heywood, not an agency. Just get in touch.

And if you want to see how your business shows up on Google, my free Google report is free until 1 November.

Thanks,
James Gonzo