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What to Include in a Business Quotation

· 4 min read

A business quotation has one job: let the client say "yes" without needing to ask anything else. That means it must identify both parties, describe the offer precisely, show the price clearly and state the conditions. This checklist covers each part and explains why it is there.

1. Your business details

  • Company name — as the client will see it on invoices later.
  • Logo — optional, but it makes the document recognisable in a folder of PDFs.
  • Address, email, phone, website — so the client knows how to reach you to accept or ask questions.
  • Registration, tax or bank details — if your clients or your local rules expect them on commercial documents.

Keep this compact. A header that takes half the page pushes the offer itself down.

2. Client details

  • Client or company name — exactly as they want it on the final invoice.
  • Address and contact person — optional, but useful when the quote is forwarded inside a larger organisation.

3. Quote identification

  • Quote number — unique, so both sides can refer to it: "We accept quote Q-2026-014."
  • Issue date.
  • Valid until — prices and availability change; an expiry date protects you.
  • Title or project name — "Office access control", "Spring catalogue print run".

4. A short introduction (optional)

One paragraph that connects the document to the conversation you had: what was requested and what the quote covers. It is optional — if there is nothing specific to say, leave it out.

5. Itemised products and services

This is the core of the quote. Group items into sections — for example Products & Equipment and Services & Labor — and for each line include:

  • name and, where useful, a short description;
  • quantity and unit (pcs, hours, days, months);
  • unit price;
  • discount, if any;
  • line amount.

Specific lines build trust and reduce questions. "Network switch, 24-port PoE" beats "Switch". If you are quoting equipment together with installation, see how to quote equipment and installation services.

6. Totals that are easy to check

  • Subtotal before tax.
  • Tax with its name and rate, if it applies — and whether prices include or exclude it.
  • Total.
  • Separate totals for one-time and monthly payments if your offer has both.
  • The saving from discounts, if you gave any.

The client should be able to reproduce every total with a calculator. How to show discounts and tax on a quote explains the arithmetic step by step.

7. Terms and conditions that matter

  • Payment terms — deposit, instalments, due dates, accepted methods.
  • Delivery or project timeline — when work starts and finishes, or how long delivery takes after acceptance.
  • Notes — what is not included, what the client must provide, warranty, how changes are handled.

Write them in plain language. "Balance due within 14 days of completion" is better than a paragraph of legal phrasing nobody reads.

What to leave out

What you omit matters as much as what you include:

  • Empty fields and headings. A "Notes:" heading with nothing below looks unfinished. Remove anything you didn't fill in.
  • Placeholder text. "Lorem ipsum", "[Client name]" or "TBD" in a sent quote damages credibility instantly.
  • Internal information. Supplier costs, margins, internal codes and comments for colleagues.
  • Vague lump sums. "Other costs — $500" invites questions and haggling.
  • Mixed totals. Don't add monthly fees to one-off costs.

A one-page structure

For most small and medium offers, everything fits on one or two pages in this order:

  1. Header: your details and logo
  2. "Quote" with number, issue date and validity, next to the client's details
  3. Title and short introduction
  4. Products & Equipment table
  5. Services & Labor table
  6. Totals: one-time, and monthly if any
  7. Payment terms, timeline, notes

If the quote runs longer, make sure table headers repeat on each new page and pages are numbered, so a printed copy stays readable.

Quick checklist

  • Your name, contacts and (if needed) registration details
  • Client name
  • Unique quote number, issue date, validity date
  • Clear title
  • Every item named specifically, with quantity, unit and price
  • Discounts shown per line
  • Tax name, rate and basis (included or excluded)
  • Separate one-time and monthly totals
  • Payment terms and timeline
  • No empty sections or placeholder text

Create yours

The Draftelio quote builder follows this structure: it includes only the fields you fill in, hides empty sections, keeps one-time and monthly totals apart and produces a PDF without a watermark. It's free and needs no account. For a broader walk-through, read how to write a professional quote.

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