A quote is a promise. An estimate is a forecast.
The two words get used interchangeably on job sites and they are not interchangeable in a dispute. A quote states a fixed price for a scope you have defined: if the work is as described, that is the figure, and the client is entitled to hold you to it. An estimate is your best informed number, offered on the understanding that the final invoice may differ once the wall is open. Sending a quote when you meant an estimate is the single most expensive labelling mistake in contracting, because you have given away the right to re-price work you have not seen yet.
So quote what you can see and can control — a supply-and-fit with a known part, a service you perform weekly, a package you have priced fifty times. Estimate anything that depends on what is behind the finish. If you are unsure which of the two you are holding, estimate vs quote walks through which one binds you and when to send each.
What has to be on a quote for it to hold
A firm price with nothing around it is not a quote, it is a number in a text message. The document needs five things to survive being read back to you months later: a scope specific enough that both sides can tell whether something is inside it, a price broken into lines rather than one lump, a validity date after which the price lapses, an exclusions note naming what is not covered, and a number so this exact version can be referenced. The template above carries all five, and the exclusions live in the notes field where they print on the face of the PDF instead of hiding in an email thread.
The validity date does the most work for the least effort. It defaults to 30 days out here, and it is what lets you re-price without embarrassment when a supplier moves on you: the client did not lose a discount, the quote simply expired.
Start from a worked example, not a blank page
This site keeps 26 preloaded documents — 14 trade sheets plus the general-purpose ones. Their sample totals run from $725 for the smallest service-call sheet to $61,276 for the largest construction bid, which is a useful thing to see before you quote: the shape of a document changes with the size of the job, and a five-line service quote is not a small version of a nine-line bid. Those figures describe our worked examples only. The quantities and rates inside them are editable placeholders so the arithmetic has something to chew on — they are not price guidance and must not be used as a benchmark for your market.
If your work fits a trade, the construction, plumbing and HVAC sheets load that trade’s usual lines. If you are bidding competitively rather than quoting a client directly, use the construction bid template. If the work is a build rather than a service call, the construction quote template carries the exclusions and allowance language that version needs. And if the scope changes after the quote is accepted, do not re-issue the quote — write a change order.
Free quote template FAQ
Is this quote template really free?
Yes. Fill it in and download the PDF with no account, no trial, and no card. Free PDFs carry one small credit line at the foot; the optional Pro upgrade removes it. Nothing else is held back.
What is the difference between a quote and an estimate?
A quote is a firm offer at a fixed price for a defined scope: accept it and that is the number. An estimate is an informed approximation that can move as the work is uncovered. Same document, same math, different promise — which is why the heading on this template is a field you set rather than a word baked into the file.
How long should a quote stay valid?
Put an expiry on it. This template fills the validity date in 30 days ahead by default and prints it at the top; shorten it when material prices are moving and lengthen it for work you are happy to hold. A quote with no expiry is a price you have agreed to honour indefinitely.
Can I add my logo and business details?
Yes. Add your logo, business name, phone, email, address and website in the header. They are remembered in your browser for the next quote, so you type them once. The PDF is generated as vector text rather than a screenshot, so the logo stays sharp in print.
Does the quote include tax and a discount line?
It can. Markup is applied to the subtotal, the discount comes off that, and tax is calculated on what remains — one fixed order, so the total is reproducible. Leave any of the three at zero and its row disappears from the document.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The template runs in your browser and saves to that browser's local storage so a refresh does not lose your work. Nothing is uploaded in order to build the document.