A client says “send me a quote” — and what you send next decides whether you look like a professional or a hobbyist. A good price quotation is more than a number: it defines exactly what you’ll deliver, for how much, under which terms, and for how long the offer stands. Here’s the format that wins work, element by element.
Short on time? The free AMTake Quotation Generator builds a professional quote with automatic quotation numbers, line items, taxes and a clean PDF download — no sign-up, no watermark, and your data never leaves your browser.
1Quotation, estimate or invoice? Know the difference
| Document | When it’s sent | What it commits you to |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | Early, before scope is clear | Nothing — an educated guess that may change |
| Quotation | When scope is defined, before work starts | A fixed price for a defined scope, valid until the stated date |
| Invoice | After (or during) the work | A demand for payment for work delivered |
Sending an “estimate” when the client asked for a quote signals uncertainty; sending a fixed quotation for a fuzzy scope traps you into unpaid extras. Define the scope first, then quote.
2The 9 elements every quotation needs
- 1. Your business identity — name, logo, address, phone, email, and GSTIN/tax ID if registered.
- 2. The word “QUOTATION” — clearly, at the top. Don’t make the client guess what they’re reading.
- 3. Quotation number & date — a unique sequential number (QT-2026-014) so both sides can reference it unambiguously.
- 4. Validity date — “Valid for 15 days” protects you from price changes; open-ended quotes come back to bite months later.
- 5. Client details — company/person, address, and their reference or enquiry number if they gave one.
- 6. Line items — each deliverable with description, quantity, unit rate and amount. Specific beats vague: “Homepage design — 2 concepts, 2 revision rounds” not “Design work”.
- 7. Totals block — subtotal, discount (if any), tax (GST/VAT with the rate shown), and the grand total in bold.
- 8. Terms & conditions — payment terms (e.g. 50% advance), delivery timeline, what’s excluded, and how changes are billed.
- 9. Signature & acceptance line — your sign-off, plus a line for the client to accept (“Accepted by / date”) so the quote can convert straight into an order.
3A layout that reads in 10 seconds
Busy clients skim top-to-bottom looking for exactly this order. Keep it to one page where possible — supporting detail (full specs, portfolio) belongs in attachments, not the quote body.
4Five mistakes that lose deals (or money)
- No validity date. Material costs rise, and the client “accepts” your January price in June. Always cap it — 15 or 30 days is standard.
- Vague scope. “Website development — ₹40,000” invites endless revisions. Itemize what’s included and state what isn’t.
- Hiding tax. A client who discovers 18% GST on top of your “total” at invoice time feels cheated. Show tax as its own line — and if you quote all-inclusive, work out your real base price with the GST Calculator’s Remove-GST mode.
- No payment terms. If the quote doesn’t say “50% advance, balance on delivery”, you’ve agreed to chase payment later.
- Amateur formatting. A misaligned Word table with no number and no logo undercuts your price before the client reads it. Consistent, numbered, branded PDFs win.
5Build one in two minutes
- Open the generator Go to the Quotation Generator — it runs entirely in your browser.
- Fill in the two parties Your business details (with logo) and the client’s. The quotation number is generated automatically and increments for the next quote.
- Add line items Description, quantity, rate — amounts and the subtotal calculate live. Add discount and GST/tax; set the validity date and payment terms.
- Download the PDF Preview updates as you type; export a clean, print-ready PDF and send it. Won the job? Recreate it as a bill in the Invoice Generator in one minute.
Follow up. A quotation without a follow-up is a coin toss. One polite check-in two or three days before the validity expires (“Happy to answer any questions before Friday’s validity date”) converts a surprising number of silent quotes.
6Frequently Asked Questions
Is a quotation legally binding?
The quotation itself is an offer. Once the client accepts it (in writing, by signing, or often by paying the advance), it generally forms the basis of a contract for that scope and price — which is why the validity date and scope wording matter.
How long should a quotation be valid?
15–30 days is the common standard. Use shorter validity when your input costs are volatile, longer for stable services. Never leave it open-ended.
How should I number my quotations?
Any unique, sequential scheme works — QT-2026-001 onward is typical (year + running number). The generator numbers automatically and remembers where you left off.
Should a quotation include GST?
Yes — show it as a separate line with the rate, so the client sees the pre-tax price, the tax, and the total. Quoting “inclusive of GST” is fine too, but then state it explicitly.
What’s the difference between a quotation and a proforma invoice?
A quotation is a pre-sale offer. A proforma invoice looks like an invoice but is issued before delivery — often for advance payment or import paperwork. Neither is a tax invoice; only the final invoice is.
