What Customers Look For
A quote answers four questions. What am I getting? What will it cost? When will I get it? What happens next?
If one answer is unclear, the customer either asks, which slows everything down, or picks a shop that made it clear. Speed counts too. A clear quote sent today can beat a cheaper one sent next week.
The Parts of a Winning Quote
| Part | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Title | A name the customer will recognize: "Steel gate, 4 ft, black powder coat" | They can find it and talk about it |
| Scope | What you'll make, in plain words, with quantities | It sets what's included |
| Sizes and materials | Dimensions, material, thickness, grade | No guessing |
| Finish | Paint, powder coat, oil or raw | A common source of arguments |
| Drawings | Which drawing or file, with its revision | It ties the price to one version |
| Exclusions | What's not included: install, permits, delivery | It stops scope creep early |
| Assumptions | What you're counting on: site ready, files print-ready | It explains when the price can change |
| Price | The total, with tax shown separately | No surprise at the end |
| Lead time | Days, and when the count starts | It sets expectations |
| Expiry | The date the price is good until | It protects you from price rises |
| Terms | Deposit, balance, changes, cancellation | How money and changes work |
Write a Scope Nobody Can Misread
Use short sentences. Put one item on each line. Use numbers instead of adjectives.
- Weak: "Custom sign for the front of the store."
- Clear: "One sign, 36 × 12 in, 1/8 in aluminum composite panel, white, with black vinyl lettering as shown on proof rev B. Two mounting holes. Installation not included."
Read it as the customer. Would someone who wasn't in the conversation know exactly what they're getting?
Offer Options, Not Just One Price
Options let the customer say yes at a price they choose, instead of no to the one you picked. Keep it to two or three.
| Option | What changes | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Good | Standard material, basic finish | Meet a tight budget |
| Better | An upgraded finish or material | Show the choice you recommend |
| Best | Premium finish, faster date or installation | Give the customer room to spend more |
Make the middle option the one you'd choose yourself. Give every option a complete price, so the customer isn't adding things up.
Quantity is an option too. Showing the price at 10, 25 and 50 pieces can turn a small order into a bigger one.
Add a Proof or Approval Step
For anything made to a drawing, add an approval step before you cut. The customer approves a drawing, a proof or a sample. Then the work starts.
This protects both of you. The customer sees what they're getting. You have an approved version to build to. If they change their mind after approval, it's a change order, not a free redo. See Change Orders: How to Stop Scope Creep.
"Before we cut anything, we'll send you a drawing to approve. Once you approve it, the job goes into the schedule. Changes after that are priced separately."
Set an Expiry Date
Material prices move and your schedule fills up. A quote without an expiry date can come back months later at an old price. Put a valid-until date on every quote. Pick a period you can stand behind, such as 30 days, and shorten it when material prices are moving.
An expiry date also gives you a reason to follow up:
"Hi Sam, just a heads-up that your gate quote is good until Friday. Would you like me to book your spot?"
Put Your Terms on the Quote
Terms on the quote mean no surprises later. At a minimum, cover:
- The deposit, and when the balance is due
- How changes are priced and approved
- When the lead time starts
- Cancellation, and what you charge for work already done
- Whether custom items can be returned
For deposit amounts and scripts, see How to Negotiate Payment Terms With Customers. Have a lawyer review your standard terms for your province or state.
Follow Up
Many quotes don't get a no. They get silence. Follow up two or three times, then let it go.
| When | What to say |
|---|---|
| 2 or 3 days after sending | "Did the quote come through okay? Any questions about the options?" |
| A week later | "Checking in on the gate. Happy to change the finish if the budget is tight." |
| Before it expires | "Your quote is good until Friday. After that I'll need to check material prices again." |
Do It in Customakr
- In the quote details, fill in the Quote Title, Scope of Work, Dimensions, Materials, Finishes, the drawings the quote is based on, Exclusions and Assumptions. They're saved with the quote, so a later template edit can't change what you promised.
- Choose a Terms Template: Custom fabrication, Machined or production parts, Fabricate and install, or Design stage. Edit them or write your own in Terms and Quote Templates, for businesses or for consumers.
- Set the Lead Time in days and Lead Time Starts When: deposit received, drawings approved, drawings approved and deposit received, or order accepted.
- Set how many days quotes stay valid in Company, Logo and Quote Layout. Every quote gets a valid-until date, and the Operations Board lists quotes that are about to expire.
- Turn on drawing approval in the template, and the job can't start until the customer approves the latest drawing. No drawings yet? Choose to bill design first, as its own quote.
- Tap Share Approval Link. Your customer reviews the quote in a browser and accepts it with their name, with no account. If the quote asks for a deposit, the page shows it, and from Maker up they can pay it by card as soon as they accept. You get an email when they decide.
- For options, Duplicate the quote and change the finish or material. On Pro and Team, Price at Other Quantities shows quantity breaks. From Maker up, your logo goes on the quote, and from Solo up you can choose the Modern or Bold layout in your own colour.
Checklist
- The title is something the customer will recognize.
- The scope uses numbers, sizes and materials, not adjectives.
- The finish, drawings, exclusions and assumptions are written down.
- I offer two or three complete options when it makes sense.
- Work made to a drawing has an approval step before we cut.
- Every quote has a lead time and says when it starts.
- Every quote has a valid-until date.
- My terms cover the deposit, changes and cancellation.
- I follow up two or three times, then let it go.