How to Write a Quote That Wins the Job

• Scope in plain words. What you’ll do, where, and how much of the building it covers. If the owner can’t picture the job, they can’t compare it.
• Materials, by name. Brand, product line and grade. “New roof” or “new unit” loses to a quote that names exactly what goes in.
• What’s not included. Say it up front. A short exclusions list prevents the arguments that sink reviews later.
• Allowances for surprises. If you might find rotted decking or damaged pipe, give a unit price now. Owners trust a quote that admits the unknowns.
• Warranty, split in two. Your workmanship warranty and the manufacturer’s warranty are different things. List both, with their lengths.
• Schedule. When you can start and how long the job takes. Owners with tenants plan around this.
• Payment terms. Deposit size and what triggers each payment. Milestones tied to finished work read as fair.
• Permit. Who pulls it and whether the fee is included.
• License and insurance. Your license number, and a note that your certificate of insurance is available.

• Your license number has to appear on every bid, contract and ad (§489.119). Owners increasingly look it up on the state’s license lookup, so make it easy to find.
• On residential work, taking more than 10% up front starts a clock: you need to apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days of the permits being issued, unless the owner agrees otherwise in writing (§489.126).

• Send the quote within a few days of the visit. Speed signals how you’ll run the job.
• Use a clean PDF with your logo, contact info, license number, the date, and how long the price is good for.
• If it helps, offer two options, like a repair and a replacement, with the trade-offs in a sentence each.
• If you’re higher than the others might be, say why: better materials, a longer warranty, a crew that cleans up. Owners will pay more when they understand the difference.
• Skip the pressure. “Price good for 30 days” is fair. “Sign today” costs you the owners you want most.

When you respond to a job on VendorSource, you can upload the same PDF or photo quote you’d hand the owner in person. We pull out the price, materials, warranty and timeline so the owner sees it side by side with other quotes, and you confirm everything before the owner sees it. A complete, itemized quote shows its strengths in that view.

• Scope a stranger could picture
• Materials named by brand and product
• Exclusions listed
• Unit prices for likely surprises
• Workmanship and manufacturer warranties, separately
• Start date and duration
• Deposit and payment milestones
• Who pulls the permit, and the fee
• License number, and insurance on request