Simple Quotation Template
A clean quotation for work priced by the job. One description column, one amount column, a valid-until date, and a total that adds itself up in Excel
Preview
A quotation has one job: tell someone what you will do and what you will charge, clearly enough that they can say yes. This template does that and very little else. A description column, an amount column, a total, and the two dates that decide whether the quote still stands.
Answer the questions and download a real Excel file with the total still live in it.
What is on the quotation
A masthead with your company name and strapline, and the word QUOTATION set large
Your address, phone and email on the left of the details block
The date, quotation number and customer ID on the right
A valid-until date and the name of whoever prepared it
A bill-to block with the client's name, address and phone
A description and amount table with room for twelve lines
A total
A footer carrying your payment terms and a contact line, and a thank-you strip
How to describe your lines
The description column is very wide, use it to write an easy to understand, non vague description of each service being provided. For example instead of "Design work" use "Concept drawings and mood boards, two rounds". This tells the client what they get, and quietly sets the boundary at two rounds rather than five.
That second part matters. On a quotation, the description is doing double duty: it is a price list and it is the beginning of your scope. Anything you leave vague is something you may end up doing for free.
Payment terms belong on the quote, not just the invoice
The footer has a line for them, and it is worth filling in. "50% on acceptance, balance on completion" tells the client what the cash flow looks like before they agree, which is exactly when they should find out. Discovering your terms for the first time on the invoice is how disputes start.
How to create your quotation
Open the template and click Generate.
Enter your company name and strapline, and your contact details.
Add the quotation number, date and valid-until date.
Fill in the bill-to block and who prepared the quote.
Add one line per item, with its price.
Write your payment terms and contact line, then generate and download.
If the client comes back with changes, reopen the document, adjust the lines, and generate again with a new quotation number.
Who is this for
Studios, trades, consultants, agencies and small suppliers who quote by the job rather than by the unit. Anyone who wants a quote that looks considered without buying quoting software, and who expects to revise it at least once before it is accepted.
Note: This template is provided for convenience and general information only and is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Whether a quotation is binding, and what it must show, depends on where you and your client are based and on what you write on it. Check your local rules if the value is significant. A quotation is not an invoice: do not use it to ask for payment.
- Professional formatting and layout
- Easy customization with guided questions
- Multiple export formats: pdf, xlsx
- Legally reviewed and compliant
- Instant download after generation
What is the difference between a quotation and an invoice?
A quotation is an offer: this is what the work is and what it would cost, and here is how long that price holds. An invoice is a demand for payment for work already done or goods already supplied. Do not send a quotation expecting to be paid from it, and be careful about relabelling a quote as an invoice, because in many places an invoice is treated as a demand and a client's accounts system may simply pay it.
What should I put as the valid-until date?
Thirty days is the usual default. Shorter if your material costs move quickly, longer if the job needs planning permission or has a long lead time. It is the one field on a quotation that people routinely leave blank and later wish they had filled in: without it, a price you wrote in March can still be waved at you in September. If one particular cost is volatile, say which one in the contact note.
Is a quotation legally binding?
It depends on where you are and on what you wrote. In many places a quotation is a firm offer that becomes binding once the client accepts it within the stated period, which is exactly why the valid-until date matters. An estimate is usually treated as a looser indication. If the value is significant, take local advice and be precise in your descriptions, because vague wording is what turns into an argument about scope.
What file do I get, and can I edit it afterwards?
You get an Excel file (.xlsx), or a .pdf if you want. The Excel file is fully editable and the total is a real formula, so changing a price updates it.
How many lines can I add?
Twelve. The total sits directly beneath the items table, so a thirteenth line would overwrite it. The limit is a property of the layout rather than an arbitrary cap. Twelve is generous for a quotation, and grouping related items onto one line often reads better anyway: a client scanning thirty separate lines tends to start pricing each one against a competitor.
How specific should my descriptions be?
More specific than feels necessary. On a quotation the description is doing double duty: it is a price list and it is the beginning of your scope. 'Design work' invites a phone call; 'Concept drawings and mood boards, two rounds' tells the client what they get and quietly sets the boundary at two rounds rather than five. Anything you leave vague is something you may end up doing for free.
There is no tax line. What if I need to charge tax?
This template is deliberately plain: a description, an amount and a total. If you need to show tax, add it as its own line in the items table, for example 'VAT at 20%' with the figure, so the total still adds up correctly. If you routinely quote with tax, or need tax charged on some lines but not others, use the business quotation template instead, which has a tax rate, a sales tax line and a per-line taxable flag.
Should payment terms really go on a quote?
Yes, and the footer has a line for them. 'Fifty percent on acceptance, balance on completion' tells the client what the cash flow looks like before they agree, which is when they should find out. Discovering your terms for the first time on the invoice is a common way for a good job to end in a bad conversation.
How do I handle a revised quote?
Give it a new quotation number rather than reusing the old one, and set a fresh valid-until date. If a client accepts a quote weeks later, you want no ambiguity about which version they accepted. Reopening the document, changing the lines and generating again takes a minute, and the new number is what makes the trail clear.
How do I show my currency?
Enter it as a symbol and it is applied to the number format of every money cell, so figures display as $1,450.00 without you typing the symbol into each one. That also keeps them as numbers rather than text, which is what lets the total work. If you are quoting a client abroad, use the symbol they will recognise and consider naming the currency in the contact note, along with who carries any exchange-rate movement.