Builders and general trades

A builder quote template that survives the follow-up questions

Building work is quoted once and questioned three times. This example prices a garage conversion in stages a customer can follow, keeps subcontracted trades visible, and says in writing what happens when the scope moves.

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The worked example

General building · Convert an integral garage into an insulated home office.

Quote forHarlow & Rowe Ltd

4 Ribble Close, Preston PR2

Issued: 3 Aug 2026
Valid until: 31 Aug 2026

Example quote lines for Convert an integral garage into an insulated home office
Work and materials	Qty	Unit price	Line total
Strip out, protect the entrance, and remove the up-and-over door	1	£780.00	£780.00
Infill blockwork, insulated stud, and plasterboard to three walls	1	£2,640.00	£2,640.00
Labour — two trades on site, nine working days	9	£420.00	£3,780.00
Insulated floor build-up, screed, and floor covering	1	£1,180.00	£1,180.00
Electrics — first and second fix by a subcontracted electrician	1	£920.00	£920.00
Skip hire and waste transfer notes	2	£295.00	£590.00
Subtotal			£9,890.00
VAT at 20%			£1,978.00
Total			£11,868.00

Customer-facing note

This price is based on the site visit on the date above and holds for 28 days. It covers the work listed and nothing else. Anything uncovered once the floor is lifted — drainage, damp, or an unsupported opening — is priced as a written variation and agreed before it is carried out. Building control fees are paid by the customer directly.

Figures are an original example in GBP at 20% VAT. Nothing here is a real customer, a real price, or a recommended rate — price your own work.

What this template gets right

Stages a customer recognises
Strip out, structure, floor, trades, waste. Pricing the job the way it happens on site stops the conversation turning into a line-by-line argument about a single number.
Subcontracted trades named on the document
The electrical line is shown as subcontracted work. The customer can see who is doing what, and you can adjust that one line if your subcontractor's price changes.
Day rates that do the arithmetic for you
Nine days at a two-trade rate is one line with a quantity. Change the day count and the subtotal, VAT, and total update while you type.
Variation wording before the first shovel
The customer-facing note sets out how uncovered work is priced. Agreeing that in advance is the cheapest dispute you will ever avoid.

How it moves through EstimateBird

Open the example, reprice each stage for your own job, and add or remove lines until the build reads correctly.
Save it, email it, and let the customer acknowledge it on their own link — the acknowledgement records who accepted, from which email, and when.
Convert the accepted quote into an invoice when the work is done, then record it as paid once the money lands.

What it will not do

Worth knowing before you build a business process on it.

EstimateBird tracks one due-or-paid state per invoice. It does not run a stage-payment schedule, retention, or a payment application cycle — wording about stages lives in your customer note.
Variations are added by editing a draft or raising a second quote. There is no linked variation register.
No CIS deduction handling, subcontractor ledger, or programme of works.
EstimateBird is not accounting, tax, or legal advice, and it makes no HMRC, Making Tax Digital, or certified-signature claim.

Questions about this builder quote template

Can I show a provisional sum or an allowance?

Yes, as a normal line with the word allowance in the description and the reason in your customer note. EstimateBird prices what you type; it does not calculate contingency or mark a line as provisional in its own right.

How do I handle a change once the job has started?

Raise a second quote for the extra work and let the customer acknowledge it the same way. That leaves two numbered documents and two acceptance records rather than a quietly edited original.

Does it handle stage payments?

No. Each invoice carries a single due or paid state. If you invoice in stages, raise an invoice per stage from its own accepted quote and track each one separately.

Other worked templates

Price your own version of this job

The example opens as an editable draft. Change the lines, save it, and send it for the customer’s acknowledgement.

Open the editor