How to make a quote: parts, example and mistakes that cost you the sale

A quote is the formal price proposal you give a client before selling them something: what you'll deliver, how much it costs and on what terms. It's almost always the only thing the client compares before deciding, so a clear quote doesn't just state a price — it gives the client what they need to say yes.

This guide covers the parts a quote can't be missing, a full example with tax, and the most common mistakes that leave quotes hanging.

1. Your details: business name, tax ID (RFC, NIT, RTN, RUC, EIN or whatever applies in your country), phone, email and, if you have one, your logo. It's the first thing the client sees and what tells them they're dealing with a real business.

2. The client's details: name or company, contact person and email. If they'll ask for an invoice later, include their tax ID too.

3. Number and date: a sequential number (for example, QT-0042) and the issue date. The number lets you and the client refer to the same version without confusion.

4. Validity: the date until which you hold that price. Without it, a client can show up three months later asking for the old price.

5. Line items: each product or service on its own line, with a description, quantity, unit price and amount.

6. Totals: subtotal, discount if any, the tax with its name and rate, and the total.

7. Terms: payment method, deposit, delivery time and what is NOT included.

8. Acceptance: a place for the client's signature and the date. It's what turns the proposal into an agreement.

QT-0042 · Issued November 11 · Valid until November 26. Client: San Jorge Clinic, attn. Ana López.

1) Office electrical installation — includes wiring for six areas, 12 outlets and a distribution panel: 1 × $12,500.00 = $12,500.00. 2) Diagnostic site visit: 2 × $350.00 = $700.00.

Subtotal: $13,200.00. Sales tax (15%): $1,980.00. Total: $15,180.00. Terms: 50% deposit on acceptance, balance on delivery; work completed in 10 business days; does not include civil works or painting.

Note two details: the first line says what the job includes, not just what it's called, and the terms say what's left out. Those are the two things that prevent the “I thought that was included” argument.

“Monthly maintenance” can mean one visit or four, with parts or without. When the client accepts a quote, they accept what's written on it: if the scope is vague, so is the agreement.

Under each line item, write exactly what it includes: visits, deliverables, hours, materials. It takes one more line and saves you weeks of complaints.

State the name and rate of the tax that applies in your country — for example, the standard VAT rate is 16% in Mexico and 19% in Colombia, IGV is 18% in Peru and ISV is 15% in Honduras — and make clear whether unit prices include it. A total without a breakdown is the most common reason a client asks “so how much is it with tax?” and the deal cools off.

Check the math: each amount should be quantity times price, the subtotal should add up the lines, and tax should be calculated on the subtotal after the discount. A one-cent difference on a document the client is going to sign is exactly what someone points to when they don't want to pay.

No validity date. Sending an editable Excel or Word file the client can change by accident. Repeating numbers or not numbering at all. Taking days to send it: the quote that arrives first is usually the one read most carefully. And settling for a “sounds good” on WhatsApp as the only acceptance: if a disagreement comes up later, there's no way to prove what was accepted.

Another common mistake is treating it like an invoice. A quote isn't a tax document: it's the offer before the sale. The invoice comes later, with the requirements set by your country's tax authority.

In Firmiu's Quotes module you enter your business details and logo once, save your services in a catalog with what each one includes, and build every quote by picking from the list. The number is assigned automatically, totals are calculated to the cent with the tax you choose, and you see the PDF before sending it.

With the “Send to sign” button, your client gets an email, reviews the quote on their phone and accepts it by signing, with a code sent to their email. You see its status without asking: sent, viewed by the client, accepted, or declined with the reason. It's available on paid plans and during the modules' free trial.