Industry
Part of Quotes and estimates: a dated, sourced directory (2027 update)
Quotes and estimates format: firm, allowance and range lines
How to lay out a quote or estimate price block: mark lines firm, allowance or range, set out options, and number revisions so the right version is accepted.
What to take away
- Mark every line as firm, allowance or range, so the customer sees how much of the price is solid.
- Give a range structurea note that names the unknown and what would settle it.
- Give each option its own total, and keep add-ons outside every total.
- Keep one rounding rule, one currency format, and figures right aligned on the decimal point.
- Number every version and print the expiry as a date.
Mark each line as firm, allowance or range
Each line should say what kind of number it is: firm, allowance or range. That tells the customer how much of the price is solid and how much waits on something found later. A bare range looks like indecision, so give it structure.
| Line | Basis | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strip out and make good | firm | 3,200 | |
| New distribution board | firm | 2,150 | |
| Cable runs | allowance | 1,400 | assumes no asbestos |
| Access and make good | range | 800 to 2,600 | depends on wall condition |
Structuring a moving range
- Expected total: low to high
- Firm lines: fixed figures
- Allowance lines: see note
- Range lines: low to high, see note
- Notes: what settles each unknown
Separating firm lines from variable ones tells the customer that most of the price is solid. One wide range says the opposite about the same job. Each note names the unknown and what would settle it, which turns a figure into a decision.
Read the table this way: the two firm lines are the part of the price the customer can rely on today. The allowance carries its assumption beside it. The range names what decides it, wall condition, so the customer knows what to expect before the work opens up.
The unknowns stay confined to two lines instead of spreading across the whole total. If a note cannot name what would settle the figure, the line is not ready to print, and it is better to resolve it before the quote leaves your desk.
The fields behind these lines are covered in how to build quotes and estimates that survive a client follow-up.
Price block layouts and what each one risks
Choose the layout for the job, because each one invites a different negotiation. A single total leaves one number to haggle over, itemised lines invite comparison line by line, and sections with subtotals run longer. The table sets out when each fits.
| Presentation | Best for | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Single total | Well defined work | The number is the only thing to negotiate |
| Itemised lines | Work the customer may trim | Invites line by line comparison |
| Sections with subtotals | Larger or staged jobs | Longer, and subtotals must add up |
Hold to these rules whichever layout you choose.
- Align figures on the decimal point, right aligned, in one column.
- Apply one rounding rule, and total the rounded lines.
- State the currency in words or code. Symbols are shared between currencies.
- Say whether tax is included or added, and name the tax.
- Show a deposit as a linetotal, due now, due on completion.
Test the price block on a phone. A six column pricing table is unreadable at that width. The federal checklist for creating accessible documents is worth ten minutes.
Options without confusing anyone
Three options are usually enough. Good, better and best as three columns of one table keeps the rows comparable, and each column totals on its own.
- Give every option its own total, and never print one combined figure.
- Mark add-ons as optional and keep them out of every total on the page.
- Say which option you recommend, in one sentence under the table.
- Keep the scope line identical across options, so only the difference is priced.
Options without confusion
- Price each option to stand alone
- One row per element, mark included columns
- Say which you would choose, why
- Never offer more than three
- Never let an option change the terms
A different scope in each column makes the customer compare two things at once. The quotes and estimates directory shows which fields to print and which to drop.
Revisions, version markers and expiry dates
Once a second version exists, format stops the wrong one being accepted. An expiry date and a visible revision marker prevent a customer accepting a superseded quote in good faith.
- Keep the original number and add a revision suffix: 2027-041 rev 2.
- Put the revision marker beside the number in the header, not in a footer.
- Date every version, and change only that field when you reissue.
- Print the expiry as a date. A validity window of 30 days is vague once the file is forwarded.
- Delete superseded lines instead of leaving both on the page.
How to set the date itself is covered in the guide to a quote expiry date.
Five checks before the price goes out
- Every line is marked firm, allowance or range.
- Each allowance and range carries a note that names the unknown.
- Each option totals on its own, and add-ons sit outside the totals.
- Figures are aligned, with one currency format and one rounding rule, and the arithmetic is checked separately.
- The revision marker sits beside the number and the expiry is printed as a date.
Ask for the customer's purchase order number early, since a PO repeats supplier, item, price and terms. Matching the layout to the final invoice speeds up the customer's accounts team, which invoices and receipts covers field by field.
Reusing the layout on the next job is easier when the rules sit in a short operational checklist.
Common questions
When is a range better than a single total?
Use a range only on the lines that are really uncertain, and keep the rest firm. One wide range over the whole job tells the customer nothing about which part is solid.
Should add-ons be in the total?
No. Mark add-ons as optional and keep them out of every total on the page, so each option total stays comparable.
How do I stop an old version being accepted?
Number every version and print the revision marker beside the quote number in the header. Delete superseded lines instead of leaving both on the page.
