Winning more trade jobs often comes down to one thing: your quote. Not just the price — but how fast it arrives, how professional it looks, and whether you follow up when the customer goes quiet.
In this guide, we'll walk through exactly how to send quotes that win more work — including what to include, how quickly to send them, how to follow up without being pushy, and how to collect a deposit automatically once they say yes.
Why Most Trade Quotes Lose Jobs
Most tradespeople lose quoting work for one of three reasons:
- They're too slow. A customer who gets three quotes will often go with whoever gets back to them first — especially for smaller jobs where they just want it sorted.
- The quote looks unprofessional. A WhatsApp message saying "£850 all in" doesn't inspire confidence. A branded PDF with a breakdown does.
- They never follow up. Customers go cold, life gets in the way, and the tradesperson assumes no means no. A single follow-up message recovers a surprising number of jobs.
Step-by-Step: Sending a Quote That Wins Work
Send the quote within 24 hours (ideally the same day)
Speed signals professionalism and reliability — two things customers care about before you've even started the job. If you measure up on Monday and the quote arrives Thursday, they've probably already booked someone else. Aim to send it the same evening or the next morning.
Use a professional format — not WhatsApp
Your quote should arrive as a branded document or link — not a chat message. It should include your business name and logo, the customer's name, a reference number, a clear breakdown of what's included, the total price, and what happens next (e.g., "Accept this quote to confirm your booking and pay a deposit").
Be clear about what's included (and what isn't)
Scope creep and payment disputes usually come from vague quotes. If the price covers labour only and the customer supplies materials, say so. If there are potential extra costs (e.g., if there's asbestos behind that wall), include a note. Clear quotes build trust and protect you from arguments later.
💡 What to include in every trade quote
Your name and business name · Customer name and address · Quote reference number · Date issued and expiry date · Detailed scope of work · Labour cost · Materials cost (or note if customer-supplied) · VAT (if applicable) · Total price · Payment terms · How to accept · Your contact details
Make it easy to accept — include a one-click button
The harder it is to say yes, the less likely customers are to do it. A quote that arrives as a link, with an "Accept Quote" button and a deposit payment page, removes every barrier between the customer's intent and your confirmed booking.
Follow up after 48 hours if you hear nothing
Customers get busy. Your quote slips down their inbox. A single, friendly follow-up message 48 hours later wins back a significant number of jobs. It doesn't need to be pushy — something like "Just checking you received our quote — happy to answer any questions" is enough.
⚠️ The follow-up most tradespeople skip
Research consistently shows that the majority of sales require more than one follow-up — but most tradespeople send a quote and never contact the customer again. One polite follow-up message can recover 20–30% of quotes that would otherwise go cold.
Collect a deposit immediately when they accept
The moment a customer says yes, send them a deposit payment link. Don't wait until you've confirmed the date — do it while their intent is highest. Collecting 25–50% upfront protects your materials costs and dramatically reduces the chance they cancel last minute.
What Your Quote Message Should Say
Here's a simple message template to send alongside your quote link:
And Your Follow-Up Message (After 48 Hours of Silence)
Quoting vs Estimating — What's the Difference?
A quote is a fixed price for a specific scope of work. If you quote £1,200, you're legally committed to that price unless the scope changes. A estimate is an approximate figure that can vary. For most trade jobs, quotes are preferred because they give customers certainty. Always be clear which one you're sending.
Common Quoting Mistakes to Avoid
- Sending quotes over WhatsApp with no breakdown
- Forgetting to include VAT (if registered)
- Leaving out payment terms — when do you expect to be paid?
- Not setting an expiry date — prices change, especially for materials
- Never following up — most lost quotes were never chased
- Forgetting to collect a deposit when they accept
Use an App to Automate the Whole Process
Doing all of this manually — creating branded quotes, sending them on time, chasing if no reply, collecting deposits, sending invoices — takes more time than most tradespeople have. A good quoting app handles most of this automatically.
HANDLED lets you build and send branded quotes from your phone in minutes, automatically follows up with customers who don't respond, collects the deposit the moment they accept, and then handles invoicing and payment reminders after the job is done.
Send Your First Professional Quote Today
HANDLED builds, sends, and follows up on your quotes automatically — and collects the deposit the moment a customer says yes.
Try Free for 14 Days