Prepare your quote in four steps
In short
Confirm the job before pricing it, then write down the work, materials, inclusions, exclusions, total price, timing and payment terms. Identify your business and customer, date and number the quote, and explain expiry and acceptance. Use an estimate when the details are still uncertain, with its assumptions clearly stated. An accepted quote can create contractual obligations; check the residential building contract rules for the job's state or territory before relying on a general template.
Step 1
Confirm what you can price
An estimate is a preliminary indication of cost. A quote prices a defined job on stated terms. Business Queensland explains this distinction; calling a document an estimate should not replace clear wording about its limits. If photos leave a material question unanswered, arrange an inspection or identify the information needed before issuing a fixed price.
Use the customer's request to check the intended result, then record what you observed. A request to paint two rooms still leaves decisions about ceilings, trim, surface repairs and paint. Resolve these before calculating labour and ordering materials.
Questions to settle before writing the quote
| Check | Record in your job notes |
|---|---|
| Work and extent | Which rooms, surfaces, fixtures or measured lengths are included? |
| Existing condition | What preparation or repair is visible, and what remains uninspected? |
| Materials | Which product, finish, colour and quantity will you supply? What does the customer supply? |
| Access | Who clears the space, provides entry and arranges any required permissions? |
| Timing | When can the work start, how long should it take, and which dependencies affect the dates? |
| Uncertainty | Can you inspect or clarify it now, or does the customer need a separate estimate or diagnostic visit first? |
Step 2
Describe the work and check your price
Replace broad descriptions with things the customer can check. For painting, specify surfaces, preparation and the coating system. For installation, identify the item and whether supply, delivery, removal and disposal are included. Name genuinely excluded tasks so the customer can arrange them or ask you to price them separately.
Calculate your own costs before setting the selling price: labour, materials, travel, equipment, subcontract work and overheads, with a margin that makes the job worthwhile. Keep that internal calculation separate from the customer's price breakdown. For consumer prices, the ACCC requires a prominent total including applicable taxes and unavoidable fees; showing an ex-GST subtotal alone is insufficient.
Step 3
Use a worked quote to check the detail
This original example is a fictional quote to repaint the walls of two bedrooms after a site visit. All amounts are Australian dollars and invented to demonstrate the arithmetic, not market rates or recommended charges. It assumes a GST-registered business. Replace the placeholders, specification, numbers and terms with details appropriate to your work.
The labour and materials lines below are selling prices with overheads and margin already allowed for. The payment arrangement is an example, not a deposit or payment rule. This table illustrates quote content; it is not a complete residential building contract or a technical painting specification.
Example quote Q-026, revision 1: bedroom walls
| Quote item | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Business and customer | [Legal entity and trading name], [ABN], [address and contact details], [licence details where applicable]. Customer: [name, contact details and job address]. |
| Issue and expiry | Issued 6 October 2026; acceptance by 20 October 2026. |
| Scope | Repaint walls only in Bedroom 1 and Bedroom 2, each 3 m × 3 m with 2.4 m wall height, as inspected on 5 October 2026. |
| Preparation and finish | Protect floors; clean walls; fill minor nail holes; sand and spot-prime repairs; apply two coats of [specified interior acrylic wall paint], low sheen, in [agreed colour], following the manufacturer's instructions. |
| Labour | $720 excluding GST for the stated preparation and painting. |
| Paint and consumables | $240 excluding GST; contractor supplies the specified materials. |
| Protection and completion | $140 excluding GST for floor protection, removal of our job waste and final clean of the work area. |
| Subtotal | $1,100 excluding GST: $720 + $240 + $140. |
| GST | $110: 10% of $1,100. |
| TOTAL PAYABLE | $1,210 including GST for the defined work. |
| Exclusions | Ceilings, doors, skirting and window trim; furniture moving; major plaster repairs; treatment of damp or mould; hazardous-material work. |
| Customer arrangements | Customer clears both rooms before arrival and provides access during agreed hours. Visible wall condition matches the inspected condition; hidden damage has not been priced. |
| Programme | Proposed start 27 October 2026 and finish 28 October 2026, subject to written scheduling confirmation and the specified coating's drying requirements. |
| Payment | No deposit in this example; invoice payable by bank transfer within seven days of completion. |
| Changes | Notify the customer if additional repairs or a changed specification are needed. Document the proposed work, price and timing for approval before proceeding, following applicable contract rules. |
| Acceptance | Confirm acceptance of Q-026 revision 1 and its attached terms. Customer name, signature and date: [complete]. Use a compliant building contract where required. |
Step 4
Check the terms, then send the agreed version
business.gov.au recommends written quotes containing business and customer details, itemised and total costs, payment terms, dates and customer acceptance. Give the quote a number and revision so a later price or scope change cannot be confused with the earlier version. Keep the accepted copy and its attachments with your job records.
Residential building rules vary by jurisdiction and work type. For example, QBCC says Queensland domestic building contracts over $3,300 must be written, dated and signed. NSW requires written contracts for residential building work over $5,000 including GST, with different requirements for larger jobs. Check the relevant regulator's rules for contract content, deposits, insurance and variations; a quote with a signature line may not meet them. Get professional advice before adding special contract clauses.
If you need to change the work after acceptance, explain the proposed change and its effect on price and dates, then follow the applicable approval process. An exclusion identifies what you have not priced; it is not permission to charge an unspecified extra amount without agreement.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 6 October 2026
- business.gov.au: prepare quotes
National guidance on written quote content and the significance of acceptance.
- Business Queensland: preparing a business quote
Estimate and quote distinctions, pricing preparation and a downloadable general business template; building contract rules need a separate check.
- ACCC: price displays
Consumer total-price requirements, GST and prominence of component prices.
- QBCC: unpacking quotes, contracts and variations
Queensland guidance; the domestic building contract example is not a national threshold.
- NSW Government: contracts for residential building work
NSW written contract requirements, deposit limits and insurance checks. Check the regulator for your job's jurisdiction.
