Quote vs estimate

The difference in one line

A quote is a fixed price you're offering to stand behind. An estimate is your best prediction of what the work will cost, expected to move as the job reveals itself.

When to quote

Quote when you can see the whole job: a defined scope, known materials, no surprises behind the wall. A quote wins work because it removes the customer's uncertainty — which is exactly why it's dangerous on a job you haven't properly scoped. Always give a quote a validity date; prices you offered six months ago should not still be binding.

When to estimate

Estimate when the scope genuinely isn't settled — renovation work, diagnostics, open-ended consulting, anything priced by the hour. The estimate's value is in its assumptions: write down what you've assumed about access, materials, hours and decisions, and state what happens if one of them turns out differently.

Wording that prevents arguments

• Label the document clearly as a quote or an estimate. Don't leave it ambiguous.
• On a quote: the scope it covers and what would count as extra work.
• On an estimate: the assumptions, and how variations will be priced and approved.
• On both: a validity date and how long the price holds.

What happens next

Either document is converted to an invoice once the work is done — same lines, same amounts, now with a due date. Start with the quote generator or the estimate generator, and price the job first with the profit margin calculator.