You send “£1,800 for the bathroom” and a thumbs-up. Six weeks later they wanted the floor, you wanted the suite they already bought, and nobody wrote VAT. Essential information is the stuff that stops that Saturday.
Checklist
| Field | Why it is on the paper |
|---|---|
| Your name / trading name | Who they are paying |
| Contact | Phone or email that matches the chat |
| Job address | So the PDF is not a mystery attachment |
| Scope in / out / unseen | Stops “while you’re here” |
| Price and VAT | The number they will repeat to a partner |
| Deposit if any | Before you order kit |
| Validity | Materials move |
| How to accept | Reply YES, not “let me know” |
| Quote number / date | So the invoice can match it |
Gas, electrical, or other registration numbers sit here if the work needs them — not as decoration, as who is responsible. CIS and company numbers if that is how you trade. Do not dump a manifesto. Dump the fields above.
Labour vs materials split is useful; every SKU is not. That is a different decision. This page is the skeleton every quote still needs even if the money is one lump.
What people miss
Address only in WhatsApp. The PDF gets forwarded. The chat does not. Put the street on the quote.
No validity. They will accept in November at March copper prices.
VAT as a surprise. Plus VAT after they said yes is how you look slippery, even if you were always registered.
Missing how to accept. “Looks good” is not a yes. Tell them the word.
Related guides
FAQ
- Is a logo essential?
- No. Clear name and how to pay you is. A logo does not fix a missing scope.
- Do I need terms and conditions?
- Short ones help: validity, extras, deposit. A ten-page pack nobody reads is not a substitute for scope.
- What about photos?
- Useful on the job, not a replacement for the list of rooms. Photos can sit with the PDF; they are not the quote.
- Company vs sole trader?
- Say which you are and the name on the account. Do not quote as a mate and invoice as a Ltd without saying.
