Clients often get three prices for the same job. The one that wins isn't always the cheapest. It's the one that makes the client feel they understand what they're getting and trust the person who wrote it. A clear, complete quote also protects you: most disputes come from vague scopes, not bad workmanship.
Estimate, bid or quote?
In Canada, "quote" and "estimate" are often used loosely, but consumer protection laws can treat them differently. In Ontario, for example, the final price can’t be more than 10% above an estimate unless the client agrees to the higher price, and contracts signed at the client’s home for more than $50 must be in writing and can be cancelled within 10 days. Check your province’s rules.
What every quote should include
- Your details: business name, address, phone, email, and your GST/HST number, plus a contractor licence or registration number where your province or city requires one.
- Client and site: who it's for and where the work is.
- A unique number and date, and how long the price is valid. Thirty days is common while material prices are moving.
- Scope of work in plain language: what you'll do, to what standard, with what materials.
- Exclusions: what you won't do. This is where disputes are prevented. Disposal bins, patching after other trades, painting, permits and unforeseen ground conditions are typical.
- Price breakdown at the level of detail you choose, with GST/HST (or GST plus PST or QST) shown as its own line.
- Payment terms: deposit, stage payments, final payment and how to pay.
- Start date and duration, with the assumptions behind them (weather, access, client decisions).
- Variations: how changes and extra work will be priced and agreed.
- A place to accept, so the yes is in writing.
How much detail to show
There are three common approaches, and TakeoffYard supports all of them with the Client sees setting:
- Every line item builds trust on smaller jobs and with detail-minded clients, but invites line-by-line haggling.
- Section totals ("Concrete base", "Block wall", "Labour") is the best balance for most work.
- Single total suits fixed-price packages, but give a detailed scope alongside it.
Your markup is built into the client's prices. They see your selling rates, not your costs.
Write the scope for the client, not for you
"Supply and lay 4" (100 mm) slab of 32 MPa air-entrained concrete on 6" of compacted Granular A, with 10M rebar at 18" centres, broom finish, saw-cut control joints" is clear to an inspector and reassuring to a client. "Do concrete" is neither. Good scopes name the materials, the sizes, the finish and the standard. If the client has chosen something specific (a tile, a colour, a fitting), name it.
Exclusions and assumptions
List what you've assumed: that the site is clear, that there's access for a truck, that ground conditions are normal, that the client supplies certain items. If an assumption turns out wrong, you have a fair basis to price the change. Keep the tone factual, not defensive.
Options and upgrades
Offering two or three options (good, better, best, or a base price plus optional extras) often wins more work than a single price. It turns the conversation from "yes or no?" into "which one?", and many clients pick the middle option. Keep options clearly separate, so the totals are easy to follow.
Send it fast
Speed wins work. A clean PDF the same day, or a link on WhatsApp while you're still in the driveway, beats a better price that arrives a week later. Build your takeoff with the calculators on site, add it to a job, and send it before you leave.
Follow up
Mark each job as sent and check back after a few days. A short follow-up message ("Any questions on the quote for the patio?") wins a surprising share of jobs. When a client accepts, mark it accepted. When the work is done, convert it to an invoice with the same numbers, so nothing gets retyped.
Common mistakes
- A scope so vague that the client and you remember different things
- No exclusions, so everything becomes "included"
- No validity date while material prices are rising
- No deposit on jobs where you buy materials up front
- Sending a price without your business details or a reference number
The job pricing calculator gives a quick bid, and TakeoffYard Jobs turns any set of calculator results into a branded quote with your logo, terms and deposit.
This guide is general information for estimating. It is not engineering, legal or tax advice. Check local codes and your inspector for your project.