Skip to content
Lire en français
Self-employment

Writing a winning quote: template and mistakes to avoid

By · Published · 8 min read

A self-employed worker stands next to their work truck.

Tuesday night, on a client's kitchen table, three quotes for the same cedar hedge. The first fits on one line: “Hedge trimming: $600.” The second runs six pages. The third says, on one page, what will be done, what won't, what it costs with taxes and when payment is due. Guess which one gets signed. Here's how to write the third one, with an annotated template.

What the client is looking for when they read your quote

A client comparing quotes is looking for four answers: what exactly will be done, what it costs in total, when, and how they pay. If they find them in a minute, they feel confident. If they have to call you to understand, they often call the next contractor instead.

A quote also has a legal role. Under the Civil Code of Québec (art. 2102), before the contract is entered into, the contractor or service provider must give the client, as far as circumstances allow, any useful information about the nature of the work and the materials and time it will take. A good quote is exactly that information, in black and white.

Just starting out on your own? The basic steps (registration, taxes, insurance) are gathered in Becoming self-employed in Quebec: the steps from A to Z.

Do it today: reread the last quote you sent and look for the four answers. The one you can't find in ten seconds, your client couldn't find either.

The elements of a clear quote

A solid quote always has the same building blocks:

ElementWhat you write
HeaderYour name or your business name, your contact information, a quote number, the date.
Client and locationThe client's name and the address where the work will be done.
ScopeThe work, with quantities and measurements: metres, rooms, hours, number of boxes.
Included and not includedWhat's part of the price and what isn't.
Itemized priceLabour, materials, debris disposal or travel, then the subtotal.
TaxesGST and QST, if you're registered, with the final total.
TimelinesThe planned date, the duration and what happens in bad weather.
Payment stagesHow much, when, and for which delivered stage.
Validity and acceptanceThe deadline to accept and a space to sign.

For taxes, according to Revenu Québec, GST (5%) and QST (9.975%) are both calculated on the selling price: no tax on tax. You add them only if you're registered. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, you stop being a small supplier when your taxable supplies exceed $30,000 in a single calendar quarter, or over four consecutive calendar quarters. All the details are in GST and QST: when must a self-employed worker register?.

Does your work require a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ)? Its number must appear on your estimates, bids, contracts, statements of account and invoices, in the format “Licence RBQ : XXXX-XXXX-XX.”

Do it today: turn this table into a template in your word processor, with a heading for each block. Your next quote will no longer start from a blank page.

Estimate or fixed price: say which one

Two quotes for the same amount can commit you very differently, depending on the type of price. The Civil Code of Québec draws the line:

  • Estimate (art. 2107): you must justify any price increase, and the client only pays it if it comes from work, services or expenses you couldn't foresee when the contract was entered into.
  • Fixed price (art. 2109): the client pays the agreed price, with no reduction if the work cost less, and you can't claim more if it cost more. The price stays the same even if the conditions of performance changed, unless you both agreed otherwise.

In practice, a fixed price suits work that's easy to measure, like a 30-metre hedge or an end-of-lease cleaning. An estimate suits jobs where part of the work is hidden at the start, like a cluttered basement to empty or walls whose condition only shows once you strip them. In that case, write your assumptions: “price based on about 15 hours of work and on walls needing no major repairs.”

Want to write faster? Writing quotes with AI: saving time without losing accuracy explains what an AI tool can do for you, and what you should keep for yourself.

Do it today: add a mandatory line to your template: “Price type: fixed price” or “Price type: estimate, based on…”. It prevents half the arguments.

The annotated template

Here's a fictional example of a fall landscaping job; replace the amounts with your own quantities and rate.

QUOTE No. 2026-041, fall maintenance. Date: October 30, 2026. Valid until November 14, 2026.

From: [your business], [phone], [email]. For: [client], [job address].

Work: 1) trim 30 m of cedar hedge, sides and top, height brought down to 1.8 m; 2) clean the front flower beds (about 25 m²): leaves, dry stems, weeding; 3) winter protection for 6 shrubs with burlap and stakes.

Included: pickup and disposal of green waste, cleanup of the driveway and sidewalk after the work. Not included: tree pruning, replacing dead cedars, snow removal.

Price type: fixed price. Labour, 20 h at $55: $1,100.00. Materials (burlap, stakes, ties): $180.00. Green waste disposal: $95.00. Subtotal: $1,375.00. GST (5%): $68.75. QST (9.975%): $137.16. Total: $1,580.91. GST and QST numbers: [your numbers].

Schedule and payment: stage 1, hedge trimming, planned for November 6: $790.46 when the stage is accepted. Stage 2, flower beds and winter protection, planned for November 7: balance of $790.45 when the stage is accepted. In case of heavy rain or snow, the work is moved to the first suitable day; the price doesn't change.

Acceptance: client's signature and date.

Why it's written this way:

  • The validity date protects you if material prices change or your calendar fills up.
  • The “not included” list answers in advance the questions that turn into disputes.
  • Each payment is tied to a stage you can see with your own eyes. No “50% halfway through.”
  • The weather clause says what moves (the date) and what doesn't (the price).

To work out your real rate, follow Setting your hourly rate as a self-employed worker: the simple method.

Do it today: rewrite your most common quote using this template, then keep it as the base for the next ones.

The mistakes that lose jobs (or money)

Some mistakes lose you the job right away. Others win it for you… at a loss. Here are the most common ones and what to do instead:

AvoidWhy it costs youInstead
A price on a single lineThe client can't see what they're paying for and only compares the total.Labour, materials and fees listed separately.
“Miscellaneous work,” “as needed”Everyone pictures a different scope.Quantities and measurements.
“Plus taxes” with no amountThe client discovers about 15% more at the end.The total with taxes if you're registered; no taxes if you're not.
Everything paid up front, or everything at the end of a long contractThe client is worried in the first case, you are in the second.Payments tied to stages.
Forgetting the RBQ numberIt's mandatory when your work requires a licence.“Licence RBQ : XXXX-XXXX-XX” in the header.
A reply sent a week after the visitThe client has already signed with someone else.Send it within 48 hours, even if it's simple.

One last one, less visible: the client's name misspelled. It screams “copy and paste,” and nobody wants to hand their yard over to a copy and paste.

On payment: under the Civil Code of Québec (art. 2111), the client isn't required to pay the price before the work is received. If you want a deposit, for example for expensive materials, or payments by stage, write them clearly and have the client accept them. For a contract with a consumer, the Office de la protection du consommateur can help.

Do it today: run your last three quotes through this table. Every “Avoid” box you tick, fix it in your template.

Answering requests for quotes on GPP Emploi

On GPP Emploi, businesses and clients who need a result delivered post requests for quotes. You turn on “Des contrats à mon compte” (contracts on my own account) in your profile, then reply with a price. If your offer is chosen, the contract is signed on the platform, with a typed-name signature, and you deliver in stages.

After each delivered stage, the client has 72 hours to accept or dispute it; with no answer, it's accepted automatically. A precise stage (“trim 30 m of hedge, height 1.8 m”) is easy to approve; “work in progress,” much less so. Protected payment isn't offered yet: the client pays you directly, according to the schedule signed on the platform.

Three useful details:

  • The connection fee (5% of the amount) is paid in credits by the client at signing (minimum 1, maximum 40 credits). You're not the one paying it.
  • Don't write your phone number or email in your messages: before a contact is accepted, they're masked.
  • Some construction work requires a verified RBQ licence to bid. Add it to your passport before you reply.

The whole process is explained on the self-employed workers page.

Do it today: open the requests for quotes in your trade and region, pick one and answer it with your new template.

The bottom line

A winning quote isn't the cheapest one: it's the one the client understands without calling you. Build your template once, and every quote after that will take fifteen minutes.

Frequently asked questions

How do you write a quote for a client?

Start with a visit or photos so you can measure the work. Then write the scope with quantities, what's included and not included, the itemized price, the taxes if you're registered, the timelines, the payment stages and a validity date. Send it quickly after the visit.

What's the difference between an estimate and a fixed-price quote?

With an estimate, you must justify any increase, and the client only pays it if it comes from work or expenses that couldn't be foreseen when the contract was entered into (art. 2107 of the Civil Code). With a fixed price, the agreed price doesn't go up or down, even if conditions change, unless agreed otherwise (art. 2109).

Should taxes be included on a quote in Quebec?

If you're registered for GST and QST, yes: show the subtotal, GST at 5%, QST at 9.975% and the total, with both taxes calculated on the same price. If you're still a small supplier and not registered, you don't add taxes. The threshold is $30,000 in taxable supplies, in one calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters.

Does the RBQ licence number have to appear on a quote?

Yes, if you hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. The RBQ requires the number on estimates, bids, contracts, statements of account and invoices, in the format “Licence RBQ : XXXX-XXXX-XX.” To find out whether your work requires a licence, check with the RBQ.

Sources

Read next