What goes on a carpentry quote
A quote works on a piece you have made before. Repeat work — the same bookcase, the same gate, the same run of shelving — has known hours, and a fixed price on it wins the job against somebody still guessing. The risk moves from the making to the fitting, so that is where the quote has to be careful.
- The piece, by reference to one you have made, with any changes named
- Lumber and hardware specified exactly, since a substitution moves the price
- The fixed price, and what it covers — making, delivery, fitting, finishing
- The site conditions it assumes
- Lead time, which on custom work is usually what they are really asking
- A deposit against materials, and when the balance falls due
- Both signatures, and how long the price stands
The sample line items and example prices this sheet opens with are on the carpentry invoice template — the same table, which is about the trade rather than about this paper, so it lives in one place rather than on all six. Working out the price itself? The markup calculator turns your cost and markup into the figure to put on the quote, and shows the margin it leaves.
What you get
A PDF, and a link your customer can open in any browser. Word and Excel versions are not available yet — if a spreadsheet is what you need, this is not yet the tool for it, and saying so is cheaper for both of us than you finding out after typing everything in.
Pick how it looks
Six looks, from a plain classic sheet through a bold top band to a shop ticket, and your initials go on automatically until you upload a logo. See all six.
How to send it
Most customers want the paper on their phone, so the quote goes out by WhatsApp, text or email, or as a link that needs no app and no account on their side. Or download the PDF to print it or keep it for your own records.
Questions
Should I quote from a drawing or from a conversation?
From a drawing, even a rough one, and send it with the quote. Custom work goes wrong because two people pictured different things, and a sketch with dimensions attached to the price is the cheapest insurance in the trade.
What deposit should I ask for on a commission?
Enough to cover the lumber and the hardware, because you are buying material for something nobody else wants. Say on the quote that the deposit is non-refundable once the lumber is cut, and say it before they sign rather than when they change their mind.