Service Quote Templates

What Is a Service Quote?

A service quote – sometimes referred to as a sales quote – is a written document that describes the specific terms of a service agreement between a business and a customer. It breaks down the components of a proffered service so that the customer can see how its overarching cost has been calculated.

Quote-based agreements are extremely common and used in many different industries. The main difference between a job quote and a service quote is simply the type of commodity being offered. The term’ job quote’ is more often used for complex projects such as construction, landscaping, or plumbing; projects that quote a total cost but involve hundreds of smaller expenses. Whereas a service quote is more appropriate for web developers, copywriters, furniture rental companies, and any other type of business that deals with short-term contracts in-house.

The terms service quote and job quote may be used interchangeably. However, the most accurate definition of a ‘service quote’ is a written agreement to provide services from one company only (as opposed to an interior designer who would need to hire many different contractors).

What Is a Service Quote Template?

A service quote template is a pre-formatted document that can help businesses and solo contractors draft written quotes faster. Service quote templates come in lots of different styles and typically include subheadings, itemized tables, numbered lists, and other features for calculating costs.

The benefit of using templates is that, instead of starting from scratch, the person responsible for pricing can just copy-paste any project-specific expenses and relevant details into a professionally formatted document. It saves a great deal of time and ensures every service quote that gets issued by a business adheres to the same layout and itemized design.

To use a service quote template, download your preferred design. Then, edit the preloaded template using a word processor, making sure to replace all placeholder text with your own information and cost calculations.

Essential Elements of a Service Quote Template

Unique Quote Number

Every new quote should have a unique identifier, a numerical or lettered code that helps with filing and makes it easy to retrieve the right quote when needed. Place the quote number at the top of the document. The number should be:

• Lettered, numbered, or alphanumeric. Use any of these systems but stick to the one you’ve chosen for consistency.
• Between 3 – 6 numbers and/or letters long. Again, keep it consistent.
• If you prefer a longer code, consider adding the customer’s initials.

Primary Contact Details

The business name, address, and phone number should be positioned toward the top of the service quote. The same goes for the customer’s full name, address, and phone number. It’s also a good idea to add the full name and email address of the quote’s writer, so the customer knows who to ask for further information.

Date of Issue and Expiry

It’s standard practice to add an issue date and expiry date to service quote agreements. Typically, a quote lasts for thirty days and then becomes invalid. Market prices are constantly fluctuating and can change dramatically within a few short weeks. An expiry date ensures businesses don’t have to charge outdated prices because a customer has taken their time signing the agreement. The recommended window is thirty days but can be as little as fifteen.

Itemized List of Services

This is the most important part of the service quote and the main bulk of the agreement. All known costs associated with the proffered service must be listed or presented in an itemized table. Include a detailed description of each item, plus any relevant quantities, unit prices, and the total price per item (where applicable).

If the cost of the service is charged according to an hourly rate, make sure to include the probable number of hours for each task or item on your list. Then, follow it with the total cost sum of those hours.

Transportation, delivery, research, and resource costs should all be included in this section if applicable.

Terms and Conditions

A service quote must be reasonably accurate because it’s a legally binding document. This is different for a job estimate which isn’t legally binding and can be based on approximate calculations. Both quotes and estimates may be subject to change after they have been issued. However, alterations to the cost figures in a service quote might lead to new negotiations or even legal challenges in some rare cases.

The aim is to provide as much accuracy and transparency as possible so that the total cost does not change after the quote is issued. However, there are circumstances in which unforeseen costs might occur, and the quote may need to be altered. Always include a brief estimate disclaimer to account for this possibility.

Some other terms and conditions to include:

Payment Terms – if an upfront deposit is required, this should be clearly stated in the T&C section. Make sure to include any payment deadlines and reference the payment methods accepted by the business, especially if there’s more than one way to pay (check, credit card, etc.).

Additional Work Costs – if there is any additional work associated with delivering the service, ensure the business doesn’t miss out on money by including these costs in your terms and conditions.

Unforeseen Circumstances – this is most relevant to services that rely on variable conditions such as weather patterns. If delivery of the service could be delayed by circumstances that cannot be controlled, clearly state what will happen and how and when things will get back on track.

Customer Signature

Don’t forget to leave enough space for the customer to sign the bottom of the service quote document.

Final Thoughts

Service quotes can seem like complex and fussy documents because they include a lot of information. In reality, much of this information stays the same from document to document (terms and conditions, payment terms, business’ contact details, etc.). The itemized list of services is where most of the unique details are required, and when using a service quote template, it’s as easy as copy-pasting the right numbers into the right boxes.