What to include in a quote
The quote is the seller's document at the offer stage: it states what the seller will supply and at what price, before any commitment. This checklist covers the 9 fields it must carry, why each one is there, and an example of how it should read.
The 9-point checklist
Think of the quote as evidence that may be read months later by someone who was not there: an accountant, an auditor, a new employee. The 9 fields are what that reader needs to reconstruct the deal.
- Quote number. Lets the buyer accept a specific offer and lets you reference it on the order and invoice. Example: Q-2026-0087
- Issue date. Starts the clock for validity, delivery and payment terms; for invoices it usually sets the tax point. Example: 18 September 2026
- Valid until. Protects you from price changes; after this date the offer lapses. Example: Valid until 2 October 2026
- Seller name, address and contact. Identifies who is supplying and who to contact about the document. Example: Northgate Joinery Ltd, 14 Mill Lane, Leeds LS1 4AB, accounts@northgatejoinery.co.uk
- Buyer name, address and contact. Identifies who is ordering or paying; on invoices the legal entity name matters for tax. Example: Harbour Café Ltd, 3 Quay Street, Bristol BS1 6XN
- Line items. Description, quantity, unit price and line total for each item, so both sides can check the arithmetic. Example: 12 × oak worktop 3 m @ $185.00 = $2,220.00
- Subtotal, tax and total. Shows the tax separately so the buyer can reclaim it and the seller can report it. Example: Subtotal $2,220.00, VAT 20% $444.00, total $2,664.00
- Payment terms. States when and how payment is expected; on quotes and POs it sets expectations, on invoices it is enforceable. Example: 50% deposit on order, balance within 14 days of delivery
- Notes and exclusions. What is not included is the sentence that prevents most later disputes. Example: Excludes fitting and disposal of old units
Numbering
Numbering: Numbered so an accepted quote can be referenced on the order and the invoice that follow. Keep the sequence unbroken; a gap looks like a missing document to anyone checking the books.
What it does in the accounts
Accounting treatment: not recorded in the books; it is a pre-sale document. The validity or lifetime of the document, carries an expiry date, typically 14 to 30 days, follows from that role.
The mistake to avoid
The most common mistake with quotes is treating a quote as an order and starting work before the buyer has accepted it in writing. The checklist above prevents it if it is followed before sending, not after.
Make a quote now with the Quotation Maker; it carries every one of the 9 fields on this list and runs in your browser.
Compare it with the documents it is most often confused with: Quote vs invoice, Quote vs proforma invoice, Quote vs purchase order, Quote vs sales order.