"Can you give me a quote?" and "roughly what would that cost?" sound like the same question, but the paperwork you send back should be different in each case. Getting this mixed up is how tradespeople end up doing a job for less than it cost them.
The distinction that actually matters
In everyday trade use, the difference comes down to this:
| Quote | Estimate |
|---|---|
| A fixed price for defined work. Once accepted, you're committing to deliver the scoped job for that figure. | An informed guess based on limited information, given before you've fully assessed the job. |
| Price shouldn't move unless the scope changes. | Price can move — up or down — once you've seen everything involved. |
| Best used when you can walk the job and see exactly what's needed. | Best used when real uncertainty exists — behind a wall, under a floor, in ground you haven't dug. |
In UK consumer law, a quote given and accepted is generally treated as the agreed price for the job — a business can't simply decide afterwards to charge more for the same scoped work. An estimate carries an expectation that the final figure could reasonably differ, but "reasonably" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and a wildly inflated final bill compared to an estimate can still land you in a dispute. This is general information, not legal advice — if you're dealing with a genuine contract dispute, get advice specific to your situation and jurisdiction.
Whichever one you're giving, it looks more professional typed up properly.
Create your quote free →When to use each
- Quote — the default for most domestic jobs. A rewire, a bathroom refit, a repaint, a patio — anything you can survey and scope with confidence should get a fixed quote. It protects your margin and gives the client certainty, which wins you more jobs than an estimate does.
- Estimate — reserve it for genuine unknowns. A leak of unknown origin, a structural repair where the extent isn't visible until you open it up, or a job where the client hasn't decided on final specification yet. Even then, an estimate should come with a range, not a single number pulled from thin air.
- The hybrid approach. Many trades quote the scoped work firmly and add named provisional sums for the specific unknowns — "allowance of £200 for joist repair if required." This gets you the commitment of a quote with an honest hedge against the one thing you can't see yet.
How to protect yourself, whichever you give
- Put a validity date on it. Both quotes and estimates should expire — 30 days is standard for most domestic work, shorter if material prices are moving fast. Without a date, you can be held to a number from months ago.
- Write the scope down properly. "Fit new bathroom suite" invites disputes. "Supply and fit bath, panel, mixer taps, WC and basin; tile wet areas; excludes electrics and floor repairs" doesn't. The more specific the scope, the less room for "but I thought that was included."
- Label it clearly. Literally write the word "Quote" or "Estimate" at the top of the document, and if it's an estimate, say so in the body too — "This is an estimate based on a visual inspection; the final price may vary once work begins." That single sentence has saved countless trades from an argument.
- Get it accepted in writing. An email reply, a signature, or a deposit payment against the document all count as acceptance. Verbal agreement over a fixed price is where most disputes start.
Converting an estimate into a firm quote
The moment you've seen enough — the wall's open, the pipework's visible, the ground's been tested — convert the estimate into a proper quote before work continues. Reissue the document (don't just tell the client verbally), restate the scope now that it's fully known, and get it accepted again before proceeding past that point. This protects you if the final figure is meaningfully higher than the original estimate: you have a paper trail showing exactly when and why the number changed, rather than a client feeling ambushed by an invoice that's crept up with no explanation.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a quote legally binding?
Once you've given a fixed-price quote for defined work and the client has accepted it, it's generally treated as the agreed price for that scope — you can't simply decide afterwards to charge more for the same job. That said, if the client asks for extra work beyond what was quoted, or the scope changes, you're entitled to charge for the difference — just document it. This is general guidance, not legal advice; a genuine dispute over a specific contract should go to someone qualified to advise on your situation.
Can I change my price after giving a quote?
Not for the scope you originally quoted, unless the client agrees to a variation. You can charge more if the job's scope genuinely changes — the client adds a request, or something is discovered that wasn't visible when you quoted (which is why provisional sums and clear exclusions matter). What you shouldn't do is simply decide the original number was too low and ask for more on the identical scope; that's where trust, and sometimes legal standing, breaks down.
How do I convert an estimate into a firm quote?
Once you've seen enough of the job to price it with confidence — the wall's open, the ground's tested, the full scope is clear — reissue the document as a proper quote rather than just telling the client a new number verbally. Restate the scope based on what you now know, get it accepted again (an email reply or signature is enough), and only then continue the work. This gives you a clear paper trail if the final figure differs meaningfully from your original estimate.