What to Put in a Written Estimate So the Client Says Yes
You finish a walkthrough on a Thursday afternoon, say "I'll send you a number tonight," and by Friday morning you have sent a text with a price and a thumbs up. The client replies "Sounds good, so what's included?" Now you are writing the real estimate anyway, and the job has not started.
A clear written estimate saves that second conversation. It works for a photographer, a landscaper, a consultant or a bookkeeper alike. Here is what it should hold.
The five things a client looks for
- What you will do. Describe the work in plain words, in the order you will do it. "Repaint two bedrooms, two coats, walls and trim" is better than "interior painting."
- The price, broken down enough to follow. A single total makes people nervous. Two or three lines (labor, materials, extras) let them see where the money goes.
- What is not included. This prevents most disputes. If you are not moving furniture or hauling away old materials, say so.
- How long the price is good for. Thirty days is common. Materials and your calendar both change.
- How to say yes. One clear step: reply "approved," sign, or pay the deposit. If it takes three steps, some clients will drift away.
A deposit makes the yes real
Many independents ask for a deposit to hold the date. Say the job is $2,400 and the deposit is a quarter. That is $600 on acceptance, and the schedule is reserved for the client and for you. Put the amount and when it is due in the estimate, not in a later message.
Changes happen: say how you will handle them
One sentence is enough: "Anything added after approval will be quoted separately before I start it." It protects you and it tells the client you will not surprise them.
Send it while the job is still fresh
An estimate sent the same day usually gets read. One sent four days later competes with everything else in the client's week. If writing it at night after a full day is the hard part, Edwin, a digital assistant, can prepare a first draft from the prices you have already given him. You check it, adjust it and send it as a PDF. He never sends anything without your approval. If you want to see how it works, have a look at the plans or join the waitlist.