Free Quote Generator
Create a professional price quote online and download it as a PDF — free, no signup
What is a quote?
A quote is a document that offers to do specific work or supply specific goods at a stated price, valid for a stated period. It is an offer, not a demand for payment — it becomes binding when the customer accepts it, and it is replaced by an invoice once the work is done.
A quote is the document that wins the job, so it does two things at once: it prices the work, and it defines the work precisely enough that neither side can later claim something else was meant. The tool below produces a quote with the same line items, tax and totals as an invoice — the difference is the document title, the numbering, and the validity period you should always include.
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How to create a quote in 4 steps
- Enter your business and customer details. Add your business name, contact details and logo, then the customer you are quoting. The document title is already set to Quote.
- Describe the work as priced line items. Add one line per element of the job with quantity and rate. Totals, tax and discounts calculate automatically as you type.
- Add validity, exclusions and terms. Use the notes and terms fields to state how long the quote is valid, what is excluded, and what happens on acceptance.
- Download the PDF and send it. Download a print-ready PDF quote. When the customer accepts, create an invoice for the same line items and reference the quote number.
What to include on a quote
- The word 'Quote' and a quote number
- Quotes need their own sequence, separate from your invoice numbers, so you can reference the quote on the eventual invoice without the two series colliding.
- A validity period
- Without an expiry date a quote is open indefinitely, and a customer can accept a price you gave before your costs changed. Thirty days is a common default — state it explicitly.
- Precise scope in the line items
- The line items are the scope. Anything a customer might reasonably assume is included but is not should be either priced or explicitly excluded in the notes.
- What is excluded
- Exclusions prevent the most common quoting dispute. Name the obvious adjacent work you are not doing, in the notes or terms field.
- Tax treatment
- State whether the prices include or exclude tax. A customer comparing two quotes where one includes tax and one does not will pick the wrong one and be unhappy either way.
- Payment terms and any deposit
- If acceptance requires a deposit, say so on the quote. Discovering the deposit after the customer has agreed a price makes the deposit feel like a new condition.
Quote vs invoice: what's the difference?
A quote is issued before the work and proposes a price; an invoice is issued after the work and demands payment. A quote can be withdrawn or expire; an invoice creates a debt and is recorded in your accounts as revenue. A quote does not go into your sales ledger and does not affect your tax position. The practical consequence is that you should never treat a signed quote as a payment record: when the customer accepts, do the work, then raise an invoice quoting the accepted quote number so the two documents can be matched.
Quote, estimate or proposal?
In everyday use these overlap, but the distinction that matters commercially is how firm the number is. A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope. An estimate is an informed approximation that is expected to move as the work is understood, and it should say so on its face. A proposal is usually a longer document that argues for an approach and contains a price within it. If you intend your number to be fixed, call the document a quote, define the scope tightly, and list the circumstances under which the price would change.
Making a quote easy to accept
Every extra step between reading a quote and accepting it loses jobs. State clearly how to accept — reply to this email, sign and return, pay the deposit — and make sure the person receiving the quote is authorised to do that. For business customers, ask early whether acceptance requires a purchase order, because a quote accepted informally by your contact still cannot be invoiced until procurement issues one.
Turning an accepted quote into an invoice
Once the customer accepts, keep the line items identical when you invoice. Changing the wording between the quote and the invoice is the fastest way to trigger a query, even when the total is the same. Reference the quote number on the invoice, and if the scope genuinely changed, invoice the original quoted lines as quoted and put the variation on its own clearly labelled line.
Frequently asked questions
What is a quote?
A quote is a document offering to supply specific goods or services at a stated price for a stated period. It is an offer rather than a request for payment, and it becomes a binding agreement if the customer accepts it within its validity period.
What is the difference between a quote and an invoice?
A quote is issued before the work to propose a price and can expire or be withdrawn. An invoice is issued after the work, creates a debt, and is recorded as revenue in your accounts. When a quote is accepted, you do the work and then raise an invoice referencing the quote number.
How long should a quote be valid?
Thirty days is a widely used default, but the right period depends on how quickly your costs move. If you are quoting work that depends on volatile material prices or subcontractor availability, a shorter window protects you. Whatever you choose, put the expiry date on the quote rather than leaving it open.
Is a quote legally binding?
In general, a quote is an offer that becomes binding when the customer accepts it on its stated terms, whereas an estimate is not a fixed price. The exact position depends on your contract and on the law where you trade, so treat the scope, exclusions and validity period on the document as the things that protect you and take advice if a specific quote matters commercially.
Is this quote generator free?
Yes. You can create and download unlimited PDF quotes without paying or creating an account.
Need an invoice instead?
The same tool creates invoices, and every field label can be renamed. Fill it in and download a PDF — free, no account required.
Other documents you can create
- Free Purchase Order GeneratorA purchase order is a document a buyer sends a supplier to formally order goods or services at agreed prices.
- Free Credit Note GeneratorA credit note is a document issued by a seller that reduces or cancels an amount previously invoiced.
Guides that go deeper
Billing a client abroad? See the invoice generator by country for currency and tax notes for the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India and Europe.