Quoting a job: what to put in it, and what a quote commits you to
Last updated 10 September 2026
A quote is the moment a customer decides whether to use you. It is also, if the job goes sideways, the document everyone argues about. Both of those are reasons to spend ten more minutes on it.
Quote or estimate — they mean different things
A quote is a fixed price. Give one and you have offered to do that work for that money; if it takes longer than you thought, that's your problem, not the customer's.
An estimate is your best guess, and the final figure can differ. It's the honest choice when you genuinely can't see the whole job — a leak behind a wall, a rewire in an old villa.
Use the right word and say which it is on the document. Calling an estimate a quote is how you end up doing $3,000 of work for $1,800, and calling a quote an estimate is how you lose a customer's trust when the bill arrives higher.
What to include
- Your business name, contact details, and GST number if you're registered
- The customer's name and the address of the job
- What you'll actually do, in enough detail that a stranger could tell whether it had been done
- The price, and whether it includes GST
- What's not included — see below
- How long the price holds
- Payment terms, including any deposit
The exclusions are the valuable part
Most quoting disputes are about something the customer assumed was included. Writing down what isn't takes a minute and prevents nearly all of them: making good and painting, removal of old fittings, scaffolding, consent fees, anything behind a wall you haven't opened yet.
It reads as thoroughness, not as weaselling — customers who have been burned before recognise it immediately.
How long to leave it open
Put an expiry on it — 14 or 30 days is normal. Material prices move, and your availability in March isn't your availability in August. Without a date you have an open-ended offer that someone can accept next winter at last summer's price.
When the job changes
It will. The rule that keeps you out of trouble is simple: price the variation and get it agreed before you do it, in writing, even if writing means a text message. “Found rot in the sill — another $600 to replace, OK to proceed?” and a “yep” back is a complete record.
Doing the extra work first and mentioning it on the invoice is the single most common way tradies end up not being paid for work they genuinely did.
Follow it up
A quote that goes unanswered usually hasn't been rejected — it's been forgotten. One polite nudge after a few days wins a meaningful share of jobs, and costs nothing but the message.
Common questions
What is the difference between a quote and an estimate in NZ?
A quote is a fixed price you are bound to once the customer accepts it. An estimate is your best guess and the final figure can differ. Use the right word on the document — calling an estimate a quote is how you end up doing $3,000 of work for $1,800.
Is a quote legally binding in New Zealand?
Once the customer accepts it, yes — you have a contract to do that work for that money. Before acceptance it is an offer you can withdraw. This is why an expiry date matters: without one, the offer stays open indefinitely.
How long should a quote be valid for?
Fourteen or thirty days is normal. Material prices move and your availability changes, so an open-ended quote is one someone can accept next winter at last summer's price.
Can I charge more than my quote?
Only for work outside what the quote covered, and only if the customer agreed to the extra before you did it. That is what exclusions and written variations are for. Doing the extra work first and mentioning it on the invoice is the most common way tradies end up unpaid for work they genuinely did.
Quotes that turn into invoices
PayMint sends quotes your customer accepts or declines online, with your details, GST handled correctly, an expiry date and your own terms on the bottom. When the job's done, one click turns the accepted quote into the invoice — same line items, nothing retyped. 1% per paid invoice (plus Stripe's card fee), no monthly cost.
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General information, not legal advice — for your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or an accountant.