Estimate template
An estimate is a proposal without the persuasion: what it costs, what that includes, and how long the price holds. Here is a version that takes five minutes and doesn't come back to bite you.
The template
Estimate [number] · [date] · valid for [14] daysPrepared for [Client] by [Provider].
Work included[Line 1 — description, quantity, rate, amount]
[Line 2 …]
Subtotal [amount] · Tax [amount] · Total [amount]
[Line 2 …]
Subtotal [amount] · Tax [amount] · Total [amount]
AssumptionsPrice assumes [client supplies content by date / up to two revision rounds / delivery in one phase]. Changes to these assumptions may change the price.
Not included[Hosting, printing, stock licences, travel].
Next stepTo go ahead, reply "approved" or sign the attached agreement. A [50]% deposit schedules the work.
Paperwork turns an approved estimate into the contract and invoice without retyping.Paperwork fills the proposal, contract, invoice, SOW, NDA and change order from one form, and your client signs from a link. $19 once. Try the free demo first.
Estimate, quote or proposal?
An estimate is a good-faith price that can change if assumptions change. A quote is a fixed price for a fixed scope. A proposal is a quote with the reasons to say yes. Use the word that matches how firm you are, and put a validity period on all three.
Price the outcome, not the hours
"Logo and brand guide: $1,800" invites a yes. "18 hours at $100" invites a negotiation about hours. Keep your hourly rate for overage and change orders, and price the deliverable.
Fourteen days
A validity period stops a client accepting a January price in June. Fourteen to thirty days is normal.