What's in this guide

  1. Why the quote itself wins the job
  2. The 8 things every plumbing quote needs
  3. How to structure the price properly
  4. Inclusions and exclusions that stop disputes
  5. Payment terms that protect your cash flow
  6. The 12-month guarantee clause
  7. Common mistakes that lose jobs
  8. Copy-paste quote template

Why the quote itself wins the job.

Most plumbers lose jobs before the customer has even read the price. A quote scribbled on a WhatsApp message with three numbers and no detail tells the customer one thing: this is a one-man band who might not turn up on Tuesday.

The same customer who was happy to pay £3,800 for the job just got nervous. They ring someone else. That person sends a proper written quote on headed paper. They win the job at £4,200.

Your quote is your first piece of marketing. It's the first time the customer sees what kind of business they are hiring. If it looks amateur, you get priced against every other amateur. If it looks professional, you get priced against yourself.

The number that matters: a properly written quote with itemised pricing, clear inclusions and payment terms typically wins 30 to 45% of jobs. A WhatsApp quote with a number on it wins 10 to 20%. On a £4,000 job, that's the difference between £1,200 and £1,600 of profit per quote sent.

The 8 things every plumbing quote needs.

These are not optional. Miss any of them and you either lose the job, get into a dispute, or price yourself too low because you've forgotten something.

1. Your business details, properly laid out

Business name, your name, address, phone, email and website at the top. Gas Safe registration number if you hold one. Company number and VAT number if registered. This looks formal because it is formal. The customer is about to hand you £4,000.

2. The customer's details

Full name, job address, date of quote. Quote reference number (just sequence them. P1001, P1002). This makes it easier to refer back in follow-up and turns the quote into a document, not a text message.

3. A clear scope of works

Describe the job in plain language. What you are installing, where, how. Don't assume the customer understands plumbing terms. If you're swapping a 30-year-old system boiler for a 35kW combi with a magnetic filter and 7-year warranty, say so. This is where you start to show you know what you're doing.

4. Itemised pricing

This is the bit most plumbers get wrong. More detail below.

5. Inclusions and exclusions

What the price covers. What it doesn't. Waste removal, making good, gas safety certificate, building notification. Every one of these should be either in or out, and stated clearly.

6. Payment terms

When you want the money. How much upfront. How much on completion. Late payment clause. Don't leave this to chance.

7. Guarantee / warranty

Your workmanship guarantee plus the manufacturer's warranty on parts. Write both down. This is a closing tool, not an afterthought.

8. Validity window

The quote is valid for 30 days. This protects you against material price rises and creates a soft deadline. "This quote expires on 22 May 2026" is better than a hard sell.

How to structure the price properly.

Never send a single number. "£4,200 to do the boiler" is what every chancer sends. You look the same as them.

Break it down:

Add them up. Show the total. Show VAT separately if you're registered. This protects your price because the customer can see what they're getting. It also makes it very difficult to compare your quote to the lad who sent a one-line WhatsApp.

Inclusions and exclusions that stop disputes.

The disputes that eat into margin almost always come from things that weren't in the scope. The customer thought they were. You thought they weren't.

Be specific. State inclusions explicitly:

And state exclusions explicitly:

Payment terms that protect your cash flow.

Small jobs (under £500): full payment on completion. Larger jobs (£500 to £3,000): 30% deposit on acceptance, balance on completion. Big jobs (£3,000+): 30% deposit, 40% on delivery of materials, 30% on completion.

State the payment method and the late payment clause. "Balance payable within 7 days of completion. 1.5% per month applies to late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998" isn't aggressive. It's how proper businesses operate.

The 12-month guarantee clause.

Two things to state clearly:

  1. Workmanship guarantee: 12 months from completion. If any of the workmanship fails in that period, you return and put it right at no charge.
  2. Manufacturer's warranty: state the manufacturer's warranty on the boiler. 5, 7, 10 years. Many manufacturers only give the longer warranties to registered installers. This is a selling point.

Don't hide the guarantee at the bottom of a paragraph. Put it in its own section with a heading. It's one of the strongest reasons a customer picks you over the cheap option.

Common mistakes that lose jobs.

Sending the quote by WhatsApp text. No structure, no professional feel, no record.

One big number with no breakdown. Easy to beat on price. Impossible to justify.

No exclusions section. You end up doing the job plus the tiling plus the electrics for the original price.

No payment terms. You do a £4,000 job then chase payment for three months.

No follow-up after sending. Two weeks later the customer has forgotten your quote and gone with the first person who chased.

Stop sending quotes that go nowhere.

The Trade Pack gives you the full plumbing proposal template, follow-up sequence and pricing calculator. £297 one-off. Pays for itself on the first job it helps you win.

See the pack

Copy-paste quote template.

A stripped-down version of what a proper quote looks like. The full, branded Word template is in the Trade Pack.

QUOTE [P1001] From: [Business Name] [Address] Gas Safe: [Number] · Company No: [Number] [Phone] · [Email] To: [Customer Name] [Job Address] Date: [Date] Valid until: [Date + 30 days] SCOPE OF WORKS Supply and install one [Make/Model] [kW] combi boiler in the current boiler location, including: - Removal and disposal of existing [system/combi] boiler - Magnetic system filter - Programmable thermostat - Flue kit appropriate to current flue route - Power-flush of system where required (see exclusions) - Gas safety certificate and Benchmark commissioning paperwork - Building Control notification via Gas Safe PRICING Labour (2 days at £[rate]) £[amount] Boiler and flue kit £[amount] Magnetic filter and programmer £[amount] Pipework, fittings and sundries £[amount] Certificates and notification £[amount] Disposal of old boiler £[amount] Subtotal £[amount] VAT at 20% £[amount] TOTAL £[amount] INCLUDED - Removal and disposal of existing boiler - Magnetic system filter - Gas safety certificate - Benchmark commissioning - Building Control notification NOT INCLUDED (quoted separately on request) - Upgrade of gas supply if existing supply is undersized - Power-flush of system if required on inspection - Making good of plaster, tiling or decor - Electrical works beyond the boiler wiring PAYMENT TERMS 30% deposit on acceptance 40% on delivery of boiler to site 30% on completion and handover of certificates Balance payable within 7 days of final invoice. GUARANTEE Workmanship guaranteed for 12 months from completion. [Manufacturer] warranty on the boiler: [X] years. Accept this quote by replying to this email. Questions: [Phone] or [Email].

What to do next.

Rewrite your next quote using the structure above. Send it properly, as a Word document or PDF. Watch what happens to your win rate.

Then follow up at day 2, day 5 and day 10. Most plumbers stop after sending. The ones who follow up win 2 to 3x more jobs.