How to write a quote for a commission: structure, wording and examples

This guide is for makers who send written prices for one-off work: a dining table, an engagement ring, a set of tableware, a made-to-measure bag, a guitar, a pair of gates. It covers the document you send, not how you work out the number. For the arithmetic, see how to price custom furniture; the method works for most crafts.

A good quote does three things. It tells the client exactly what they will get, for how much and when. It protects you when the brief drifts. And it becomes the reference you both check the finished piece against.

We cover the difference between a quote and an estimate, a full checklist of what to include, how to present the price, lead times and revisions, three worked examples from different crafts, and the mistakes that cause most disputes.

Key takeaways

• Say on the document whether it is a quote (fixed price) or an estimate (best guess). Citizens Advice draws exactly this line for consumers.
• Include scope, materials, priced options, exclusions, total and VAT status, validity date, payment stages, lead time and its start point, and the number of design revisions.
• Price options separately so the client can choose without reopening the whole quote.
• State when the lead time starts, for example from receipt of the deposit, and that later changes may move it.
• Write the quote so someone else could compare the finished piece with it and agree whether it matches.

Quote or estimate: say which

Clients and makers often use the two words loosely. Consumer advisers do not. Citizens Advice describes a quote as a promise to do the work at an agreed price, and an estimate as the trader's best guess, which can end up higher. Under a quote, it says, the trader generally cannot charge more unless the client asked for extra work, agreed that extra work was needed and agreed to pay, or the price contained a genuine mistake. Rising costs after the quote are not a reason to charge more. With an estimate, the final price should be reasonable, and a client facing a much higher bill can dispute it.

That guidance is written for building work in England, but the distinction is the useful part for any maker:

• Estimate while the design, size or materials are still open. Give a range and say what it depends on.
• Quote once the design is fixed. One price, or a price per option, for a defined scope.

Put the word at the top of the document. If you are giving an estimate, add one sentence on what will turn it into a quote, such as "Once we agree the final drawings and the stone, I will send a fixed quote."

This is general information, not legal advice. Contract and consumer law differ between countries and between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For your own terms, speak to a solicitor or a trade body.

What a quote should contain

Citizens Advice tells consumers that a good quote has a fixed total, a breakdown of the work and materials, how long the price is valid, whether VAT is included and when the price could change. A commission needs a few more things. Here is a checklist.

Section	What to write
Header	Your business details, client name, date, a quote number and the word "Quote" or "Estimate"
The piece	One paragraph describing what you will make, in the client's words where possible
Scope and specification	Dimensions, quantities, ring size, fit measurements, tuning or scale length; reference drawings by number and date
Materials and finish	Timber species and grade, metal and fineness, stones, clay body and glaze, leather type and thickness; anything the client supplies
Options	Each option with its own price, so the client can tick what they want
Exclusions	What is not included: delivery, installation, engraving, cases, wall fixings, hallmarking, valuation
Price	Total, currency, and whether VAT is included or not applicable
Validity	The date the quote expires
Payment stages	Deposit amount and what it secures, any stage payments and what triggers them, the final balance
Lead time	Expected time to completion and when it starts counting
Design and revisions	How many rounds of drawings or samples are included and what further rounds cost
Changes	How changes after acceptance are handled and priced
Acceptance	How the client accepts: signature, written reply or deposit payment, and which terms apply

Keep it to one or two pages. Put your full terms and conditions in a separate document and refer to it.

How to present the price

There are three common formats. Pick one per quote and be consistent.

• A single total. Best when the design is fixed. Clear and hard to misread.
• A base price plus options. Useful when the client is still choosing a finish, a stone or an extra drawer. Each option has its own line and price.
• A range, marked as an estimate. For early conversations. Say what moves the price up or down.

Whether to show a breakdown of hours is your call. Showing hours invites line-by-line negotiation of your rate. A clear description of what is included usually answers the client's real question, which is "what am I paying for?"

If materials can move in price, say so. J. Romero Banjos, for example, states on its ordering page that the base price at the time of order is guaranteed but option prices are not. You can do something similar: fix the price of the work, and say that a named material is priced at today's rate until the deposit is paid.

Lead time: say when the clock starts

A lead time without a start point causes arguments. Sebastian Cox's commission page states a standard lead time of 12 weeks from receipt of the deposit, and says lead times are quoted in good faith, with clients told of delays at the earliest opportunity. That wording does three jobs: it names a period, a start point and what happens if things slip.

Add any dependency on the client: approval of drawings, choice of stone, access to the site, delivery of their own materials. If those come late, the date moves. For how to set the number in the first place, see lead times and waiting lists.

Design rounds and revisions

Design time is real work and easy to give away. Decide how many rounds are included and write it down.

Sebastian Cox includes initial drawings and one revision based on the client's feedback free of charge, and charges further drawings or renders at 10% of the project cost if the commission does not go ahead. You do not have to copy that model, but the principle helps: a defined number of free rounds, then a stated cost.

For crafts that work with samples, such as glaze tests, leather swatches or wood finishes, say how many samples are included and whether the client keeps them.

Worked examples

All prices below are illustrative. They are not market rates. Read them in any currency.

Example 1: a gold signet ring (quote)

• The piece: a 9ct yellow gold signet ring, oval face 14 × 11 mm, hand-engraved monogram from the client's sketch, ring size per measurement taken in the studio.
• Options: 18ct gold instead of 9ct, add 280. Engraving inside the band, add 60.
• Excluded: valuation for insurance, delivery outside the country.
• Price: 1,150, VAT included.
• Valid until: 30 days from the quote date. Gold priced at today's rate until the deposit is paid.
• Payment: 50% deposit to order metal and start; balance before collection.
• Lead time: about six weeks from deposit and approval of the engraving drawing.
• Revisions: two rounds of engraving drawings included; further rounds 40 each.

Example 2: tableware for a restaurant (estimate, then quote)

• The piece: 40 dinner plates, 40 side plates and 20 serving bowls, stoneware, client's chosen glaze from the sample board.
• Estimate stage: 3,800 to 4,600, depending on final plate diameter and whether the glaze needs new test firings.
• Note on spares: the maker will throw extra pieces to allow for losses in firing. Meres Pottery, for example, says it usually makes backup pieces in case of cracking, warping or glaze problems. Say on the quote that spares are included and that the client receives the agreed number.
• Excluded: delivery, replacement pieces ordered later.
• Lead time: eight to ten weeks from deposit, with a note that drying is slower in damp weather.

Example 3: a made-to-measure leather bag (quote with options)

• The piece: a vegetable-tanned leather messenger bag, 38 × 28 × 10 cm, internal laptop sleeve, hand-stitched, brass hardware.
• Base price: 640.
• Options: shoulder pad, add 45; initials blind-embossed, add 30; second colour lining, add 55.
• Excluded: shipping, repairs from wear after the first year.
• Valid until: 21 days.
• Payment: 40% deposit, balance on completion before dispatch.
• Lead time: five weeks from deposit and final choice of leather colour.

Cancellation and consumer rules

When you sell to private clients at a distance, consumer rules on cancellation may apply. In the UK, Which? lists bespoke or personalised goods among items consumers cannot cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. That exception does not remove the client's rights if the piece is faulty or not as described, and the details differ by country. Take legal advice before you rely on it in your terms, and see the custom furniture contract template for clauses to discuss with an adviser.

Common mistakes

• No validity date. A quote from last spring resurfaces after a metal price rise.
• "Approximately" next to a fixed price. Decide whether it is a quote or an estimate.
• Unpriced options. "Could add a drawer" becomes an argument later.
• Lead time with no start point. "Eight weeks" from when?
• Exclusions left out. Delivery, installation and hallmarking are the usual surprises.
• Unlimited revisions by default. Say how many are included.

For deposits and staged payments in more detail, see custom furniture deposits.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on the facts of each case. Before a decision about your own contract, product or business, check the current text with the relevant authority or ask a lawyer.

Sources

• Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice: quote versus estimate definitions, what a quote should include, staged payments
• Problems with cost, Citizens Advice: when a trader can charge more than a quote, reasonable price under an estimate
• How to commission, Sebastian Cox: lead time from deposit, good-faith wording, free drawings and revision, charge for further drawings
• Ordering, Romero Banjos: base price guaranteed at order, options not guaranteed
• Commissions & Bespoke Orders, Meres Pottery: backup pieces for firing losses, weather and drying time
• How do I cancel an online order?, Which?: bespoke or personalised goods among items that cannot be cancelled under the Consumer Contracts Regulations