Estimate vs quotation: what should a tradesperson send?

An estimate communicates a provisional price based on stated assumptions. A quotation should clearly identify the scope, price, conditions and validity being offered. For Irish consumer work, do not rely on those labels alone to decide your legal obligations: the agreement and applicable consumer rules matter.

Explore the wider pricing and quoting guides for the steps around this decision.

Make uncertainty visible

Point	Estimate	Quotation
Scope	May still need confirmation	Should identify the work offered
Inputs	State provisional quantities or assumptions	State what the price includes and excludes
Price changes	Explain the basis for revision	Agree changes before additional work
Next decision	Survey or specification confirmation	Customer acceptance and booking arrangements

This is a practical document distinction, not a legal opinion that one word always creates a particular contract. Irish consumer-service guidance from the CCPC should inform your terms, and disputed or unusual contracts need appropriate professional advice.

Example: access has not been surveyed

In an illustrative clearance request, the customer supplies photographs but access and waste volume remain uncertain. Label the preliminary amount as based on those assumptions, state what still needs checking and arrange a survey before presenting a firm scope.

If the agreed work changes, do not use the original document as permission for an unlimited final bill. Explain the change, revised price and customer decision before proceeding. Keep the revision with the original reference.

Before sending either document

Check the customer’s identity, site address, described work, price basis, tax presentation, exclusions, validity and payment terms. Make the next action unambiguous: what must the customer confirm and what happens after confirmation?

JobDiary’s quoting record can carry the agreed work into a job or project. It does not turn an unclear scope into a legally sound agreement. Templates should be reviewed for your business, customer type and the work you sell. Keep business-to-business terms separate from advice intended for household customers.

Connect this to the next step

Continue with How to send a quote from your phone before leaving site. If the next issue is elsewhere in the workflow, use Quoted cost vs actual cost: a weekly job review.

See JobDiary quoting and invoicing to check how the product supports this work. Use the current product description and a trial to verify the fit for your business.

Sources and scope

• CCPC: service contracts guidance

Source scope reviewed on 1 October 2026. Worked examples are illustrative; they are not market averages or customer results.