TL;DR:
A quote lists each service as a line item with quantity, unit price and line total, then a subtotal, any discount, and the final total.
Put a validity date and the key terms on it so there are no surprises.
Use formulas for the totals and check the arithmetic by hand once.
A customer says yes in principle and asks you to put it in writing. The quote is the first document with a number on it that they will study closely, and one wrong total costs you either money or trust. Building it from a simple, repeatable layout makes it quick and easy to check.
What a quote must contain
Who it is from and to, with a quote number and the date it was issued.
A description of each item, so the customer can see what they are paying for.
Quantity, unit price and line total for every item.
A subtotal, any discount shown on its own line, and a final total.
A validity date: the last day the prices hold.
Terms that matter, such as when payment is due and what is not included.
Note: Tax, legal terms and contract wording depend on where you work. Ask your finance or legal contact or check the official rules for your area; this article covers only the layout and the arithmetic.
Step by step in a spreadsheet
Set the columns: Put Item in A, Quantity in B, Unit price in C and Line total in D. The header is row 1 and the items start in row 2.
Enter the items: One service per row, with the quantity in its natural unit (hours, months, pieces).
Calculate each line: In D2 type
=B2*C2and copy it down for every item.Add the subtotal: Below the last item, use
=SUM(D2:D4)if there are three items.Show the discount on its own line: Put the discount rate in a cell, for example 0.10, and compute the amount as
=-D5*0.10or point to the rate cell instead of typing it.Total and date: Final total is subtotal plus the discount line, which is negative. Add the validity date and a note on payment.
Worked example: a quote for three services with a discount line
Say you offer a small business three services: a website review, setup hours, and monthly support. You agree a discount of 10% for signing this month. Prices are made up for the example.
Item | Quantity | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
Website review | 1 | 450 | 450 |
Setup (hours) | 3 | 80 | 240 |
Monthly support (months) | 2 | 120 | 240 |
Subtotal | 930 | ||
Discount, 0.10 × 930 | −93 | ||
Total | 837 |
Check every figure by hand. Line totals: 1 × 450 = 450, 3 × 80 = 240, 2 × 120 = 240. Subtotal: 450 + 240 + 240 = 930. Discount: 930 × 0.10 = 93. Total: 930 − 93 = 837. A second route to the same total is 930 × 0.90 = 837, and the two agree.
In the sheet, the cells would be =B2*C2, =B3*C3, =B4*C4 for the lines, =SUM(D2:D4) for the subtotal, =-D5*0.10 for the discount and =D5+D6 for the total, with rows numbered as in your layout. If the total on screen differs from your hand check, look for a quantity typed as text or a range that misses a row.
Add the validity line under the table: "This quote is valid until 12 December 2026." The date is 30 days from issue, which you can compute in a sheet with =A10+30 where A10 holds the issue date. Choose the length that suits your business; 30 days is only an example.
Mistakes to avoid
Typing totals instead of using formulas, so a changed quantity leaves a stale number.
Applying a discount to the wrong base, such as discounting one line and then again on the total.
No validity date, which leaves you bound to prices indefinitely.
Vague item names like "Services". The customer cannot tell what they are buying.
Not rounding consistently. Decide on two decimal places for currency and keep it.
Sending without reading it once as the customer.
Read it as the customer
Before sending, read the quote from the customer's side. Can they tell what each line is, why the total is what it is, and what happens if they say yes? Check that the name, the date and the quote number are right, and that nothing promised in conversation is missing from the page.
Export it as a PDF so the layout does not change on their screen, and name the file clearly, for example with the customer name and quote number. Keep a copy of exactly what you sent. If the customer later asks for a change, issue a new version with a new number rather than editing the old one.
Doing it faster
Save a finished quote as a template with the formulas in place, and copy it for each new customer. Clear the quantities and keep the layout. If you want help checking the sums, DuckyHelper can look at the sheet on your screen and work through the totals with you out loud. It's built to ask you first before it sends the quote.
Frequently asked questions
Should the discount be a percentage or a fixed amount?
Either, as long as it appears on its own line so the customer can see what they saved. A percentage scales with the order; a fixed amount is simple to explain.
What if the customer asks to remove an item?
Delete that row or set its quantity to zero. The subtotal, discount and total update from the formulas, and you reissue the quote with a new number or date.
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