When to send a quote instead of an estimate
A quote is a firm offer: do this work, for this price, if you accept by this date. Send one when you can see the whole job. A logo package, a bathroom fan swap, a fixed menu for a 40-person event, a 6-page website: the scope is clear, so you can stand behind the number.
When there are unknowns you can't price yet, an estimate is more honest. Quoting a fixed price on a job you can't see inside is how small businesses end up working for free.
Scope and exclusions: the part that protects you
A fixed price only works if the scope is pinned down. Write each deliverable as its own line, with a quantity where it helps: "Design of 6 page templates" leaves less room for argument than "Website design".
Then list what's not included. Common exclusions:
- Content the client must supply (copy, photos, measurements, access).
- Third-party costs: hosting, permits, licenses, stock images.
- Extra rounds of changes beyond the number you included.
- Work outside the stated area or quantity.
If the client asks for something on the excluded list later, it's a new quote, not a favor.
Validity and acceptance
Every quote needs an expiry. Fourteen days suits services where your availability is the main constraint; up to 30 days works when costs are stable. After that date you're free to re-price. Duebolt prints the date as Valid until, worked out from the number of days you pick.
Get acceptance in writing: a signed copy, a reply email saying "approved", or, with Pro, a tap on Accept in the link you emailed. Note the date of acceptance; it starts the clock on your schedule and deposit.
Optional extras can sit on the same quote as separate lines, marked "(optional)", so the client can see the price of each choice.
How to make a quote in Duebolt
- Add your business once; it's remembered on this device.
- Add the client, and put their project name or PO in Their reference.
- Add each deliverable as a line. Your usual services become quick-add chips.
- Set how many days the quote is valid, and write terms and exclusions in the notes.
- Download or share the PDF. Quotes get their own numbers (QTE-0001…), separate from invoices.
When the client accepts, open the quote in your account and convert it to an invoice so you don't type anything twice.
Pricing a fixed-price job without losing money
A fixed price moves the risk of overruns onto you, so build a small buffer into the number rather than hoping the job goes perfectly. Work out your hours honestly, multiply by your rate, add materials or third-party costs, and then add a margin for the back-and-forth every client brings.
Breaking a quote into stages (discovery, design, build, launch) also helps the client approve it: they can see what each part costs, and if the budget is tight they can drop a stage instead of asking you to cut your rate. Tie payments to those stages so you're never far ahead of the money.
Last checked October 23, 2026.