Give the AI the facts it cannot guess (the scope list, the price, your tax status, the exclusions, the validity period and how to accept), and tell it to leave anything missing as a placeholder. It then writes the scope, the GST line, the exclusions and the acceptance wording in plain English. You check every figure, and your accountant checks the GST line.
Blank quote templates often fail in the same three places: a scope that says only "supply and install", no exclusions, and a GST line that does not match the invoice that follows. The cure is a fixed order of sections and a prompt that stops the assistant from calculating or inventing. Everything below runs on one small job, a timber deck repair, so the wording and the numbers can be followed from the notes to the finished quote.
Seven parts every small-job quote needs, and where blanks go wrong
| Part | What it must say | The usual gap | Facts you supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heading and reference | Quote number, date, customer, your business and tax details | No number, so nobody can refer to it later | Number, name, tax details |
| Scope of work | What you will do, in steps a customer can picture | "Supply and install" with nothing else | Your job notes |
| Price | Labour and materials as separate lines | One lump sum that cannot be questioned or checked | Hours, rate, material costs |
| GST line | The tax shown the way your accountant says | Wording that disagrees with the invoice template | Your tax status and rate |
| Exclusions and assumptions | What is not included, and what the price assumes | Missing entirely | Your experience of what goes wrong |
| Validity | How long the price holds | No end date | The number of days |
| Acceptance | How the customer says yes, and any deposit | A vague "let me know" | Your terms |
The right-hand column matters most. Every item in it is something only you know, and a chat assistant given none of it will produce a confident document full of invented specifics. So the prompt below hands the assistant the facts and forbids the rest.
One prompt that builds the whole quote from your job notes
This prompt gives the assistant a section order, a no-maths rule, a placeholder rule and the job notes. Do the sums first, on a calculator or in your quoting app, and paste in the results.
You are drafting a small-job quote for a carpenter. Use this order of sections: heading and reference, scope of work, price, GST line, exclusions and assumptions, validity, how to accept.
Write in plain English a homeowner can follow. Do not calculate anything: use only the figures I give; if a figure is missing, write [FIGURE NEEDED].
My GST status: registered. Show prices before GST, then GST at the rate I give, then the total including GST. Rate to use: 10% (illustration only).
Do not add warranties, licence numbers, start dates or guarantees. Mark anything you assumed with [ASSUMED].
Job notes: timber deck repair, about 12 square metres. Lift and replace up to 8 rotten boards matching the existing width, re-fix loose boards with decking screws, sand the whole deck and apply one coat of decking oil, take old boards away. Labour 14 hours at 65 = 910.00. Materials (boards, screws, oil) 285.00. Total before GST 1,195.00, GST 119.50, total including GST 1,314.50. Extra boards beyond 8 at 35.00 each before GST, fitted. Valid 30 days. Deposit 262.90, which is 20% of the total including GST. Quote number 0412. Customer: [first name], [address].The figures in that prompt are the ones to check against your own working before pasting. Notice what is deliberately absent: a request to "work out the GST" or "add a deposit". Each of those turns the assistant into a calculator, and calculators are not what chat assistants are best at. The deposit is stated with its base ("20% of the total including GST"), which leaves less room for a different one, though the first draft below shows it can still happen.
If you have photographed the job, attach the photos and ask the assistant to list what it can see and what it cannot. A photo of a deck shows split boards, loose screws and worn oil, which helps the scope. It cannot show rot under the boards or in the joists, and an assistant may describe the structure beneath as if it were sound. Use photos to support the scope, never to replace the exclusions: the hidden-problem clause exists precisely because no photo can see it.
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Buy nowThe finished quote: a timber deck repair, with numbers
After the edits described in the next section, the quote reads as follows. All figures are illustrative.
QUOTE 0412
Date: [date]
Prepared for: [first name], [address]
Prepared by: [your name or trading name], business number [number], tax registration [number]
SCOPE OF WORK: timber deck repair, about 12 square metres
1. Lift and replace up to 8 rotten boards, matching the existing board width.
2. Re-fix loose boards with decking screws.
3. Sand the full deck surface and apply one coat of decking oil.
4. Remove old boards and offcuts from site.
PRICE
Labour (14 hours) 910.00
Materials (boards, screws, oil) 285.00
Total excluding GST 1,195.00
GST at 10% (illustration only) 119.50
Total including GST 1,314.50
EXCLUSIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
- Repairs to joists, bearers or posts are not included. If rot is found, I will stop, show you and quote separately before going on.
- Boards beyond the first 8 are priced at 35.00 each excluding GST, fitted.
- Furniture and plants are cleared by the customer before the start.
- New oil may not match the existing colour exactly.
- Work depends on the weather and may be rescheduled on wet days.
- Handrail, step and balustrade repairs are not included.
VALIDITY
This quote is valid for 30 days from the date above.
TO ACCEPT
Reply "accepted" by email or text with your name and the quote number, or sign below. A deposit of 262.90 (20% of the total including GST) secures the start date. Changes to the scope are agreed in writing before work starts.The scope has four numbered steps instead of "repair deck", the price separates labour from materials, and the exclusions answer questions the customer has not yet thought to ask. The second exclusion matters most: it sets a unit price for extra boards before anyone knows how many are needed, which turns a possible argument into a lookup.
To see how much work the template does, set it beside the thin version that a blank template invites: "Deck repair, replace boards and oil, 1,300 all in, can start soon, let me know." That version has no scope steps, a lump sum that hides the labour and materials split, no tax wording, no exclusions, no end date and no way to accept. "Soon" is a promise without a date, and "all in" invites the question of whether it covers rotten joists. Each gap matches a row of the table at the top, and the finished quote fills all seven.
What the first draft got wrong, and the four edits it needed
A first draft from a chat assistant, even with a prompt this strict, usually carries a few defects. In this illustrative case there were four. Each is worth knowing because each recurs.
First, the deposit. The draft showed 239.00, which is 20% of the 1,195.00 figure before GST, when the prompt had said 20% of the total including GST. That is 262.90. The assistant ignored the figure it was given and recomputed on the wrong base. The edit is simply to paste the right number and, in future prompts, put the figure and its base side by side. Second, a GST sentence that contradicted the table: the draft ended with "All prices include GST", although the price block showed the tax separately. A customer who reads both reasonably wonders which total is real. Remove the sentence.
Third, a guarantee: "All work is guaranteed for 10 years." The prompt said no warranties, and the assistant still added one, a habit worth checking for instead of assuming away. A warranty you never offered is one you may be held to, so delete it, and if you do offer a workmanship warranty write it yourself or use the approach in the tutorial on workmanship warranty exclusions drafted with AI and checked by a solicitor. Fourth, an invented start date: "Work will begin next Monday [ASSUMED]." It flagged the assumption, which is good, but a date nobody agreed has no place on a quote, so cut the line.
Notice that the assistant flagged one error itself, with the [ASSUMED] marker. That rule is the reason to include it: errors that arrive labelled take seconds to fix, and errors that arrive unlabelled take reading. Read every draft line by line against the job notes, ticking each fact you supplied, and delete any line you cannot tick.
The GST line: three wordings and who decides between them
The GST line is where a blank template is least safe, because the right wording depends on facts about you and about the customer that no template knows. The sample quote uses the first wording below, and the others show what changes with your tax status. The numbers use the same job.
| Wording | When it fits | How the price block reads |
|---|---|---|
| Prices before GST, then the tax, then the total | Registered, with business customers or as your accountant advises | Total excluding GST 1,195.00; GST at 10% 119.50; total including GST 1,314.50 |
| Prices including GST | Registered, where the customer should see one all-in figure | Total including GST: 1,314.50 (includes GST of 119.50) |
| No GST charged | Not registered for the tax | Total: 1,195.00. No GST is charged |
Three decisions sit behind that table, and none of them belongs to the assistant. The first is registration: only a registered business charges the tax, so an unregistered tradie uses the third row and nothing else. The second is how the tax office wants it displayed. In many places prices shown to consumers must include the tax, and a quote built for business customers may reasonably show it separately, so ask your accountant which applies to which customer. The third is consistency. Whatever the quote says, the invoice that follows must say the same thing with the same rate, so keep the rate in one place in your invoicing app and read the matching tutorial on tax invoice wording and reminders before finalising.
Put the following to your accountant once, in writing: which wording should my quotes use for homeowners, which for businesses, how should the GST line round, and what must change if my turnover moves me in or out of registration? Then save their answer into the prompt as a fixed line: "GST wording: [exact wording]". The assistant now copies the wording instead of composing it.
An interview prompt that finds the exclusions you forgot
Exclusions are the part most tradies leave out, because after twenty years the assumptions feel too obvious to write. A second prompt reverses the job: instead of asking the assistant to write exclusions, ask it to play a sceptical customer and list what they would assume is included.
Here is my scope of work for a quote: [paste the scope lines].
Act as a sceptical customer. List up to 10 things a customer might reasonably assume are included but are not written down. Number them. Do not write any exclusions yet; I will answer yes (included) or no (excluded) for each.For the deck repair, an illustrative reply lists the following, with the tradie's answers beside them.
| Assumption the customer might make | My answer | What the quote says |
|---|---|---|
| Rotten joists or bearers will be fixed too | No | Not included; stop, show, quote separately |
| Boards beyond the first eight cost nothing extra | No | 35.00 each before GST, fitted |
| Furniture and plants will be moved | No | Customer clears the deck |
| The new oil will match the old colour exactly | No | May not match exactly |
| Wet weather will not delay the work | No | Weather-dependent, may be rescheduled |
| The handrail and steps are included | No | Not included |
| The old boards will be taken away | Yes | Listed in the scope |
| Pressure washing is included | No | Sanding only; washing not included |
Then ask the assistant to turn the "no" answers into short exclusion lines in the quote's voice. The result is the exclusions section above, and the interview produced two lines (pressure washing and the handrail) that the tradie had not thought to include. It takes three minutes and prevents the argument that costs a day.
Here is how the missing line shows up in practice. A plumber quotes "supply and fit new kitchen tap" and says nothing else. On the day, the old isolation valve is seized and has to be replaced, which takes an extra 90 minutes. The customer, reading "supply and fit", assumes everything needed is included. The plumber absorbs the time or has an uncomfortable conversation. A single line, "Isolation valves and connecting hoses are replaced only where needed, charged at cost plus labour at the quoted hourly rate", would have settled it before the work began. The interview prompt is how you find that line before the job rather than during it.
A standing exclusions library, so the interview gets shorter
After a few interviews you will notice the same answers coming up for the same kind of job. Keep them in a note, grouped by job type, and paste the relevant group into the prompt as a starting list. The entries below are starting points for you to edit, not a legal list, and regulated work deserves a check from someone qualified.
| Job type | Three exclusions to consider |
|---|---|
| Deck repair | Joists, bearers and posts; boards beyond the quoted number; exact colour match of new oil |
| Tap or fitting replacement | Seized or damaged isolation valves; faults in hidden pipework; access to the fitting |
| Light and power point fitting | Faults in the existing wiring; making good plaster and paint; access through ceiling or wall spaces |
| Fence repair | Services or footings found when digging; removal of fallen trees; the customer confirming the boundary line |
| Tiling | Preparing uneven or damp walls; matching discontinued tiles; removal of old waterproofing |
Give the assistant the group for the job in hand, together with the customer's brief, and ask it to mark each item as relevant or not. The interview shrinks from ten questions to the three that your library has not already answered.
Validity: how long the price holds and what to say after
A quote with no end date is an open offer. Prices of boards, paint and fittings move, and your diary fills, so say how long the price holds and when the clock starts. Small-job quotes commonly run 14 to 30 days, which is a rule of thumb, not a law; pick the longest period you are happy to hold the price. Left to itself, an assistant picks a period of its own or leaves it out. Tell it the number.
Decide whether the document is a fixed quote or an estimate before the assistant writes either word. A quote suggests a price you will hold, and an estimate suggests the figure may move. In some places the difference carries legal weight, so use the word that matches what you intend and check the local rule. If you want a price you will hold but only if materials stay steady, add a sentence for that: "If supplier prices change before you accept, I will re-confirm the price." For the deck quote, one line covers both: "This quote is valid for 30 days from the date above. After that, prices may change."
A good habit is to set a diary reminder for day 10 and day 25 after sending. That ties the validity period to the follow-up routine in the tutorial on ten ChatGPT prompts for quotes, texts and follow-ups, and the weekly admin hour in the tradie admin routine gives the chasing a regular slot.
Acceptance wording that holds up, and a deposit line
A quote that cannot be accepted cleanly invites misunderstandings, so give the customer one obvious way to say yes. Three methods work for small jobs, and the wording differs a little for each.
- Reply by email or text: "Reply 'accepted' with your name and the quote number." Screenshot the reply, with its date, and file it next to the quote.
- Signature on the page: "Signed: ____ Date: ____". Suits a visit where you hand over a printed copy, and the signature adds weight for larger jobs.
- Spoken on site: follow it the same day with a text: "To confirm what we agreed today: quote 0412, deck repair, start [date], deposit 262.90 on acceptance." If the customer replies, the reply is your record.
Ask the assistant to write each variant, but keep three things under your control. The deposit figure and its base come from you. Any date comes from your diary, since the assistant has no view of it. And the sentence about changes, "changes to the scope are agreed in writing before work starts", is yours too, because it is the line that protects you from scope creep. The builder's quote worked example listed under Further reads shows the same sentence on a larger job.
A deposit line is useful but not harmless. Some places cap deposits on home work or require a written contract above a certain value, and the rules differ by trade, so ask your accountant or adviser what applies to your work before you print a percentage. Once you know, put it in the rules block so every quote repeats the same wording.
From accepted quote to invoice without retyping
Once the customer says yes, the quote is the source for everything that follows. Paste the accepted quote into the same Project and ask for two things: a one-page job sheet (scope, materials list, the exclusions to remember on site, and a start date you supply), and invoice description lines that mirror the scope. Keep the figures identical to the quote's, since a figure re-derived from memory is a figure that can drift.
The exclusions pay off here. Suppose three more boards turn out to be rotten once the first eight are up. The quote already priced extras at 35.00 each before GST, so the variation is a lookup: 3 boards at 35.00 is 105.00, which takes the total before GST to 1,300.00, the GST at 10% to 130.00, and the total to 1,430.00. With the 262.90 deposit already paid, the balance on the invoice is 1,167.10. The invoice carries a line reading "3 additional boards at 35.00 each before GST (variation agreed [date])", and nobody queries it, because the customer saw the rate on day one.
Run the arithmetic yourself in the invoicing app and let the assistant write only the words. The tutorial on drafting the scope in Xero and converting it to an invoice shows one way to carry the quote through, if that is your software.
Eight checks before the quote goes out
- The customer's name and address match the enquiry, and the quote number is new.
- Every scope line traces to your job notes; any line you cannot tick is deleted.
- Labour hours times rate, plus materials, equals the total before GST, checked on a calculator.
- The GST line uses the wording and rate your accountant gave you, and matches your invoice template.
- The deposit uses the stated base, and the figure agrees with the total.
- The exclusions cover your usual five arguments for this kind of job, including the hidden-problem clause.
- The validity period is a number of days with a start date, and the document says "quote" or "estimate" on purpose.
- There is no warranty, start date, licence number or guarantee you did not supply.
Eight checks take about five minutes, and they catch the four defects described earlier. Save the final version as your template with the figures blanked, so the next quote starts from a document that has already survived scrutiny. The tutorial on why AI is bad at maths explains why the third and fifth checks are done by you and not by the assistant.
Quote questions tradies ask before sending
Can I trust AI to calculate the GST and the deposit?
No. Chat assistants make arithmetic slips with complete confidence, and they sometimes calculate a deposit on the wrong base, such as the total before GST when you meant the total including it. Do every sum in your quoting app or on a calculator, give the assistant the finished figures, and tell it to use only those. Your accountant should approve how the GST line reads.
How long should a quote stay valid?
Many tradies use 14 to 30 days for small jobs, shorter when material prices move quickly or your diary fills fast. The right figure is the longest period for which you are happy to hold the price. Write the number of days and the date it runs from, because 'valid for a reasonable time' invites an argument six weeks later.
Is a text message enough to count as acceptance?
It is often good practical evidence, but legal weight varies by place and by job size. Ask the customer to reply with the word 'accepted', their name and the quote number, then screenshot the message with its date and file it with the quote. For larger or regulated work, get a signature and have an adviser read your terms once.
Should I call it a quote or an estimate?
A quote suggests a price you will hold, while an estimate suggests the figure may move. In some places the difference carries legal weight, so use the word that matches what you mean and check the local rule. Tell the AI which one you intend, because it will otherwise use the two words as if they were interchangeable.
Further reads
- Electrician Quote Template: Can AI Write a Domestic Quote You Can Send? — The same discipline for a domestic electrical quote.
- Kitchen Installation Quote Template: Scope and Exclusions With AI — Scope and exclusions on a larger fit-out.
- Can ChatGPT Write a Builder's Quote? A Worked Example — A builder's quote written start to finish with ChatGPT.
- ChatGPT for Handyman Work: Prompts for Quotes, Texts and Reviews — Prompts for quotes, texts and reviews on small jobs.
- Renovation Quote Template: Room-by-Room Scope Written With AI — A room-by-room scope for bigger renovation quotes.
- Hourly Rate for a Tradesman: Work Out Yours Without Guessing — Work out the labour rate your quote should carry.
- AI Automation for Tradies: Quote Follow-Ups That Run Themselves — Automate the follow-up after the quote goes out.
- Tradie Apps: Quote, Schedule and Invoice Tools Compared, With AI Features — Apps that build quotes and carry them through to invoices.
- Gutter Quote Template: Run Lengths and Downpipes Priced With AI — Turn a hand sketch into a fittings table, a priced quote and a site-visit checklist for gutter installation, with AI counting and you checking.
- AI for Tradies: Eight Admin Jobs to Hand Over Before You Hire Help — Eight admin jobs to give AI first, with a prompt or rule for each, the set-up time, what stays manual, and a test for when to hire.
- AI Tools and AI Development: The Complete 2026 Guide — the AI hub, including every tutorial in the AI-for-business series.
Sources: no vendor data used; every figure and the GST rate in the examples are illustrative, so confirm yours with your accountant and your tax office.