Free Bid Quote Template
Create a professional bid quote in minutes
Follow the requested headings and answer each scope item in the same order. Evaluators can compare your bid quickly and see why your company is the right choice.
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Bid Quote Template Examples
Browse these quote layouts before adding the project details. Each preview opens the Docelf quote editor, where you add the requested scope and prices. If the customer supplies a required form, follow that format when submitting your offer.
What Is a Bid Quote?
A bid quote is a written price offer for a project, contract, or defined scope of work. It tells the customer what you will provide, what you plan to charge, and when you expect to complete the work.
Use a bid quote when the customer is comparing offers or has asked businesses to price the same project. The request is your starting point: use its headings, reference numbers, and submission instructions so the customer can compare like with like.
For a smaller job, a clear itemized quote may be enough. If the customer also wants your approach and qualifications, use the quote proposal guide to organize that supporting information.
How to Use a Bid Quote Template
Keep the customer's request beside you as you prepare the quote. Use their project reference in the description, and check any required forms or attachments before submitting.
- Business Details: Enter your business name and contact details.
- Logo: Add your logo if you want the bid to match your other documents.
- Customer and Project: Enter the customer or project owner and their contact details.
- Bid Number and Dates: Add a unique quote number, issue date, and valid-until date.
- Requested Scope: Use the request's item names and order. Add quantities and unit prices.
- Check the Total: Check the tax and total for the base scope you are offering.
- Terms and Submission: Add timing and payment details in Terms and Conditions. Review, then submit as the customer requests.
How to Fill In Bid Quote Line Items
Use the customer's scope descriptions so each price is easy to match to the request. State the unit behind each quantity, such as panels, labor hours, or days of equipment hire. Include materials, equipment, or subcontracted work in the relevant price, or list them separately when the request calls for a breakdown.
This fictional bid covers replacing eight fence panels around a small business's yard. Removal, new materials, and installation are priced separately in US dollars. All three items use an illustrative 8% tax rate; use the tax treatment that applies to your work.
| QTY | Description | Unit Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Remove and dispose of existing fence panels — per panel | $35.00 | $280.00 |
| 8 | Replacement timber fence panels and fixings — per panel | $110.00 | $880.00 |
| 12 | Install panels on existing sound posts — labor hours | $50.00 | $600.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,760.00 | |
| Sales Tax (8% illustrative) | $140.80 | |
| Quote Total | $1,900.80 |
What to Include in Bid Quote Terms
The Terms and Conditions field explains what your price depends on. For this fencing bid, the condition of the existing posts matters as much as the panel count. State your proposed timing, payment terms, and anything the customer needs to provide.
Use only terms your business actually follows and check them against the bid request. Adapt this sample, replace the date, and keep the same validity date in the quote's date field.
Example: Terms and Conditions
- This offer is valid until [date]. The price covers removal, supply, and installation of eight fence panels on existing sound posts.
- Allow two working days on site. We will agree the start date after acceptance; the customer will provide clear access to the fence.
- Replacement posts and painting are not included. Any additional work will be quoted for approval before it begins.
- Payment is due on completion.
Keep the Base Price Separate From Options
The base price covers the work the customer asked everyone to price. An alternate is a different option, such as another fence material. Show it separately and say whether its price replaces part of the base offer or adds to it. Do not include an unselected option in the base total.
An allowance is an amount set aside for something not yet fully specified. If the request allows one, name what it covers and how a different actual cost would be agreed. For the example above, replacing damaged posts is excluded rather than hidden inside an allowance.
State who provides permits, access, utilities, or customer-supplied materials when these affect your price. A proposed schedule can include milestones, but distinguish the customer's deadline for receiving bids from the date until which you will hold your offer.
What to Include in a Bid Quote
Before submitting, compare the finished quote with the request. Check each requested item, including any required forms, attachments, or delivery instructions.
- Your business name, contact details, and logo
- The customer, project owner, project name, and site or delivery location
- A unique bid or quote number, issue date, and valid-until date
- A clear scope of work organized in the same order as the bid request
- Labor, materials, equipment, quantities, rates, and the total, with any allowances clearly identified
- A proposed schedule, milestones, and completion assumptions
- Payment terms, exclusions, and any permit responsibilities or warranty details that apply
- The requested submission method and deadline, plus how the customer will confirm acceptance
Create a Bid Quote Ready to Submit
Build the price around the customer's requested scope. Docelf calculates the total as you add items. Review the offer, then email it or download a PDF for submission.
More Bid Quote Layouts
These six layouts offer more ideas for presenting the same offer. Keep the requested scope, total, and terms easy to find whichever design you use.
Bid Quote, Proposal, or Invoice?
Choose the document that matches what the customer needs to decide now.
Bid Quote
Use a bid quote to price a defined project or contract, especially when the customer is comparing competing offers.
Proposal
Use a proposal when the customer also needs your approach, project plan, and reasons to choose your business.
Invoice
Send an invoice when payment is due. It requests payment for the agreed work rather than offering a price for consideration.
If the scope or cost is still uncertain, start with an estimate template. When it is time to bill, create an invoice from the quote in Docelf. Check the copied details against the accepted offer before sending.
Bid Quote Template File Formats
Use Word or Google Docs for longer bid notes, or a spreadsheet for labor and material calculations. These pages provide separate file templates; Docelf downloads your finished online quote as a PDF.
Related Bid and Business Quote Templates
Choose a different business quote when the customer asks for a proposal, contract terms, or a straightforward price instead of a competitive bid.
Bid Quote Template FAQs
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What is a bid quote template?
A bid quote template is a reusable layout for pricing a project or contract. It helps you show what the customer requested, what it costs, and the main terms in a format the customer can review and compare.
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What is the difference between a bid quote and a proposal?
A bid quote focuses on the defined scope, price, schedule, and terms. A proposal usually adds more explanation about your approach, qualifications, project plan, and why the customer should choose your business.
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What should I include in a bid quote?
Include your business and customer details, the project name, bid number, and dates. Then add the scope, price, schedule, assumptions, exclusions, and payment terms. Finish with a clear acceptance method.
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Should I itemize a project bid?
Follow the breakdown the customer requested. If they have not specified one, separate the main cost groups and show quantities and unit prices where useful. Keep optional work outside the base total so the customer can compare the same scope across bids.
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How long should a bid quote remain valid?
Use a validity period that matches how long you can reasonably hold the price and schedule. Consider supplier prices and labor availability. The submission deadline is when the customer must receive your bid; the valid-until date is how long your offer stays open. Check both against the request.
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What happens if the scope changes after the bid is accepted?
Update the scope and price in a revised quote or change document. Ask the customer to approve the change before you do work that was not included in the accepted bid.
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Can I turn an accepted bid quote into an invoice?
Yes. In Docelf, you can turn the accepted bid quote into an invoice without entering the same bid details again.
Ready to Submit the Bid?
Submit a bid that follows the request and makes your price easy to compare.
- Match the bid scope, references, and submission deadline
- Keep alternates, assumptions, and terms easy to find
- Email the bid quote or download a PDF
