Quotation templates: best tips and examples

Non-binding written offers aim to convince potential customers of the value and terms of your service. A clear and pro­fes­sion­al pre­sen­ta­tion is key. Free quote templates provide all essential elements, so you only need to add your company details, offer con­di­tions, and recipient contact in­for­ma­tion.

What are quotation templates?

Quote templates are pre-designed samples that provide the basic structure and essential com­po­nents of a pricing estimate. When a customer requests a price for a product or service, the provider typically responds with a quote outlining the expected costs, though it is not nec­es­sar­i­ly legally binding. In the U.S., whether a quote is binding or non-binding depends on its wording and terms.

Generally, a quote is an estimate rather than a firm com­mit­ment. However, if it clearly defines pricing, terms, and ac­cep­tance con­di­tions—and the recipient accepts it without mod­i­fi­ca­tions—it may form a legally en­force­able agreement. To avoid un­in­tend­ed oblig­a­tions, busi­ness­es often specify whether a quote is binding or non-binding. Including a dis­claimer such as: “This quote is for in­for­ma­tion­al purposes only and does not con­sti­tute a binding contract until a formal agreement is signed by both parties.” helps clarify intent. Given the volume of inquiries many busi­ness­es receive, using quote templates is a common practice. These templates provide a struc­tured format with place­hold­ers for essential details, which can be easily cus­tomized. Typically, quote templates are available as Word or Excel documents, but they also exist for other office suites.

What goes into a good quote template?

When creating your first quote, the challenge is including all relevant details while keeping it clear and pro­fes­sion­al. A well-struc­tured layout helps ensure your quote is easy to read and un­der­stand. At the same time, it’s essential to cover all key points to demon­strate cred­i­bil­i­ty and avoid mis­un­der­stand­ings.

While quotes are typically not legally binding in the U.S., in­ac­cu­rate or in­com­plete in­for­ma­tion can still lead to disputes. To minimize risk, make sure your quote clearly states pricing, terms, and whether it is binding or non-binding.

A well-struc­tured template for quotes for Word or Excel should be tailored to the occasion and include the following key com­po­nents:

• Complete company name and contact details
• Recipient’s contact in­for­ma­tion
• Date of the quote
• De­scrip­tion, quantity, and price of goods or services
• Possible discounts
• Ex­pi­ra­tion date (valid until)
• Terms and con­di­tions
• Ap­plic­a­ble taxes
• Payment terms
• Shipping and handling fees
• Con­di­tions of delivery
• Time frame for delivery
• Legal dis­claimers (if ap­plic­a­ble)

There are also some elements that may be useful or necessary in certain in­dus­tries. One key component is the ac­cep­tance period, which defines the timeframe between the creation of the quote and its ex­pi­ra­tion date.

If the quote is subject to specific con­di­tions, these should also be clearly stated in the document.

To make it easier for the recipient to get in touch, it is helpful to include ad­di­tion­al contact details such as a phone number, email address, or website. Listing a direct contact person or the in­di­vid­ual re­spon­si­ble for preparing the quote is also common practice.

How to create a quote using a template

You can save time by using templates to create your quotes. Re­gard­less of which template you choose, there are a few important steps to follow. It’s easy to overlook place­hold­ers or forget to replace example text so it’s important to be extra careful.

Take your time and first review the structure and key com­po­nents of the selected quote template before filling it out.

To show how to use a template properly, we’ll now walk through an example using a template for a quote.

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Free download

After down­load­ing, open the selected template like any other Word or Excel document by double-clicking it. The following guide will walk you through the necessary ad­just­ments to per­son­al­ize the quote template and create a cus­tomized document for your client.

1. Enter the company address in the top left-hand corner, and enter the recipient’s in­for­ma­tion un­der­neath.
2. The area in the top left can also be used for any ad­di­tion­al in­for­ma­tion you want to give, such as a phone number or email address, so that potential customers can get in touch with you more easily.
3. The subject is located on the right. It should im­me­di­ate­ly convey to the reader what the document is about. Instead of the standard Quote as written here, you can customize it by adding a date (Quote from 05/04/2025) or ref­er­enc­ing the product or service being offered (Our Quote for Your Flight from New York to Paris).
4. Un­der­neath is where details about the quote are included. This is in­for­ma­tion such as the quote number, customer number, and the date.
5. Un­der­neath the details is where you have room to contact the recipient directly and to thank them for their interest in your products or services.
6. Enter the details of your quote in the table provided by simply filling out the columns for “de­scrip­tion”, “quantity”, “unit”, “price per unit”, “sales tax %”, “sales tax” and “total”. You can also expand the table by adding more columns or rows if you wish.
7. After you’ve listed all the products or services, this is where you include the amount, first without sales tax and then with sales tax added.
8. The following text line can be used to provide the recipient with ad­di­tion­al in­for­ma­tion about the quote, such as the ac­cep­tance period, special discounts, or early payment discounts.
9. The lower section of the quote template is intended for the footer text. Here, you should include your full company details one last time—op­tion­al­ly including your phone number, email address, or website. Banking details can also be included.
10. Once you have made all the necessary changes, you can save the quote template and print the finished quotation. If you want to send the quotation by email, simply select the PDF format.

Please note the legal dis­claimer for this article.