Free Quote Template for Australian Tradies (With GST Examples)

Short answer: A quote template for an Australian tradie should show your business name, ABN and contact details; the customer’s details; the scope of work; itemised materials and labour; GST if you are registered, and the total; start and finish dates; payment terms and any deposit; how variations are priced; when the quote expires; and a place for the customer to accept. Once the customer accepts, the quote becomes a binding contract, so every one of those lines matters.

The checklist follows business.gov.au’s guidance on how to prepare quotes, and the GST rules come from the ATO and the ACCC. GST is 10%, and you must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000. Below is a layout you can copy into a document, spreadsheet or quoting app, then two filled-in examples. When the job is done, how to invoice as a sole trader and the Australian invoice template take over.

What should a quote template include?

Everything the customer needs to say yes, and everything you need if there is a dispute later.

Section	What goes in it
Your details	Business name, ABN, phone, email, address; licence number if your trade needs one
Quote details	Quote number, date issued, expiry date
Customer	Name, site address, phone and email
Scope of work	What you will do, what is included and what is excluded
Materials	Each item with quantity, unit price and amount
Labour	Each task with hours and rate, or a fixed price per stage
Totals	Subtotal, GST (if registered) and the total
Timing	Start date and estimated finish
Payment terms	Deposit, when the balance is due, how to pay, any late fee agreed upfront
Variations	How extra work is priced and approved
Acceptance	Space for the customer’s name, signature and date

business.gov.au lists all of these: your details and ABN, a clear description, itemised and total costs including GST if applicable, variations discussed, payment terms, start and finish dates, the expiry date and space for acceptance. The exclusions line is the one tradies most often skip, and the one that prevents most arguments.

Copy this quote template

Paste this layout into whatever you write quotes in and replace the brackets. If you are not registered for GST, delete the two GST lines and show a single total.

QUOTE                                  Quote no.: Q-[number]
[Your business name]                   Date: [date]
ABN: [your ABN]                        Valid until: [date]
[Phone] | [Email] | [Address]
[Licence no., if your trade needs one]

PREPARED FOR
[Customer name], [site address], [phone], [email]

SCOPE OF WORK
[What you will do, stage by stage]
Includes: [...]
Excludes: [...]

MATERIALS                    Qty    Unit price    Amount
[Item]                       [ ]    $[ ]          $[ ]

LABOUR                       Hours  Rate          Amount
[Task]                       [ ]    $[ ]/hr       $[ ]

Subtotal (excl. GST)                              $[ ]
GST (10%)                                         $[ ]
TOTAL (incl. GST)                                 $[ ]

TIMING      Start: [date]    Estimated finish: [date]

PAYMENT     Deposit: $[ ] on acceptance
            Balance: due [7] days from invoice
            Pay to: [BSB and account number, or payment link]

VARIATIONS  Work outside this scope will be priced in writing
            and approved by you before it starts.

ACCEPTANCE  I accept this quote and its terms.
            Name: ________  Signature: ________  Date: ______

Example 1: a bathroom repaint by a GST-registered painter

A painter registered for GST quotes a homeowner to repaint a bathroom ceiling and walls. Prices are listed excluding GST, with the GST-inclusive total as the headline figure.

Item	Qty	Rate	Amount (excl. GST)
Anti-mould ceiling paint, 4 L	1	$82.00	$82.00
Semi-gloss wall paint, 4 L	2	$82.00	$164.00
Primer, filler, tape and sundries	1	$68.00	$68.00
Prep, patch and sand	6 h	$75.00	$450.00
Two coats, ceiling and walls	10 h	$75.00	$750.00
Subtotal			$1,514.00
GST (10%)			$151.40
Total including GST			$1,665.40

Scope: ceiling and walls only; excludes the door, the window frame and any mould remediation beyond surface treatment. Valid for 30 days. No deposit; balance due 7 days from invoice.

Example 2: a fence replacement by a sole trader not registered for GST

A fencer whose GST turnover is under $75,000 and who has not registered quotes 18 metres of treated pine paling fence. There is no GST line and one total.

Item	Qty	Rate	Amount
Treated pine posts	7	$38.00	$266.00
Palings and rails for 18 m	1	$684.00	$684.00
Concrete, 20 kg bags	14	$11.00	$154.00
Remove and stack old fence	5 h	$65.00	$325.00
Build new fence	14 h	$65.00	$910.00
Tip fees	1	$95.00	$95.00
Total			$2,434.00

Deposit: $243.40 (10%) on acceptance, balance on completion. Excludes rock or tree-root removal when digging post holes; if either turns up, it will be priced as a variation and approved before the work goes ahead.

How do I show GST on a quote?

If you are registered for GST, add 10% to your GST-exclusive prices; if you are not, leave GST off entirely. Under the ATO’s registering for GST rules, you must register within 21 days once your current or projected GST turnover reaches $75,000.

The maths works both ways. From a GST-exclusive subtotal, multiply by 10%: $1,514 × 10% = $151.40. From a GST-inclusive total, divide by 11: $1,665.40 ÷ 11 = $151.40. How to calculate GST has more worked examples.

Who you are quoting matters too. The ACCC’s price display rules say prices to consumers must include the total, GST included, as a single figure. You can show the GST-exclusive amount and the GST separately, but not more prominently than the total. If you are pricing only for other businesses, you don’t have to include GST in the total. Quoting a homeowner “$1,514 + GST” in big type is the habit to drop.

How long should a quote be valid?

As long as you can hold your prices. business.gov.au lists an expiry date as part of a written quote and leaves the period to you. Thirty days suits most jobs; use 14 days or fewer when material prices are moving or your diary is filling fast.

Put the date in full (“Valid until 5 November 2026”) rather than “30 days”. If a customer comes back after the expiry date, re-check material prices and issue a new quote with a new number rather than honouring a stale one by default.

How should a quote handle deposits and variations?

Spell out both before the customer signs, because once accepted, the quote is the deal.

Deposits. State the amount, when it is due and what it covers, for example “10% on acceptance, balance on completion”. Residential building work is regulated by each state and territory, and some limit deposits or require a written contract above a certain value. Check your state’s building or fair trading regulator before you ask a homeowner for a deposit.

Variations. Most disputes start with “while you’re here…”. Write the process into the quote: extra work is described and priced in writing, the customer approves it before you start, and it is charged at the rates you set out. business.gov.au suggests including any variations and revisions already discussed, so record them on the quote rather than relying on memory.

Is a quote legally binding once accepted?

Yes. business.gov.au says that if a customer accepts your quote, it becomes a legally binding contract. The price, scope and terms bind you as well as the customer, which is why exclusions and a variations clause belong on the page.

If you genuinely can’t fix a price, for example on a leak you can’t see until the wall is open, call the document an estimate and say what could change it. A quote is also not an invoice. When the work is done, you send an invoice (a tax invoice if you are registered for GST) based on the accepted quote and any approved variations. If you are deciding whether to register, sole trader taxes explains what changes.

…and where does Keel fit?

Keel: Invoice Maker & Receipts, by Ilura Technology OÜ, is an iPhone app for people who work for themselves. You write the quote on your phone, and when the customer accepts, Keel turns the accepted quote into the invoice in one tap, with no retyping. Each job keeps its quote, receipts, expenses and invoice together, and “who owes you” shows unpaid invoices with reminder drafts you review and send yourself; nothing is sent automatically.

Keel is a record keeper: it does not file your BAS, lodge returns or connect to the ATO. Records stay on your iPhone, with no account, no bank connection and no cloud sync, and the App Store privacy label reads “Data Not Collected”. Keel is free with no invoice limit; free invoices carry a small “Made with Keel” footer. Keel Lifetime is a one-time purchase ($249.99 USD; the App Store shows your local price) that adds custom branding, a signature, premium templates and accountant-ready exports. Keel on the App Store. More Australian guides are on the Australia hub.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free quote template for Australian tradies? Yes: the layout in this guide is free to copy into a document, a spreadsheet or your quoting app. It covers the details business.gov.au recommends, including your ABN, itemised costs, GST, timing, payment terms, variations, the expiry date and the customer’s acceptance. Delete the GST lines if you are not registered for GST.

Do I have to include GST on a quote? Only if you are registered for GST. If you are, and you are quoting a consumer, the ACCC’s rules require the total price including GST as a single figure, and any GST-exclusive amounts can’t be more prominent than that total. If you are not registered, don’t add GST at all and show one total.

What is the difference between a quote and an invoice? A quote is an offer: it tells the customer what you will do and what it will cost, and once accepted it becomes a binding contract. An invoice asks for payment after the work or a stage of it is done. If you are registered for GST, that invoice is a tax invoice with the details the ATO requires.

How long is a quote valid in Australia? As long as the expiry date you put on it. business.gov.au recommends including a quote expiry date but does not set a standard period. Thirty days is common for trade work, with shorter periods when material prices are volatile. Write the actual date on the quote rather than a number of days.

Can I charge more than my quote? Not for the work the accepted quote covers, because it forms a binding contract. You can charge for extra work if your quote sets out how variations are handled and the customer approves the variation, ideally in writing, before you do it. That is why a clear scope, exclusions and a variations clause matter.

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This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified Australian professional.