Quote and Invoice Software for Tradies: What to Look For

Short answer: Good quote and invoice software for a tradie follows the job, not just the paperwork. You write the quote on site with your ABN, scope, exclusions, materials, labour, GST and an expiry date. When the customer accepts, the same figures become the invoice without retyping, and approved variations are added on the way. Receipts, materials and kilometres sit under that job until it’s paid. After that, choose on what fits a one-person business: whether you need crew scheduling at all, where your records are stored, and what the software costs over the five years you have to keep them.

No government body tells you which app to use. What business.gov.au does set out is what a written quote should contain, and once a customer accepts it, it’s a legally binding contract. The ATO sets the rules for tax invoices and records, and those apply in the 2025–26 and 2026–27 income years. This guide focuses on quoting and the job itself. For the invoice side on its own, see invoice apps for sole traders. If you just want a layout to fill in, start with the quote template for tradies.

What should quote and invoice software do for a tradie?

It should carry one job from the first quote to the last payment without you typing anything twice. Use this checklist when you try an app:

Check	Why it matters on the tools
Quotes with your ABN, licence number, scope and exclusions	The accepted quote is your contract, so it has to say what’s in and what’s out
Itemised materials and labour, with GST only if you’re registered	Customers compare line by line, and unregistered tradies mustn’t add GST
An expiry date on every quote	Material prices move. A dated quote lets you re-price instead of honouring a stale one
One tap from accepted quote to invoice	The price the customer agreed to is the price you bill, with no retyping errors
Variations added to the job before invoicing	”While you’re here” work gets paid instead of forgotten
Receipts, materials and kilometres filed under the job	You can see whether the job made money, and your deductions are backed up
A list of who still owes you	Final invoices get chased while the job is fresh in the customer’s mind
Works fully on your phone	You quote in the driveway and snap the receipt at the trade counter
Records you can export and keep	Business records must be kept for five years

If an app can’t do the first four rows, it’s an invoice app with a quote form attached, and you’ll end up re-keying jobs.

What should a quote in the app include?

Everything business.gov.au lists for a written quote: your details and ABN, a clear description of the work, itemised and total costs including GST if it applies, any variations already discussed, payment terms, start and finish dates, an expiry date, and space for the customer to accept.

Test the quote screen, not just the invoice screen. Can you add an “excludes” line, price labour by the hour and materials by quantity, and print a licence number? If you quote homeowners, does the total show as a single GST-inclusive figure? The ACCC requires that for consumers, as the quote template explains.

How should a quote become a job, then an invoice?

The accepted quote should open a job, collect variations and costs while you work, then produce the invoice from everything approved.

Here’s how it should go for Sam, a GST-registered electrician quoting a switchboard upgrade and new downlights:

Step	What happens	Figures
Quote	Materials $1,860 + labour 16 h × $95 = $1,520	$3,380 + GST $338 = $3,718
Accepted	The customer signs; the quote becomes the job
Variation	Two extra downlights: materials $145 + 1 h labour $95, approved in writing first	$240 + GST $24 = $264
Invoice	Quote plus approved variation	$3,620 + GST $362 = $3,982

Because the sale is over $1,000, the tax invoice must show the buyer’s identity or ABN as well as Sam’s ABN, the GST and a description of each line. Good software carries the customer’s details from the quote, so the invoice is complete without extra typing. If you’re not registered for GST, the same flow applies with no GST lines and one total. How to invoice as a sole trader covers both versions.

Why does the job matter more than the quote?

Because the job is where you find out whether the quote was right. A quote is a guess about cost; the job holds what the work really cost.

Say Sam’s wholesaler receipts come to $1,940 excluding GST against the $2,005 of materials he billed ($1,860 quoted plus $145 for the extra downlights). He made $65 on materials. He billed 17 hours of labour, $1,615. If the job actually took 19 hours, his effective rate fell from $95 to $85 an hour. You can only see that if the receipts and hours are filed under the job, not in one big pile.

The same receipts back your tax claims. Once you’re registered for GST, you need a tax invoice from the supplier to claim a GST credit on anything over $82.50 including GST. The ATO accepts digital copies of paper records if they’re true and clear reproductions, so photographing a receipt at the trade counter is enough. Expenses and receipts for sole traders covers what you can claim.

Should your quoting app track kilometres too?

Yes, if you drive between jobs. A trip logged against a job carries its own business reason, which is the part most tradies can’t reconstruct at tax time.

For a car, you claim either a set rate per business kilometre or a logbook percentage of your actual costs. The ATO’s cents per kilometre rate is 88 cents for 2025–26 and 91 cents for 2026–27, capped at 5,000 business kilometres per car. A logbook has to cover at least 12 continuous weeks, with odometer readings and a reason for each trip. One catch for tradies: a ute designed to carry a tonne or more isn’t a “car” for these methods, so check its load rating. Cents per km versus the logbook and the ATO logbook rules go through both.

Do you need job management software or just a quoting app?

A one-person tradie usually needs a quoting app. Job management suites earn their cost when you run a crew.

You probably need	If you
A quoting and invoicing app	Work alone or with the odd subbie, quote and invoice a few jobs a week, and hand your records to a BAS agent or accountant
Job management software	Schedule and dispatch several workers, need timesheets and shared job notes across the team, or want bank feeds and BAS lodgement in one system

Dispatch boards and team logins you’ll never use are still a cost every year.

Where are your quotes and job records stored?

It depends on the app, so check before you put years of customers’ details into it. Most cloud apps need an account and keep your data on the provider’s servers. On-device apps keep it on your phone, with no account.

Either can meet the ATO’s rules, but the ATO’s advice on keeping records safe applies to both. Back up electronic records regularly and keep a copy somewhere other than where you work, so a lost phone or a fire doesn’t take five years of records with it. The ATO’s own free app takes the same approach: its myDeductions tool stores records on your device and asks you to back them up. Questions to ask any quoting app:

• Does it need an account, a bank connection or access to your contacts or email?
• Can you export every quote, invoice and receipt, for example as PDF and CSV?
• If you stop paying or the app shuts down, how do you get your records out?

What does quote and invoice software cost?

Work out the cost over five years, not per month, because that’s how long you keep the records. As an illustration, an app at $30 a month costs $1,800 over five years; a one-time purchase costs the same whether you use it for one year or ten. On a free tier, check the quote and invoice limits, any footer or watermark, and whether jobs, receipts and mileage are included.

…and where does Keel fit?

Keel: Invoice Maker & Receipts, by Ilura Technology OÜ, is an iPhone app for people who work for themselves, built around the flow in this guide. You write an estimate on your phone, and when the customer accepts, it becomes the invoice in one tap. Every quote, receipt, expense and invoice is kept under its job, alongside your customers and business mileage records. Invoices are PDFs. A “who owes you” list drafts reminders that you review and send yourself; nothing is ever sent automatically. You can also type what you want done into the dock.

Records stay on your iPhone: no account, no bank connection, no cloud sync, and the App Store privacy label reads “Data Not Collected”. That also means Keel holds no cloud copy of your records, so follow the ATO’s backup advice and keep copies elsewhere. Keel doesn’t schedule crews, lodge your BAS, connect to the ATO or work out tax. It’s free to use with no invoice limit, and 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 and advanced reports. Keel on the App Store. More Australian guides are in the Australia hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best quoting app for tradies in Australia? The best one turns an accepted quote into an invoice without retyping, keeps receipts, variations and kilometres under the job, and shows who still owes you. It should print your ABN and licence number and handle GST correctly for your registration status. After that, choose on whether you need crew scheduling, where your data is stored, and the cost over five years.

Is there free quote and invoice software? Yes, several apps have a free version. Check what it covers: how many quotes and invoices you can send, whether a footer or watermark appears, and whether jobs, receipts and mileage are included. Keel, for example, is free with no invoice limit, and free invoices carry a small “Made with Keel” footer.

Can I turn a quote into an invoice? Yes, and you should, because the accepted quote is the contract and the invoice should match it. Good software converts the accepted quote in one step and adds any variations the customer approved. If you’re registered for GST, the result must meet the ATO’s tax invoice rules, including the buyer’s identity or ABN for sales of $1,000 or more.

Is a quote legally binding in Australia? Yes, once the customer accepts it. business.gov.au says an accepted quote becomes a legally binding contract, so the price, scope and terms bind you as well as the customer. That’s why exclusions, an expiry date and a variations clause belong on every quote. Some states also require written contracts for residential building work above set values.

Can I quote and invoice from my phone? Yes. The ATO doesn’t require paper records. A PDF quote or tax invoice made on your phone is valid if it contains the required details, and the ATO accepts digital copies of receipts that are true and clear. Keep your records for five years and back them up somewhere other than the phone.

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