THE SHORT ANSWER
A useful tradie quote says what work is included, how the amount was built and what needs confirmation. Start with a measurable scope, check your own rates and allowances, then preview the PDF before you share it.
Follow the process alongside our 40 m² Brisbane interior renovation example. Its A$17,924.53 total is fictional and illustrates an app export, not a price guide for Australian jobs.
1. Define the job before the total
Record the job location, rooms or work areas, finish level and the result the client expects. Describe work in terms a client can recognise: for example, install plasterboard to measured surfaces, paint specified walls, or fit four doors and trim. Identify who supplies key materials and which selections are still open.
In Estimates, you can describe the project and use AI assistance for a starting draft, or add the line items yourself. Treat the draft as a checklist to review against the site. A short description cannot reveal concealed conditions or confirm measurements.
2. Measure, then price each item
Choose a unit that matches the work: square metres for carpet or painted surfaces, an each rate for doors, hours for a defined labour task, or a clearly described lump sum. Record the quantity and unit cost you intend to use. Check that material supply and labour are either included together by design or shown separately where that is clearer.
For example, the sample shows 37 m² of carpet installation at A$72.97 per m², producing A$2,699.89. That arithmetic is useful to inspect; the rate itself is a fictional input. Replace it with your own supplier, labour and site information. Review markup and the tax setting for your actual job instead of copying the sample's 0% line.
3. Add the people and dates
Put your business and customer details on the document so the client can identify the job and contact you. Check the site address, project name, issue date and any date after which the amount should be reviewed. Estimates can place your business details and logo with the scope and itemised costs in a shareable PDF.
Keep a record of the version you sent. If the client asks for added work or a different finish, revise the affected lines and share the updated document rather than leaving two different scopes in circulation.
4. State assumptions, allowances and exclusions
List what your price includes and what it leaves out. Call out provisional product selections, access needs, preparation, disposal, and any work that depends on opening up the site. A lump sum for a wet bar, for instance, should say which cabinets, benchtop, fixtures and connections are included.
- Assumptions: What condition and measurements did you base the amount on?
- Allowances: Which items have a placeholder amount until a selection or requirement is confirmed?
- Exclusions: Which tasks, rooms or products are outside this scope?
- Changes: How will a changed scope be re-estimated and documented?
The example PDF lists permit and inspection and contingency allowances, but it does not give a detailed exclusions schedule. Use it to see the document format, then write boundaries suited to your own job.
5. Preview every PDF page before sharing
Check the client and business details, line descriptions, quantities, subtotal, tax input and final amount. Read any long descriptions and notes on every page. The two-page Brisbane PDF is useful here: several cost items and the final total sit on page two.
Once the document matches your intended scope and price, share the PDF through your preferred app. Keep the saved estimate available for the next revision.
For a smaller, item-by-item job, compare the Adelaide laundry fitout quote and PDF. It shows eight lines, an explicit cabinet allowance and a clear keep-layout boundary.
