You have a work list and need lines the client can check. Use the right quantity for each service and identify repeated costs. One-off transport is not multiplied by square metres; material ordered may differ from worked area.
This guide develops a numerical example. Also see the construction quote guide for the full information checklist. Amounts are invented, not average prices or a technical estimate for real work.
Assumptions before numbers
Consider a room with 40 m² of walls to prepare and paint and 20 metres of skirting to replace. Areas are measured, standard materials and normal access defined. No service-system work or concealed repairs are planned.
If a condition is unchecked, do not copy the example as final pricing. Quantity and service must match the job. State measurement method and included surfaces.
From unit to line total
Basic calculation is quantity × unit price. Use units consistent with descriptions. Pack-sold products may need conversion before becoming supply per square metre.
- Initial protection, lump sum: 1 × €100 = €100.
- Remove skirting boards: 20 m × €5 = €100.
- Prepare and paint walls including materials: 40 m² × €18 = €720.
- Supply and fit new skirting boards: 20 m × €14 = €280.
- Transport for the job: 1 × €50 = €50.
Subtotal: €1,250 before taxes. This is a different proposal from the main guide's example, with its own teaching assumptions and amounts. Do not combine their totals as one offer.
Why labour should not be added automatically
Painting and skirting already include the described work. Adding hours for it again duplicates installation. To separate materials and labour, rebuild line prices rather than adding an independent column at the end.
Internal records can hold hours, materials and indirect costs while clients see work-item prices. Commercial presentation and economic calculation serve different purposes. Total must remain sustainable for planned hours.
When quantity changes
If wall area becomes 45 m² with the same service and unit price, painting rises from €720 to €810. Subtotal becomes €1,340 if every other condition is unchanged. More area does not always leave access and preparation unaffected.
A second transport or different process needs reassessment. Quantity changes can alter organisation. State how quantities will be confirmed and handled under agreed terms.
Example exclusions
Here, service-system work, concealed areas and different finishes need assessment. State relevant actual exclusions. Naming likely expected work helps more than “everything excluded unless listed”.
For new requirements, compare updated quantities, prices and timing. Do not silently edit sent lines. Numerical clarity also helps interpret revisions.
Before the PDF
Recalculate main totals and check units. Ensure transport and protection match visit count. Compare surfaces and materials with measurements, then review understandable conditions.
For complex offers, use readable work groups and identifiable attachments. Detail should reveal rather than hide the result. Clients should follow prices without taking responsibility for technical calculation.
Check quantities and rounding separately
Measured areas can have decimals while materials are purchased in packs. Do not round both identically for convenience. Retain work measurements and calculate supply according to the product, explaining the relevant method.
Use consistent monetary rounding and compare line amounts with the total. Locate cent differences before adjusting figures manually. Distinguish technical quantity, commercial unit and price. Software multiplication still requires checking entered data.
Enter these work items with units and quantities in PreventivOk. Check the PDF shows actual scope as well as total. Create your next quote with PreventivOk.