Quotation Format: What to Include, With a Free Sample (India)
Your quotation is usually the first document a client sees from you. A clean, complete quotation format signals that you run a professional operation — a messy one invites bargaining and doubt. Here is the exact format Indian service businesses use, field by field, with a filled-in sample you can copy.
Quick answer: a quotation format has 9 parts — your business details, a quotation number, the date, a validity date, the client's details, an itemised work table, GST (if you're registered), the total with amount in words, and your terms & conditions. Scroll down for a sample, or build one free in your browser.
A sample quotation format
Before the theory, here is what a complete service quotation looks like:
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept design & 3D visualisation — 2BHK show flat | 1 | ₹60,000 | ₹60,000 |
| Site supervision & execution management (3 months) | 3 | ₹15,000 | ₹45,000 |
| Material selection & vendor coordination | 1 | ₹30,000 | ₹30,000 |
| Subtotal | ₹1,35,000 | ||
| CGST (9%) | ₹12,150 | ||
| SGST (9%) | ₹12,150 | ||
| Total | ₹1,59,300 | ||
- This quotation is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.
- 50% advance payment is required to confirm the project.
- The remaining 50% is due within 7 days of final delivery.
- Prices are exclusive of any work not listed above.
A sample service quotation. You can recreate this exact layout with the free quotation maker — no sign-up needed.
The 9 fields every quotation format needs
- Your business details. Business name, address, phone and email — and your GSTIN if you are registered. This is your letterhead; a logo helps but isn't required.
- Quotation number. A simple running series like QUO-2026-014. Numbering makes follow-ups unambiguous ("regarding quotation 014") and looks organised. Don't restart from 001 for every client.
- Date of issue. The day you send it — the validity clock starts here.
- Validity date. "Valid until 12 Sep 2026" or "valid for 30 days". Without it, a client can accept your January price in December after your costs have risen. This is the single most-skipped field and the one that costs real money.
- Client details. The client's legal name and address. If the client is a company, quote to the company, not to the individual you spoke with.
- Itemised work table. One row per deliverable: description, quantity, rate, amount. Break the work down — a single row saying "Interior design work — ₹1,35,000" invites a discount conversation; three specific rows justify the price.
- Taxes. If GST-registered, show GST separately (CGST + SGST within your state, IGST across states — most services are 18%). If not registered, leave tax out entirely.
- Total and amount in words. The grand total, prominent, with the amount written in words ("One Lakh Fifty-Nine Thousand Three Hundred Rupees Only") — the traditional guard against altered figures.
- Terms & conditions. Validity, advance percentage, balance-payment timeline, what's excluded, and how many revisions are included. These terms carry forward into your agreement and invoice, so make sure they don't contradict each other.
Line items, GST, terms and amount-in-words handled for you. Download as PDF, no sign-up.
Quotation format with GST vs without GST
The same format handles both cases — only the tax block changes:
| GST-registered business | Not registered | |
|---|---|---|
| GSTIN on the quotation | Yes, in the header | No |
| Tax lines | CGST + SGST (same state) or IGST (different state), shown separately below the subtotal | None — optionally note "GST not applicable" |
| Rate for most services | 18% | — |
| Tax liability from the quotation | None — tax applies on the invoice, not the quote | None |
Two honest notes: a quotation is not a tax document, so nothing you put on it creates a GST liability by itself; and GST rates vary by service, so check the rate for your specific work rather than assuming 18% (beauty services, catering and tour operators, for example, differ).
Word, Excel or an online quotation maker?
All three produce the same format — they differ in effort and error rate:
| Method | Good | Bad |
|---|---|---|
| Word / Google Docs | Full layout control | You compute every total by hand; alignment breaks; amount-in-words is manual |
| Excel / Sheets | Formulas do the math | Looks like a spreadsheet unless you invest real formatting time; GST split is easy to get wrong |
| Online quotation maker | Math, GST split and amount-in-words automatic; clean PDF in minutes | Less pixel-level control than Word |
If you send more than a couple of quotations a month, the maker wins on time alone — and every quotation comes out in the same consistent format, which is half of looking professional. Here's the full step-by-step.
Common quotation format mistakes
- No validity date — the client accepts months later at last year's price.
- Payment terms that contradict each other — "50% advance" in one line, "full payment on delivery" in another. Whatever the client prefers is what they'll claim you meant.
- One vague line item — "Website work: ₹80,000" reads as negotiable; six itemised rows read as priced.
- Calling it an invoice — a quotation proposes, an invoice demands. Sending an "invoice" before any agreement feels presumptuous and can confuse the client's accounts team.
- Different numbers on different documents — the quotation says ₹1,35,000 and the agreement says ₹1,30,000 after a phone-call discount nobody wrote down. Keep every document in the chain consistent.
From quotation to getting paid
The format above gets you a professional quotation. What happens after acceptance matters more: the quoted scope and amount should flow into a written agreement, and the agreement into the invoice, with no retyping and no drift between documents. That chain — quote → agreement → invoice, all agreeing with each other — is exactly what DealInSec automates for service businesses, with a 7-day free trial and no card required.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard quotation format?
A standard quotation shows the seller's business details, a quotation number and date, a validity date, the client's details, an itemised table of work with quantities and rates, taxes such as GST if applicable, the total with the amount in words, terms and conditions, and a signature. The same format works for a quote, an estimate or a proposal cover.
Is a quotation format different from an invoice format?
Yes. A quotation is an offer sent before the work begins — it proposes a price and terms. An invoice is a bill sent to collect payment for work delivered, and a GST tax invoice has mandatory fields under GST rules. Never send an invoice where a quotation is expected: it looks like a demand for payment.
Is a quotation legally binding in India?
Generally, a quotation is an offer, not a contract. A binding agreement is normally formed when the client accepts the offer — which is why quotations carry a validity date and clear terms, and why important projects should move from an accepted quotation to a written, signed agreement. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should a quotation include GST?
If you are GST-registered, show GST as a separate line so the client sees the final payable amount — most services attract 18%. If you are not registered, do not add GST; you may note 'GST not applicable'. A quotation itself creates no tax liability — tax applies on the invoice you raise later.
What is the difference between a quote format and a quotation format?
Nothing — 'quote' is simply the shorter word for 'quotation'. Both refer to the same document and use the same format.