What should a quote include? A complete checklist for trade contractors
A complete quote contains: both parties’ details, a clear description of the scope of work, an itemised price with labour and materials kept apart, the VAT, any ROT deduction, a validity period, payment terms, and what is not included. That last one matters at least as much as the first — most disputes are about what never got written down.
The basics
Company name, company registration number, proof of F-tax status and contact details for you — name, address and contact details for the customer. It sounds obvious, but a quote without a registration number and F-tax status raises questions with private customers who have learned to google before they hire.
Always date the quote and state how long it is valid. 30 days is common; material prices move fast enough that an open-ended quote can turn into a loss.
The scope of work — where the job is won or lost
Describe what is to be done, where, and to what extent. "Bathroom renovation" is not enough. "Strip out the existing surfaces, new waterproofing to industry standard, tiling 5.5 sqm of floor and 22 sqm of wall, replace the floor gully" — that is a scope the customer can actually make a decision about.
Itemise per stage or per line. It makes the quote easier to compare, easier to invoice against — and if the customer wants to drop something, you drop a line rather than renegotiate a lump sum.
The price: labour and materials — always separated
Always separate the labour cost from the material cost. It is not just good practice — it is a requirement for the ROT deduction to come out right, since the deduction applies to labour only. State whether prices are inclusive or exclusive of VAT; to private individuals, prices must be stated including VAT.
State the billing type: fixed price or time and materials. On time and materials, the hourly rate and an estimate of the number of hours should be clear. On a fixed price: what happens if the conditions change (see variations below).
The ROT deduction
If the work qualifies for ROT, the Swedish tax deduction on labour for home renovation, show the deduction in the quote. ROT is 30 % of the labour cost including VAT, capped at SEK 50,000 per person per year. A quote that shows the customer’s actual price after the deduction sells considerably better than one that leaves them to work it out.
What is NOT included — and variations
List what falls outside the quote: electrical work by a certified electrician, waste removal, tiles above a certain grade. Vagueness here is the most common source of conflict in trade work.
State how changes and additions — ÄTA in Swedish — are handled: that they are priced and approved in writing before they are carried out. That protects both you and the customer the day the strip-out reveals damp damage.
Skip writing all this by hand
Everything above is exactly what a good quote requires — and exactly what takes 30 to 60 minutes to put together by hand for every job. Quoting software like Bliqat builds the structure automatically from a description of the job: line items, the labour/material split, ROT, terms and digital signing. You review and adjust instead of starting from a blank document.
Common questions
Is a quote binding?
Yes — a quote is an offer that binds you for its validity period. If the customer accepts within that time, you have a contract. So always set a validity period, and do your sums properly before you send it.
Does VAT have to be stated in the quote?
To private individuals, prices must be stated including VAT. To businesses, excluding VAT is common — but always state clearly which one applies.
Updated 2026-06-10. This guide is general information — for the current tax rules, see Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency.
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