Building a Quote from Scratch
This article walks through every field on a new quote — from selecting a customer to adding grouped line items, applying a discount, and sending it for signature. We use a boiler installation as the worked example throughout.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Go to Quotes in the left navigation and click the blue New Quote button in the top-right.
Search by name, phone, or postcode. If the customer doesn't exist yet, click "Create new customer" to add them without leaving the quote builder.
The quote date defaults to today. Validity defaults to 30 days — this is the window during which the customer can accept. You can shorten it for urgency (e.g. 7 days for a promotional price) or extend it for longer-lead commercial work.
Click "Add line item". Enter description: "Supply and fit Vaillant ecoTEC Pro 28kW". Quantity: 1. Unit price: £850.00. Toggle VAT on at 20%. The line total calculates as £1,020.00 including VAT.
Click "Add line item" again. Description: "Labour — boiler installation (8 hrs)". Quantity: 8. Unit price: £65.00. VAT on at 20%. Line total: £624.00 inc VAT.
Click "Add line item". Description: "Gas tightness test and flue flow test". Quantity: 1. Unit price: £45.00. VAT on. Line total: £54.00 inc VAT. The subtotal at the bottom updates as you add items.
Below the line items, toggle on Discount. Enter a percentage (e.g. 5%) or a fixed amount. The discount is applied before VAT is calculated on the total.
Enter the payment terms customers will see on the quote, for example: "50% deposit required to confirm booking. Balance due on completion."
Internal notes are visible to your team in Trade2Base but are NOT shown to the customer. Use this for access codes, parking instructions, or anything the engineer needs to know.
Click Preview to see the customer-facing view. When happy, click Send — choose Email or WhatsApp. The customer receives a hosted link where they can read and digitally sign.
For larger jobs, use the Group feature to organise line items under headings like “Materials”, “Labour”, and “Access Equipment”. This makes the quote easier for the customer to read and shows you understand the full scope of the job. Click “Add group” above the line item list.
You can toggle VAT on or off per line item. This is useful when a quote includes both standard-rated and zero-rated items (e.g. new build work may be zero-rated). Always check with your accountant if you're unsure which rate applies.
Still need help? Contact support