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How to write a repair estimate on site, before you leave the driveway
2026-11-10 · Jobsay team
Quotes sent the same day win more jobs than quotes sent three days later. The trick is to collect everything you need while you are still at the job, in a fixed order, so the estimate nearly writes itself.
1. Name the problem in one sentence
"Slow drain and a leaking trap under the kitchen sink." One sentence at the top of the quote tells the customer you understood the job.
2. List labour and parts separately
Customers trust a quote they can read. Put labour as hours or a flat line, and every part as its own line with quantity. Avoid one lump sum.
3. Write down what you did not check
If the shutoff valve is old or the wall is closed, say it: "price excludes repair behind the wall". It prevents arguments later.
4. Add a validity date
Parts prices move. "Valid for 14 days" is enough.
5. Send it before you drive away
Check the draft, fix the numbers, send. A voice tool such as Jobsay can turn what you say at the sink into a drafted estimate, and you stay in control of every line. See what Jobsay is and is not.
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