For builders
Quoting for builders
A builder's quote for a deck, a carport or a bathroom strip-out is a short list of stages and a total. Quote Desk is for that quote: the one you need out today so the customer can say yes before the weekend. It is not an estimating package for a two-storey extension, and it does not pretend to be.
Quote from Saltbox Building Co
Merbau deck with steps and a handrail
| Merbau deck, supply and build, 24 m² | $9,240.00 |
| Steps and handrail | $1,900.00 |
| Skip bin | $520.00 |
| Site set-up and clean | $350.00 |
| Total | $12,010.00 |
Sent on a Friday. Accepted from the couch on Sunday night.
What gets in the way for builders
The quote that takes a weekend
Small jobs are quoted at the kitchen table on Sunday because the week was spent building. A price list of stages and day rates turns most of them into ten minutes on the phone.
Scope creep from day one
The customer remembers a conversation; you remember a price. A quote with named lines and a note on what is not included is the thing you both go back to.
Waiting on a yes to book trades
You cannot lock in the sparky and the plumber until the customer commits. An accept button on their phone shortens the gap between quote and start.
Deposits and stages
Quote Desk does not take money. The note is where you set out the deposit and the stage payments so the yes is a yes to the terms as well as the price.
A worked example
Builder work, with Quote Desk
Picture a fictional small builder, Saltbox Building Co, two carpenters and an apprentice. Their price list has day rates (carpenter $780 a day, labourer $420 a day), a site set-up and clean fee of $350, skip bin hire $520 each, and a few standard items such as a merbau deck per square metre supply and fit at $385.
An enquiry comes through for a 24 square metre deck with two steps and a handrail. The builder presses Quote this, picks deck per square metre x24, types a line for the handrail and steps at $1,900, adds skip bin x1 and site set-up x1. The note states the price includes GST, that the deck is on the existing level, that council approval if needed is the owner's, that a 10 per cent deposit is payable on acceptance and the balance on completion, and that the price stands for 30 days. Total $12,010. Sent Friday afternoon.
He presses Follow up automatically. The customer accepts on Sunday night from the couch, after the first reminder. On Monday he books the trades.
Talk of the Trade
Builders on Talk of the Trade
Talk of the Trade ranks builders by how many Google reviews they have. Figures as of October 2026.
See the builders on Talk of the Trade. Being listed there has nothing to do with using Quote Desk: no listing is sold and no rank changes.
Questions from builders
Can Quote Desk handle a large renovation quote?
It can list up to twenty lines and a note. For a deck, a carport, a bathroom or a kitchen that is plenty. For a full extension with a schedule of finishes, you will want your estimating software for the detail and Quote Desk for the summary the customer accepts, if at all.
Can I include my terms?
Put them in the note, or refer to a terms document you send separately. The note is shown in the email and on the accept page, so the customer reads it before they press "Accept this quote".
How many builders are on Talk of the Trade?
As of October 2026 the Builders and Trades category has 271 ranked lists, with 10,661 businesses listed in New South Wales, 7,975 in Victoria and 6,612 in Queensland. Quote Desk has no bearing on those listings.
Does it do progress claims or invoices?
No. It gets the quote accepted. Invoicing and claims stay in whatever you use now.
Also for
Other trades
Painters
Painting is quoted by the room, the wall, the square metre or the day, and every painter has a view on which.
Quote Desk for paintersRoofers
A roofer quotes from a ladder, a drone photo or the ground with a tape and some experience.
Quote Desk for roofersAir conditioning installers
Split systems are quoted against a brand and a kilowatt rating, with the install as the thing that varies: wall type, pipe run…
Quote Desk for air conditioning installersSend the next one from the ute.
Free is five quotes a month, paid for by a marketing consent instead of a card. Past that, Starter is $39 a month. Either way the set-up is typing in your price list.