Estimate vs quote vs proposal: which should you send?

Freelancers use the three words loosely, and clients do too. The difference matters on the day a client says "but you quoted $2,400" about a job that grew. This post is part of our winning clients hub; for how to write the persuasive version, see how to write a freelance proposal.

What each document commits you to

When does a quote become a contract?

Service contracts in the US are governed by common law (the UCC's Article 2 covers sales of goods). Under it, an offer is a proposal framed so that a reasonable person would expect a binding deal once it's accepted (LII Wex, offer). Acceptance is agreement to those terms, judged by what the client said or did rather than what they privately meant, and it should come in the way the offer asked for (LII Wex, acceptance).

Three consequences for freelancers. Until the client accepts, you can withdraw a quote by telling them. If the client rejects it or changes a term, your offer ends and their reply is a counteroffer you can accept, reject or answer. And once they accept as written, the price is the price, even if the work takes longer than you thought. That's why the scope section carries the risk, not the total.

1. Write definite terms: each deliverable, the number of revision rounds, the price, the payment schedule and the start date.
2. Add an expiration date, so the offer doesn't stay open for months (how long a quote should be valid).
3. Say how to accept: "Accept online" or "Reply 'Accepted' to this email."
4. Keep the acceptance in writing, with the client's name and the date.
5. For larger jobs, have both sides sign a contract that refers to the accepted quote.

State law can add requirements. New York's Freelance Isn't Free Act, in effect statewide since August 28, 2024, requires a written contract for freelance work worth $800 or more, alone or together with other work for the same client over 120 days, stating the scope, the rate, the payment method and the due date (NY Department of Labor). An accepted quote with those items helps; a signed contract is safer.

This is general information about US contract basics, not legal advice. Rules differ by state and by country; ask a lawyer about a specific dispute.

Examples of each

Wording that keeps each document what it is

ESTIMATE (not an offer)
This is an estimate based on what we know today. The final price will be set in a written quote after [the sitemap / the discovery session] is approved.

QUOTE (an offer you can accept)
Price: $[amount] for the work listed above. Anything not listed is quoted separately.
This quote is valid until [date]. To accept, [accept online / reply "Accepted"].

PROPOSAL (an offer with terms)
By accepting this proposal you agree to the scope, price, payment schedule and terms above.
Work starts once the [deposit] is received and the agreement is signed.

Which should you send?

• Send an estimate when the client asks "roughly how much?" before you know the scope. Give a range and say what will fix the number.
• Send a quote when you can list every deliverable and the job is one you've done before. Short beats persuasive here.
• Send a proposal when the client is comparing freelancers, when the job runs for weeks, or when they need to sell it to someone else internally.
• Answer a bid only when the request is clear enough to price; otherwise ask questions first or send an estimate.

Quotes and proposals in SoloWOS

SoloWOS Proposals covers the quote and the proposal: a pricing table with line items, a "valid until" date (after it passes, the client can no longer accept), view tracking and online acceptance with the client's name. You can send proposals clients accept online, then turn an accepted one into a signature request or an invoice. For an estimate that isn't an offer, a plain email is enough. Solo includes 20 proposals a month for $15/month; the free proposal template shows the sections.