Quote — a price you stand behind
Send a quote when you know the job: the rooms, the materials, the hours. The client reads one number and knows what they'll pay. If the job changes, you write a new quote and the client approves it again.
Estimate — your best guess, with a 10% ceiling
Send an estimate when you can't see everything yet: an old basement, a wall you haven't opened. Under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, when an estimate is part of the contract, the final bill for all goods and services can't go more than 10% over it. A $10,000 estimate can end at $11,000, not $12,000 — unless the client agreed to the extra work or the new price.
When the job grows — get it in writing first
Found rot behind the drywall? Stop, write down the extra work and its price, and get the client's yes before you do it. That yes is what lets the final bill go past the 10% line — so keep it in writing, with the date and the new price.
Three more Ontario rules for home renovation contracts
- A home renovation contract worth more than $50 must be in writing.
- If you sign a contract of $50 or more in the client's home, they have 10 calendar days to cancel it.
- Ontario advises homeowners to keep the deposit to no more than 10% and never pay the full amount before the work is done. Expect clients to ask for that.
How to word it on paper
- At the top: Quote or Estimate — one word, not both.
- On an estimate, say what could change the price: "Price may change if rot is found behind the wall. Any change over this estimate will be agreed in writing first."
- Each line: the work, the materials, the price. HST as its own line.
- Your HST number, if you're registered.
Make it in a minute — free
Fill in the free estimate template, pick Quote or Estimate, and download a PDF with HST added for your province. Prefer paper? Print the blank estimate form.
With a CrewHub account your client opens the quote on their phone and taps Approve. An approved quote doesn't change — if the job grows, you send a new version and the client approves it again. How owners use CrewHub →