Quote template
A quote is a written proposal to do business at a stated price, which the client can accept or decline, and a cost estimate (tāme) is the same thing with costs broken down by work and materials. There is no mandatory form, but the Civil Law binds the offeror until the reply deadline it set (Art. 1538) and treats the contract as concluded once the client’s unconditional acceptance arrives (Art. 1537), so a quote needs a clear subject, price and validity date.
Download the template
Filled-in example
Quote
No. PP-2026/015
From
SIA “Paraugs”
Reg. No. 40000000001
VAT No. LV40000000001
Parauga iela 1, Rīga, LV-1001, Latvia
To
SIA “Pasūtītājs”
Reg. No. 40000000002
Klientu iela 2, Valmiera, LV-4201, Latvia
Contact: Anna Kalniņa
| No. | Work or service | Unit | Qty | Unit price excl. VAT, EUR | Amount, EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Website design, 5 page templates | pcs | 1 | 1,200.00 | 1,200.00 |
| 2 | Content upload from the client’s materials | h | 6 | 45.00 | 270.00 |
| 3 | Hosting, 12 months | mo | 12 | 8.50 | 102.00 |
- Subtotal excl. VAT
- 1,572.00
- VAT 21%
- 330.12
- Total incl. VAT, EUR
- 1,902.12
- Delivery time
- 3 weeks after the advance is received
- Payment
- 50% advance on acceptance, the balance within 10 days of acceptance of the work
- Not included
- domain registration and paid stock images
This quote is valid until 15 October 2026. To accept it, sign and return it or confirm in writing by email.
Prepared by
Jānis Bērziņš, board member, signature
Accepted by
signature
The companies, numbers and accounts in the example are fictional.
If you set no deadline, you can withdraw the quote until the client accepts it (Civil Law Art. 1536), or when the client delays the reply (Art. 1538). But if you withdraw a quote and the client did not and could not know, you must compensate the losses they suffered by relying on it (Art. 1539).
A contract is finally concluded once the parties fully agree on the essential terms of the deal (Civil Law Art. 1533). So describe the work precisely enough that, after acceptance, nothing remains to agree about what is being bought; the contract then binds both sides (Art. 1587).
If you plan to ask for an advance, put it in the quote: under a contract for work, the contractor may demand payment in advance only if this was expressly agreed (Civil Law Art. 2223).
Required details
The law sets no mandatory requisites for a quote. The table lists what it takes for the client’s acceptance to create a clear contract, with the Civil Law articles behind each point.
| Detail | Required | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| The goods, work or service offered, with scope | Required | Civil Law Art. 1533 (essential terms) |
| Unit price and total | Required | Civil Law Art. 1533 (essential terms) |
| Validity date | Recommended | Civil Law Art. 1538 |
| Whether prices include VAT, and the VAT rate | Recommended | The invoice will show the unit price excl. VAT: VAT Act Art. 125(1)(9) |
| Advance amount and payment terms | If it applies | Civil Law Art. 2223 |
| Delivery or completion time | Recommended | Not required |
| What the price does not include | Recommended | Not required |
| How to accept: signature or written confirmation | Recommended | Civil Law Art. 1537 |
| Number, date and both parties’ names | Recommended | Not required; lets the invoice refer to the quote |
How to fill it in
- Describe the work precisely Not “website development” but “design, 5 page templates, 6 hours of content upload”. A precise description prevents a dispute about what the price covers.
- Break the price into lines Each line gets a unit, quantity and price excluding VAT, with VAT and the total under the table. In a cost estimate, group lines by work and materials. In the XLSX template the amounts calculate themselves.
- Set a validity date Until that date the quote binds you (Civil Law Art. 1538); after it you can revise the price. 14 to 30 days is usually enough.
- State payment and delivery terms The advance share, when the balance is due and the delivery time. Under a contract for work an advance can be demanded only if expressly agreed (Civil Law Art. 2223).
- Say how to accept A signature on the quote or written confirmation by email. The contract is concluded when you receive the client’s unconditional acceptance (Civil Law Art. 1537).
- Invoice after acceptance On the advance invoice or invoice, refer to the quote number so it is clear which agreement the payment belongs to.
Common mistakes
- There is no validity date, and months later nobody knows whether the old price still holds.
- The quote does not say whether prices include VAT, and the client sees a bigger figure on the invoice.
- The work is described too loosely, and a dispute follows about what it includes.
- An advance is demanded on the invoice although the quote never mentioned one.
- The client accepts with changes, and each side believes the contract follows its own version.
A quote that turns into an invoice
Fakts issues a quote with a validity date, sends it to the client, shows whether it was accepted, declined or expired, and turns an accepted quote into an invoice without retyping. The account is free.
Create a free accountFrequently asked questions
Is a quote legally binding in Latvia?
If it sets a reply deadline, yes: the offeror is bound until it passes (Civil Law Art. 1538). Without a deadline you can withdraw the quote until the client accepts it (Art. 1536), but an unexpected withdrawal may oblige you to cover the client’s losses (Art. 1539).
How does a cost estimate (tāme) differ from a quote?
A cost estimate is a detailed quote with costs split by work, materials and other items, most often used in construction and repair. Legally the same Civil Law rules on offer and acceptance apply.
When does a quote become a contract?
When you receive the client’s unconditional acceptance (Civil Law Art. 1537). Acceptance with changes is not unconditional, so no contract has been concluded yet.
Must quoted prices include VAT?
The law does not say so for a quote. It is clearer to show prices excluding VAT, the VAT and the total including VAT, because the invoice will have to state the unit price excluding VAT anyway (VAT Act Art. 125(1)(9)).
How long should a quote stay valid?
You decide. Until the date passes you are bound by the quoted price (Civil Law Art. 1538), so pick a period for which you can guarantee your prices, usually 14 to 30 days.
Can the price change after the client accepts?
Not one-sidedly. A concluded contract must be performed, and later difficulties in performing it give no right to withdraw (Civil Law Art. 1587). The price can change only if both parties agree.