The short answer
AI can draft a new quote in a few minutes if you give it your price list, two or three old quotes for similar jobs, and the customer's request. It copies your layout and wording and picks the right items. You check the numbers and the scope before sending. Most businesses cut the time per quote roughly in half.
Why quotes are a good job for AI
Most quotes are an older quote with changes. A painter's quote for a three-room flat looks a lot like last month's quote for a two-room flat. A consultant's proposal reuses the same sections every time. The slow part isn't the thinking. It's finding the right old quote, copying it, and changing twenty small things without missing one.
That's exactly the kind of work AI is good at: reading a request, matching it to examples, and filling in a familiar pattern.
What AI is not good at is maths you can't see. So the method below lets AI do the words and the structure, and keeps the sums where you can check them.
What to prepare (once)
Put these in a Claude Project or a ChatGPT project, so they're there every time:
- Your price list. Items, units and prices. A spreadsheet or a simple table is fine.
- Three good old quotes. Pick ones for typical jobs, and remove personal details you don't need.
- Your standard terms. Payment terms, how long the quote is valid, what's not included, VAT wording.
- A few rules. For example: "Always list travel separately." "Never give a discount without asking me." "If something isn't on the price list, write [PRICE?]."
This takes an hour or two the first time. After that you only update it when your prices change.
How to write a quote, step by step
- Paste the customer's request. An email, notes from a phone call, or a few lines you write yourself after a site visit.
- Ask for a list of questions first. "What's missing from this request before you can quote it?" This alone saves a lot of back-and-forth with the customer.
- Ask for the draft. Use a prompt like the one below.
- Check the numbers. Either do the sums yourself, or move the line items into your spreadsheet or invoicing system and let it calculate.
- Read the scope. Make sure the quote says clearly what is and isn't included.
The three things to always check
- The sums. AI language tools can still add up wrong, especially with many lines. Never send a total you haven't checked.
- Items that aren't on your list. If the job needs something unusual, the AI may guess a price. That's why the [PRICE?] rule matters.
- Scope and promises. A quote is a promise. Make sure it hasn't added a guarantee, a deadline or a free extra you didn't mean to offer.
When it's worth building something
The method above works with a normal subscription and some copy-paste. It's the right start for most small businesses.
If you send many quotes a week, it can be worth going one step further: a small tool where you fill in the job details, the AI writes the text, and the prices come straight from your price list or accounting system, so the maths is always right. The quote then lands as a finished PDF or a draft in your invoicing system. That's a typical AI workflow project, from €2 900 excl. VAT.
Questions people ask
Can ChatGPT write a quote for my business?
Yes, as a first draft. Give it your price list, a few old quotes and the customer's request, and it writes a new quote in the same style. Check the sums and the scope before you send it.
Is it safe to upload my price list to AI?
On a business plan from ChatGPT or Claude, your files are not used to train the AI by default. Avoid free personal accounts for business documents. More in Is ChatGPT safe for company data?.
What about an "AI quote generator" app?
Many apps with that name are general templates, not tools that know your prices. A project with your own price list and old quotes usually gives better results for less money.
Where to start
Pick the type of job you quote most often. Gather three old quotes for it and your price list, and try the steps above on the next request that comes in. Time it. If it's faster and the result is good, add the next type of job.
Want help with this?
This is what I do for small businesses. See AI workflow projects, or start with the 90-minute audit.