Agency quotes

Agency quote FAQ

How should an agency price project work?

Agencies typically quote fixed project fees or time-and-materials. Show labor hours by role (strategist, designer, developer) and include project phases, milestones, and revision limits. Fixed pricing protects margins; T&M gives flexibility.

What if a client wants to negotiate the retainer?

Show what's included in each retainer tier (hours per month, deliverables, support level). This makes it easy for clients to understand value and decide what tier fits their budget.

Should the quote include post-project support?

Yes. Specify support options: included changes post-launch, paid support after 30 days, ongoing maintenance retainers, etc. This manages expectations and creates upsell opportunities.

How long should an agency quote stay valid?

30 days is the agency standard. Long enough for the client to circulate the quote internally and approve budget; short enough that you can re-price if your team's calendar fills up or your hourly rates change. State the expiration explicitly in the quote ("This quote is valid through May 28, 2026") so there's no ambiguity if the client comes back six months later asking for the same number.

How do I price quote revisions and scope changes?

Cap revisions at the quote stage ("Two rounds of revisions on each deliverable; additional rounds at $X/hr") and quote change orders separately rather than absorbing them. Revisions you don't price come out of your margin. Issueable's optional line-item flag lets you list "if needed" services so the client sees the scope ceiling before they buy.

Should I include taxes in the quote total?

B2B agency quotes typically show pre-tax totals with a note that applicable sales tax / VAT will be added on the invoice, clients budgeting for the engagement want to see the contracted scope number cleanly. Agencies serving consumers (e.g. wedding videographers) usually quote tax-inclusive. Issueable supports both: enable the tax line if you want it on the quote, or omit it and bill it separately on the invoice.

When does a client "accept" a quote: by signing, by reply, or by paying a deposit?

Best practice: a deposit (typically 25–50%) plus a signed Statement of Work or signed quote. An emailed "sounds good" without payment isn't a contract, the client can walk and you have nothing to enforce. Issueable's quote includes signature blocks; pair it with a Stripe deposit invoice for new clients to lock the engagement.

What's the difference between a quote and a proposal for agency work?

A proposal is a marketing document that pitches the engagement (here's our team, our methodology, why we're a fit, here's the price). A quote is the contractual price + scope summary. Many agencies send a multi-page proposal followed by a clean quote PDF for signature. Issueable handles the quote document; pair it with whatever proposal tool you already use (Pitch, Notion, Google Slides) for the narrative pitch.