Este guia ainda não está traduzido para o seu idioma — é mostrada a versão em inglês.
Estimates and quotes both answer "how much will this cost?" before any work happens, which is exactly why they get treated as interchangeable — even though the commitment behind each one is different.
An estimate is a educated guess
An estimate is your best assessment of likely cost, given what's known so far. It's useful when scope genuinely isn't locked down yet — a renovation where the final material choice isn't made, a project where requirements might shift once work begins. Both sides understand the final number could move.
A quote is a firm offer
A quote is a specific, priced commitment: this exact scope, for this exact price. Once a client accepts a quote, it's generally treated as binding — you're expected to honor the price even if your actual costs run higher than planned. Only send a quote once you're confident enough in the scope to stand behind the number.
How to decide which to send
Ask whether the scope is genuinely fixed. If a client wants "roughly what would this cost," before they've decided on the specifics, an estimate correctly signals that the number could move. If they've confirmed exactly what they want and you're both ready to commit, a quote gives them the certainty to plan around, and gives you a firm number to work from.
It's also common to send both in sequence: a rough estimate early in the conversation, followed by a firm quote once scope is locked in. Our estimate generator and quote generator are built for exactly this — start rough, follow up firm.
Label it clearly either way
Whichever you send, the document itself should say which it is — "Estimate" or "Quote" printed clearly, not left to the client to infer. A client who mistakes an estimate for a binding quote (or vice versa) is heading toward a disagreement that's entirely avoidable with one clear word at the top of the page.