Writing a quote in Germany: structure, validity period and template for freelancers

What is a quote – and how binding is it?

Legally, a quote is an offer to conclude a contract (Antrag, § 145 BGB). Whoever makes an offer is bound by it: if the client accepts within the deadline and without changes, the contract is concluded and you must deliver on the terms offered. No particular form is required; a quote by email or PDF is just as valid as one on paper.

If you do not want to be bound, write “freibleibend” or “unverbindlich” (non-binding) on the quote. Legally it is then only an invitation for the client to place an order, which you can accept or decline. That gives you room to manoeuvre but makes the quote less reliable for the client – in project work a binding quote with a clear deadline is usually the better choice.

Quote, cost estimate, fixed price: the difference

The main difference concerns the price. With a quote and a fixed price, the amount stated applies. A cost estimate (Kostenvoranschlag, § 649 BGB) is an expert estimate; the final price depends on the actual effort. If in doubt it is free of charge (§ 632 Abs. 3 BGB) – if you want to be paid for the calculation, you must agree that beforehand.

Cost estimate exceeded: what applies?

If it becomes clear that the costs will substantially exceed the estimate, you must inform the client without delay (§ 649 Abs. 2 BGB). They can then terminate and only have to pay for the work done so far plus expenses. The law does not say when an overrun is “substantial”; courts usually draw the line at 15 to 20 %, in individual cases even lower.

Example: you estimate a website revision at €6,000 net. Halfway through the work it turns out it will be more like €7,000 – that is 16.7 % more and therefore in the critical range. If you inform the client immediately in writing, they can decide. If you stay silent and invoice €7,000 at the end, you risk getting only the estimated amount plus a small tolerance, because the client is entitled to damages.

These components belong in a quote

Unlike invoices, the law does not prescribe mandatory details for quotes. So that the quote is unambiguous and later turns smoothly into an invoice with all mandatory details, include the following:

• Your name or company name, address and contact details, plus the client’s name and address.
• The heading “Angebot” (quote), a unique quote number (e.g. AN-2026-018) and the date.
• A concrete description of the service: what is included and what is not? How many rounds of revisions? Which deliverables, formats, usage rights?
• Line items with quantity, unit, unit price and total price; discounts shown separately.
• Net total, VAT with tax rate and gross total – or, as a small business (Kleinunternehmer), a note that no VAT is charged.
• Service period or delivery date and requirements on the client’s side (input, access, approvals).
• Payment terms: payment deadline, any early-payment discount (Skonto) and interim payments.
• Validity period (“This quote is valid until 30 November 2026.”) and how the client can accept.
• A reference to your general terms and conditions (AGB), if you use any.

Template structure with worked example

This is what the core of a quote for a website relaunch looks like. Prices are net, the client is a business; the hourly rate of €90 is derived in the guide calculating your hourly rate:

Validity period and acceptance: when the contract is concluded

If you set a deadline, the client must accept within it (§ 148 BGB). Without a deadline, a quote made in person only applies immediately; between absent parties – by email or post – it applies as long as you can expect a reply under normal circumstances (§ 147 BGB), which is usually only a few days to two weeks. 14 to 30 days is common, shorter if your purchase prices fluctuate.

Acceptance needs no particular form: a signature on the quote, an email saying “We hereby commission you according to quote AN-2026-018” or conduct that implies it, such as transferring the advance payment. For evidence, written confirmation is best – so briefly confirm the order by email (order confirmation, Auftragsbestätigung).

• If acceptance comes too late, it counts as a new offer from the client (§ 150 Abs. 1 BGB) – you can accept it or not.
• If the client accepts with changes (“yes, but for €5,000”), that is a rejection combined with a new offer (§ 150 Abs. 2 BGB).
• Private clients who commission you by email or online usually have a 14-day right of withdrawal. If you are to start earlier, get this expressly confirmed and point out the compensation for value (Wertersatz).

Prices, VAT and terms and conditions in the quote

For private clients you must state total prices including VAT (Preisangabenverordnung). In business with companies, net prices with the note “plus statutory VAT” (zzgl. gesetzlicher Umsatzsteuer) are usual and sufficient. If you work for clients in other EU countries, mention the reverse charge procedure in the quote already so the client plans with net amounts.

General terms and conditions (AGB) only apply if you expressly refer to them when the contract is concluded and the client can reasonably take note of them (§ 305 Abs. 2 BGB) – for example via a link or as an attachment to the quote. A reference only on the invoice comes too late. Typical content for freelancers: usage rights, revision rounds, client cooperation duties, liability, cancellation.

A quote has no tax consequences: it is not booked and does not appear in the VAT return. You should still keep accepted quotes, because they are commercial or business letters (six years) and the basis of your invoice.

From quote to invoice

Once the quote is accepted, the work follows – and at the end the invoice. To avoid questions, take the items and prices from the quote and refer to the quote number. New are the mandatory details of an invoice: your tax number (Steuernummer) or VAT ID (USt-IdNr.), the sequential invoice number and the date of supply.

• Never bill extra work silently: agree it beforehand with a supplementary quote or at least by email.
• For large jobs, issue interim invoices (Abschlagsrechnungen) according to the agreed payment plan and a final invoice at the end.
• From 2027/2028 the invoice to a business in Germany must be an e-invoice – ask for the order number or Leitweg-ID the client needs on the invoice as early as the quote stage.
• If the client does not pay on time, the guide payment reminders and dunning (Mahnung) helps.

Typical mistakes in a quote

Most disputes about invoices begin with a vague quote. Check these points before sending:

• Unclear scope (“creating a website”): the client expects more than you calculated. Better: state the number of pages, features and revision rounds.
• No validity period: the client accepts after three months when your prices have already gone up – or you do not know whether you are still bound.
• Net and gross mixed up: private clients miss the gross price, businesses cannot tell whether the amount includes VAT.
• No payment plan for large projects: without an agreed advance payment you pre-finance the whole project.
• Forgetting to follow up: a short call or email a few days before the validity period ends noticeably increases the acceptance rate.

Quotes and KontoVexa

KontoVexa does not currently create quotes; you write your quote with a word processor or a template following the structure above. From the order onwards KontoVexa helps you: you set up your services and prices once under “Products and services” and select them in the invoice. You enter the quote or project number in the invoice’s additional references.

KontoVexa assigns invoice numbers sequentially, checks the mandatory details and, if you wish, issues the invoice as ZUGFeRD or XRechnung. More about KontoVexa’s invoicing software.

Frequently asked questions