#15 Immigration Check at the Airport｜Practical English Conversation
Izumi English Morning
#58 Requesting a Quote｜English Business Phrases
Izumi
When working with external partners or service providers, the first step is often requesting a quote.
When asking for a quote in English, it is important to clearly communicate your purpose, the necessary information, and the desired deadline.
In this article, I explain useful English expressions for making polite quote requests, confirming cost conditions, and checking delivery timelines in business situations.
Contents
Dialogue
Could you prepare a quote for the new website project?
Sure. What specific features do you need included?
We need a homepage, a blog section, and a contact form. Could you also estimate the maintenance cost?
No problem. When do you need the quote?
By Friday would be great. If you need more details, I can send the full requirements document.
That would help. I’ll send you the quote as soon as it’s ready.
1. Requesting a Quote
When requesting a quote, avoid saying “Give me a quote.” Instead, use “Could you ～ ?” to make a polite request.
- Could you prepare a quote for ～?
“prepare a quote” is a commonly used expression in both emails and spoken communication.
Other useful variations include:
- Could you give me an estimate for ～?
- I’d like to request a quote for ～.
Since requesting a quote requires work on the other person’s side, using softer expressions helps maintain a good working relationship.
2. Stating the Required Items Clearly
The accuracy of a quote depends heavily on how clearly the requester communicates the requirements.
In the example conversation, the features needed are presented concisely:
- We need a homepage, a blog section, and a contact form.
If you want to include additional cost items, you can say:
- Could you also estimate the maintenance cost?
The expression “also estimate” is useful because it naturally indicates an additional request without sounding demanding.
3. Confirming the Deadline for the Quote
The provider also needs to schedule their workload, so confirming when you need the quote is essential.
- When do you need the quote?
A common way to respond:
- By Friday would be great.
“By Friday” means “any time before or on Friday.”
Other useful deadline expressions include:
- As soon as possible would be appreciated.
- By early next week would work well.
- Could you send it by the end of the day?
Clarifying deadlines helps both sides prioritize their tasks.
4. Providing Additional Documents
When requesting a quote, offering requirement documents or specifications can be very helpful.
- If you need more details, I can send the full requirements document.
The key phrase “if you need more details” avoids sounding pushy and shows consideration for the other party’s workflow.
You can also show willingness to support further by saying:
- Feel free to ask if you need clarification on anything.
- I can provide samples if needed.
Summary
- Could you prepare a quote for ～?
→ A polite and standard expression for requesting a quote. - We need ～ included.
→ Helps avoid misunderstandings by clearly stating the required items. - When do you need the quote?
→ A key question for confirming the submission deadline. - If you need more details, I can send the requirements document.
→ A considerate way to offer supporting materials.
