Quote vs Invoice vs Pro Forma: What SA Tradies Need to Know

Quote, invoice, pro forma, statement, they're not interchangeable, and sending the wrong one at the wrong time confuses customers and delays your money. Here's the simple version.

The quote

A quote (or quotation) is your offer to do the work for a set price. It comes before the job. It's not a demand for payment, it's "here's what I'll do and what it'll cost." A good quote includes the scope, a price breakdown, VAT (if registered), a deposit requirement, and a validity period (usually 30 days, because your costs move).

The pro forma invoice

A pro forma invoice looks like an invoice but isn't a real tax invoice, it's a "this is what the invoice will look like" document. Tradies use it mainly to request a deposit or to give a customer (often a business or body corporate) something to load for payment before the work is done. It doesn't go in your books as income and you don't account for VAT on it yet.

The invoice (tax invoice)

An invoice is the real demand for payment, issued when the work is done (or at agreed stages). If you're VAT-registered it must be a proper tax invoice with your VAT number and the VAT clearly shown. This is the document that counts as income and that your customer uses to pay you and claim their input VAT. (More on that in our VAT guide.)

The statement

A statement isn't a new charge, it's a summary of a customer's account: every invoice, every payment, and the balance still outstanding. Send one to a regular client or to nudge a slow payer. It's the professional way to say "here's where we stand" without it feeling like a fight.

The natural flow of a job

1. Quote → customer accepts.
2. Pro forma (optional) → customer pays the deposit.
3. You do the work.
4. Invoice → customer pays the balance.
5. Statement (if needed) → shows what's still outstanding.

The faster and cleaner you move through that chain, the faster you get paid, and the more professional you look doing it.