A permanent lighting quote needs 9 things a seasonal quote does not: footage by run type, jumps counted in unlit feet, peaks counted with the pitch premium shown, the channel colour, the node spacing, the controller and its zones, the warranty split between manufacturer and installer, a deposit that covers the cut track, and a balance due when the system is shown working. The template below has all of them, worked to $6,160 on GlowBid's default track card.
Plain notice before you copy anything. This is a working installer's quote layout with sample wording for the terms, not legal advice. The company that puts its name on the quote is the only party to it; GlowBid is not a party and does not give legal advice. Have the warranty, cancellation and measurement wording reviewed for your province or state before you send it. Every rate on this page is GlowBid's default card, which installers replace with their own on day one.
I run a permanent lighting company in Ottawa and I built GlowBid. Nobody publishes a permanent quote template; the seasonal ones from the software vendors stop at strands and clips, and the manufacturer dealer quotes I have seen are a single number for "the roofline". The homeowner then compares that number with a neighbour's and neither of them knows what was in it. Line items fix that.
The lines at a glance#
| Line |
What it settles |
Default on the quote |
| Header and validity |
Who is quoting, until when |
30 days |
| Drawing reference |
Which photo, what the scale came from, confidence |
Owned photo, reference length named, source and confidence per run |
| Scope block |
Product line, channel colour, LED type, node spacing, zones |
Track, colour matched to fascia, RGBW at 9 in, zones listed |
| Runs by type |
Roofline by storey, ridge line, peaks with count, jumps with count |
Footage from the drawing, rate per foot, premiums shown |
| Add-ons |
Controller, transformer, extras |
Wi-Fi controller $250 on the default card |
| Totals |
Subtotal, tax, total |
Tax at your rate card's rate and label |
| Deposit and balance |
What books the date, what is due at handover |
30% to book, balance when shown working |
| Warranty |
Product from the manufacturer, workmanship from you |
Manufacturer's terms named; workmanship one year |
| Included and not included |
Power, permits, app setup, what is not lit |
Plug-in to a homeowner GFCI outlet; unlisted runs not included |
| Measurement note |
Photo estimate, confirmed on site |
Re-confirm if the price moves more than 5% |
| Signature |
A phone signature counts |
Timestamped e-signature |
The template#
Copy everything between the rules into your document. Square brackets are the fields you fill; the run table is generated from the drawing if you quote in GlowBid.
[Company name]
[Address] | [Phone] | [Email] | [Website]
PERMANENT LIGHTING QUOTE [number] | Date: [date] | Valid until: [date, 30 days out]
Prepared for
[Homeowner name(s)]
[Property address]
[Phone] | [Email]
Drawing reference. Measured from [your photo of the front elevation, taken on date / homeowner's photo]. Scale set from [the 16 ft garage door / a tape measurement of the front eave]. Runs marked (M) were typed from a tape or a known length; runs marked (P) were traced on the photo. Confidence: [high / medium / low].
Scope
|
|
| Product line |
[Permanent track / permanent no-track] |
| Channel colour |
[White / brown / black, matched to fascia] |
| LED type and spacing |
[RGBW nodes at 9 in / RGB at 12 in] |
| Controller and zones |
[Make and model], [n] zones: [front roofline, peaks, ridge] |
| Power |
Transformer plugs into a homeowner-supplied GFCI outlet at [location] |
| Included |
Channel, nodes, controller, transformer, mounting, sealing, app setup on the homeowner's phone |
| Not included |
Rooflines, peaks and ridge lines not listed below; new outlets or circuits; permits unless listed |
Runs
| Run |
Footage or count |
Rate |
Base |
Premiums |
Line total |
| Roofline, storey 1 [(M)/(P)] |
[x] ft |
$[rate]/ft |
$[amount] |
none |
$[amount] |
| Roofline, storey 2 [(M)/(P)] |
[x] ft |
$[rate]/ft |
$[amount] |
storey [10]%: $[amount] |
$[amount] |
| Ridge line [(M)/(P)] |
[x] ft |
$[rate]/ft |
$[amount] |
storey [10]%: $[amount] |
$[amount] |
| Peaks, [n] runs [(M)/(P)] |
[x] ft |
$[rate]/ft |
$[amount] |
pitch [15]%: $[amount]; storey [10]%: $[amount] |
$[amount] |
| Jumps, [n] runs, unlit |
[x] ft |
$[rate]/ft |
$[amount] |
none |
$[amount] |
| Flat per jump |
[n] |
$[amount] each |
|
|
$[amount] |
| Flat per peak |
[n] |
$[amount] each |
|
|
$[amount] |
| Run subtotal |
|
|
|
|
$[amount] |
Add-ons
| Item |
Quantity |
Unit price |
Line total |
| Wi-Fi controller, [make and model] |
1 |
$[amount] |
$[amount] |
| Transformer |
[n] |
$[amount] |
$[amount] |
| [Extra: downlights, second controller] |
|
|
|
Totals
|
|
| Subtotal |
$[amount] |
| [Tax label] at [rate]% |
$[amount] |
| Total |
$[amount] |
| Deposit to book ([30]%) |
$[amount] |
| Balance, due when the system is installed and shown working |
$[amount] |
Warranty. Product: the channel, LEDs, controller and transformer are warranted by [manufacturer] on its terms, [term, hours, exclusions], which we will give you in writing. Labour to replace a part the manufacturer accepts as defective is covered by us for [one year / the manufacturer's minimum]. Workmanship: mounting, sealing, wiring connections and controller mounting are warranted by us for [one] year from the installation date. Wi-Fi coverage, router changes and app updates are outside both warranties.
Measurement note. Footage and materials are estimated from photos and confirmed on site before installation. If the on-site measurement changes the price by more than 5%, we will confirm the adjusted price with you before proceeding.
Terms. The deposit is due to book your installation date and order the channel cut for your home. The balance is due the day the installation is completed and the system has been shown working. Installation dates depend on weather and roof conditions; if we reschedule for safety we offer the next available date. You may cancel within 3 days of signing for a full refund of the deposit; after that the deposit covers channel cut for your home and scheduling. This quote is valid for 30 days. By signing electronically you agree that your electronic signature is as binding as a handwritten one.
Signed: [homeowner], [date and time]. For [Company]: [name], [date].
Sample terms notice. These terms are set by the company named on this document, which is the only party to the agreement with the homeowner. GlowBid provides sample wording as a convenience, is not a party to this agreement, and does not give legal advice.
Why each line exists#
Drawing reference. The runs came from a photo, and the quote should say which one and how it was scaled. Every run in GlowBid carries a source tag, reference-scaled or manual, and a confidence level, and a run angled away from the camera gets a foreshortening warning; the (M) and (P) marks are the paper version. It is what makes the 5 percent clause honest, because the homeowner can see which runs were measured and which were traced. The free roofline tool sets the scale the same way.
Scope block. Three things go wrong on permanent scope: "the roofline" meant the whole silhouette to the homeowner and the front eave to you; the channel colour was never written down and the fascia is tan; and the mockup showed 9 inch spacing and the order was 12. Write all three, and list the zones, because "can the peaks be a different colour from the eave" is a controller question that costs money to answer after install.
Runs by type. Roofline, ridge line, peaks and jumps price differently and the quote shows why. On the default card roofline and ridge line are $25 per foot on track, a peak is $28 plus a 15 percent pitch premium, and a jump is $12 per unlit foot. The storey premium is 10 percent of the base for each storey above the first. Peaks and jumps are counted as well as measured because the connectors, drip loops and apex mitres are per item, not per foot; the flat per-jump and per-peak lines default to $0 and many installers set them. The ridge line, peaks and jumps guide has the reasoning for each.
Controller as its own line. To the homeowner the controller is the product; the roofline is where it lives. Name the make, the model and the zones, and price it separately so a second controller on the back of the house is a visible add, not a surprise.
Warranty split. Manufacturer and installer are different parties with different promises. Trimlight's warranty covers parts for the manufacturer's estimated lifespan and says labour on defective parts is covered for a minimum of one full year by the local dealer, with Wi-Fi and radio interference excluded; JellyFish gives five years on parts and one on labour. Your quote has to say which the homeowner is getting from whom, and your workmanship year sits beside it. GlowBid's default clause is "Workmanship is warranted for one year from the installation date. Product warranties are provided by the manufacturer." and the longer version lives in the permanent agreement template.
Deposit and balance. Channel is cut per house and cannot be resold, so the deposit has to cover it. Thirty percent is the default; "shown working" on the balance line puts the payment at the moment the homeowner is happiest, with the app open and the lights on.
Included and not included. Power is the clause the seasonal templates skip. Our default design plugs the transformer into a homeowner-supplied GFCI outlet and nothing goes behind the siding; a new outlet is a licensed electrician's line. Saying what is not lit stops the back gable from becoming a warranty call.
A worked example on GlowBid's default track card#
A two-storey with a single-storey garage bump-out, two front gables and a lit ridge, front elevation only, white channel, RGBW nodes at 9 inches. Rates, premiums, the controller price, the minimum job and the deposit are all GlowBid's defaults; the flat per-jump and per-peak lines are left at the $0 default. The roofline runs were scaled from the 16 ft garage door; the ridge and the jumps were typed from a tape.
| Run |
Footage or count |
Rate |
Base |
Premiums |
Line total |
| Roofline, garage and porch, storey 1 (P) |
42 ft |
$25.00/ft |
$1,050.00 |
none |
$1,050.00 |
| Roofline, upper, storey 2 (P) |
88 ft |
$25.00/ft |
$2,200.00 |
storey 10%: $220.00 |
$2,420.00 |
| Ridge line, storey 2 (M) |
24 ft |
$25.00/ft |
$600.00 |
storey 10%: $60.00 |
$660.00 |
| Peaks, 4 runs of 11 ft, storey 2 (P) |
44 ft |
$28.00/ft |
$1,232.00 |
pitch 15%: $184.80; storey 10%: $123.20 |
$1,540.00 |
| Jumps, 3 runs, unlit (M) |
20 ft |
$12.00/ft |
$240.00 |
none |
$240.00 |
| Flat per jump (default $0) |
3 |
$0.00 |
|
|
$0.00 |
| Flat per peak (default $0) |
4 |
$0.00 |
|
|
$0.00 |
| Run subtotal |
|
|
|
|
$5,910.00 |
| Wi-Fi controller, 3 zones |
1 |
$250.00 |
|
|
$250.00 |
| Minimum job check ($1,500) |
|
|
|
met, no adjustment |
$0.00 |
| Subtotal before tax |
|
|
|
|
$6,160.00 |
| Tax (0% on the default card; set yours) |
|
|
|
|
$0.00 |
| Total |
|
|
|
|
$6,160.00 |
| Deposit to book (30%) |
|
|
|
|
$1,848.00 |
| Balance when shown working |
|
|
|
|
$4,312.00 |
Lit footage is 198 ft, so the materials list with the 10 percent buffer calls for 218 ft of channel and light line and 22 ft of jump cable; the buffer is on the order, never on the price. The all-in price is $31.11 per lit foot, so the homeowner can compare it with a neighbour's one-number quote. The scope block says white channel, RGBW at 9 inches, three zones (lower roofline, upper roofline and ridge, peaks), transformer at the garage outlet. If the tape says 84 ft on the upper roofline instead of 88, that is a 4.5 percent move on one line and 1.8 percent on the total with the storey premium, so the crew installs and the invoice shows the true footage. The permanent per-foot method explains the rates behind each line.
How GlowBid produces this quote#
The run table is not typed. The runs are drawn on your photo by type, the scale comes from a reference length, and footage, bill of materials and price derive from the same geometry; change the drawing and all three change. Peaks and jumps are counted from the drawing, the premiums come from the rate card, and the quote PDF carries the drawing, the footage by run, the line items, the scope block and the measurement disclaimer. The homeowner signs on their phone, the signed document gets a SHA-256 fingerprint, and the deposit is collected through Stripe on the same page. The seasonal version of this document is the installation estimate template.
Mistakes we have made or watched others make#
- One number for "the roofline." The neighbour's one number was smaller, and nobody can say why.
- Jumps priced as lit footage. Twenty feet of cable ordered as channel, and a quote $260 higher than it should be on this house.
- Peaks measured but not counted. Four apex mitres and four ladder moves at a per-foot rate that was set for a straight eave.
- No channel colour on the quote. Tan fascia, white track, and the re-install is yours.
- "Lifetime warranty" with no party attached. The manufacturer's lifetime is on parts; yours is a year on workmanship.
- Balance due "on completion" with no "shown working." The controller was not paired, and the cheque waited a week.
- A 30-day quote sent in June and accepted in November at June's channel price.
- Quoting from a Street View screenshot. It is not your photo, it is not measurable under Google's terms, and the homeowner's own photo takes two minutes.
If you would rather not maintain the document, GlowBid prints it from the drawing and the rate card with your own rates, premiums, clauses and warranty wording, and the founding price includes it on every plan.
