How to Write a Professional Quote in Belgium: The Complete Guide

Key Takeaway: In Belgium, a signed quote is legally equivalent to a binding sales contract. To be valid and protective, it must include both parties' details, your BCE company number, an itemised breakdown, applicable VAT (21%, 6% renovation, or art. 56bis exemption), a validity period (30 days recommended), and the signature block "Bon pour accord et commande".

You've just wrapped up a meeting, congratulations! Now you need to send a quote.

If you invoice in France (SIRET, 20% VAT, Consumer Code mentions), the step-by-step is here: How to write a quote in France.

1. Mandatory information to legally protect your Belgian quote

To be valid and legally protective, your quote needs to include a series of essential legal details:

Your company's identity

• Trade name and legal form (e.g. SRL, SRLU, sole proprietorship)
• Registered office address
• Company/VAT number (e.g. BE 0123.456.789)
• Contact details (email, phone)
• Bank details (IBAN + BIC)

The client's identity

• Name / Company name of the client
• Full address (registered office or home address)
• VAT number (if the client is a business)

Information about the offer

• The word "Quote" or "Price offer"
• A unique quote number (for your bookkeeping)
• Issue date of the quote
• Validity period of the offer (e.g. Valid for 30 days)

2. Itemising the services and pricing

Every line of the quote needs to be explicit to avoid any dispute down the line. Take the example of a heating engineer wanting to itemise their work.

VAT reminder in Belgium:

• 21%: Standard rate for most goods and services.
• 6%: Notably for renovation work on private homes over 10 years old.
• Small-business exemption (Art. 56bis): If you're under the small-business scheme (turnover < €25,000 excl. VAT/year), include the mention: "Régime particulier de la franchise de taxe" (exact wording since 1 January 2025).

3. Payment terms and validation

To turn the quote into a firm contractual commitment, include the following:

• Deposit terms: State the percentage required at order confirmation (e.g. 30% deposit on signature).
• Payment terms: Specify the deadline once the final invoice is issued (e.g. Payment due 30 days end of month).
• General Terms and Conditions of Sale: Mention that the quote is governed by your terms (to be attached or included as an appendix).
• Signature block: Add the following at the bottom of the page:

Approved, for acceptance and order Date: ___ / ___ / 20__ Client name and signature:

4. 4 common mistakes that leave you unprotected in a dispute

1. Not setting a validity period: Raw material costs or your schedule can change; always time-limit the offer (typically 30 to 60 days).
2. Staying too vague about the job: Avoid broad descriptions like "renovation work." Itemise every task to avoid doing extra, unpaid work.
3. Forgetting to state your VAT status: Omitting the VAT rate leads to billing errors and tax penalties. Ouch.
4. Starting work without a signed quote: A verbal agreement or an informal email makes debt collection much harder in case of a dispute. In short: don't start work before you have a written agreement.

Warning: Starting work on a verbal agreement or an informal email is the leading cause of unpaid invoices in Belgium. Without a dated and signed quote, you have no legally binding title to initiate debt collection.

On the other hand, not stating a start date for the work isn't a mistake: it isn't a mandatory detail. What that actually means if things run late is covered in our guide on a signed quote with no start date.

Would you rather start from a ready-to-use template than create a file from scratch?

Download the free Word quote template, Belgium Download the Excel quote template with auto-calculation, Belgium

You can also create a compliant quote immediately using our free online quote generator.

What makes it legally valid is covered in our guide on the free PDF quote. To understand the legal differences between a quote and an invoice, check out our guide: Quote vs Invoice: What Are the Differences?.

Quick checklist before sending your Belgian quote

• BCE company number (e.g. BE 0123.456.789) and applicable VAT rate (21%, 6% renovation, or art. 56bis exemption)
• Complete details and VAT number of your client (if a business)
• Itemised description, quantity, and unit price excl. VAT for each line
• Validity period of the offer (e.g. 30 or 60 days)
• Deposit percentage required at order confirmation (e.g. 30%)
• Signature block with the exact wording: "Bon pour accord et commande"

How HeyDevis Secures Your Quotes in Belgium

Drafting each quote manually in Word or Excel exposes you to calculation mistakes and missing mandatory details. HeyDevis automates Belgian requirements from end to end:

• Automatic Belgian details and VAT: your BCE company number, IBAN, and Belgian VAT rates (21%, 6% renovation, or art. 56bis exemption) are pre-filled with zero calculation errors.
• Online signature and deposit: collect legally binding electronic signatures and get deposits paid (via card or bank transfer) upon acceptance.
• 1-click quote-to-invoice conversion: turn accepted quotes into compliant invoices immediately without re-typing anything.