Free home baking estimate template
Quantity, unit price, delivery and the deposit — a home baking quote a buyer can say yes to in one tap.
A home baking quote is a small contract: what you will make, how many, at what unit price, by when, and how much is due up front to start. Buyers say yes faster when those five things are laid out as lines rather than buried in a message thread, and the deposit line is what pays for materials before the first one is made. Accepting the estimate turns it into the invoice, so the balance-due conversation is already written before the order ships.
What a home baking estimate has to say
- Quantity and unit price on separate columns — "Custom cake — 8 inch round, buttercream" × how many, not a lump sum.
- Custom-order details: size, colour, flavour, personalisation — whatever would make a remake expensive if it were wrong.
- The deposit due before you start, and when the balance is due (pickup, delivery, or a date).
- Lead time and the delivery or pickup arrangement, with any delivery fee as its own line.
- What happens to a deposit on cancellation — say it now, not when it happens.
Lines a home baker usually estimates
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Custom cake — 8 inch round, buttercream | $65–$140 |
| Tiered cake, per tier | $75–$200 per tier |
| Decorated sugar cookies, per dozen | $36–$72 per dozen |
| Sourdough loaf | $7–$14 a loaf |
| Cupcakes, per dozen | $30–$60 per dozen |
| Rush order — under 7 days notice | $25–$75, or 20% of the order |
| Deposit to reserve the date | 25%–50%, non-refundable |
| Delivery and setup at the venue | $25–$100 depending on distance |
Home Baker estimate questions
How much deposit should a home baking order carry?
Enough to cover your materials, at minimum — that is the money you are out if they walk away. Half up front is common for custom work, full payment for small orders. Whatever it is, it goes on the estimate as a line, with the balance and its due date next to it, so the buyer approves the whole shape of the deal in one go.
What details stop a custom order going wrong?
The ones that would make a remake expensive: size, quantity, colour, flavour, text, delivery date. Put each on the estimate, not in a message thread, and have the buyer accept it. When they approve the document, they approve the spelling.
Should delivery be its own line?
Yes, always. A delivery or shipping fee folded into the unit price makes the unit price look high and gives you nothing to point to when the buyer collects instead. As its own line, it is obvious and it can be removed.
What happens to the deposit if they cancel?
Whatever your estimate says — which is why it has to say something. A short sentence on the estimate ('deposit non-refundable once materials are ordered') settles most of it before it becomes a conversation.
Home Baker invoice template · All estimate templates
Write a free home baking estimate — no signup, the customer accepts with one tap and it becomes the invoice.