Electronic signature for quotes and contracts
IBIOS E-sign is electronic signature software for UK businesses that send quotes. Turn an accepted quote into a contract your customer signs online, and keep the evidence record of who signed and when alongside the job. For now, you send the signing link from your own email.
For: Any business that needs a customer to sign before work starts. Use it on its own or alongside the other IBIOS products.
What it does
- LiveCreate a contract from a quote, with the deposit due and any tile or finish confirmations
- LiveA signing link you send from your own email; the customer signs on a secure web page
- LiveAn evidence record of who signed and when; the contract is locked once signed
- LiveRevoke and reissue a contract
- Coming soonIBIOS emailing the signing link for you
Proven in a real business
IBIOS was built inside a working bathroom showroom in Northern Ireland, where it runs the business day to day. That is our proof story, not our limit: each product works on its own for any business that needs it.
Buying guide
Choosing electronic signature software: a practical guide for UK businesses
Written by the IBIOS team. IBIOS was built inside a working bathroom showroom in Northern Ireland, where it runs the business day to day. Last updated 18 October 2026.
What is the best electronic signature software for a UK business?
The best electronic signature software for a UK business is the one that fits where your documents come from. If your contracts start life as quotes, the best tool is one that turns the quote into the contract, so nothing is retyped. That is how IBIOS E-sign works, and it is live: you create the contract from the quote, you send the signing link from your own email, and the customer signs online. IBIOS emailing the link for you is coming soon.
- What you actually need signed. Quotes, contracts, change orders, terms of business, staff documents. List them and how often each is sent.
- Where each document comes from. If a contract is built from a quote, the deposit due and the agreed finishes should carry across without being typed again.
- Whether a signature is needed at all. For many everyday jobs, a recorded acceptance of the exact quote is what matters. Signatures earn their place on contracts, variations and anything the customer must explicitly agree to.
- The evidence it keeps. Who signed and when, and a locked copy of exactly what they signed. This record is the point of the tool.
- Where the signed copy lives. With the customer and the job, not in a separate account that only one person can open.
- How the link reaches the customer. Some tools email the link for you; with others you send it yourself. Know which before you plan your process.
Is an electronic signature legally valid in the UK?
Generally yes. Electronic signatures are recognised across the UK for ordinary business contracts, and the courts look at whether the person intended to sign and whether you can show what they signed.
Some documents carry extra formalities, for example deeds, certain property documents and documents that must be witnessed or registered. Those rules are not identical in Scotland and the rest of the UK. If a document needs a witness or registration, take legal advice rather than relying on a signing tool.
How does IBIOS E-sign work?
IBIOS E-sign is electronic signature software built around your quotes, so a contract starts from the price the customer has already seen. On a quote, staff press "Create contract & compose email". IBIOS creates the contract from the quote, including the deposit due and any tile or finish confirmations the customer needs to agree.
You send the signing link from your own email. IBIOS does not email the link for you yet; that part is coming soon. The customer opens the link and signs on a secure signing page.
Once the customer signs, IBIOS keeps an evidence record of who signed and when, and the contract is locked. If something needs to change, staff can revoke the contract and reissue it, so the customer always signs the right version.
Signing the VAT relief declaration within the contract: coming soon. Until then, the disability VAT relief declaration is signed separately.
Signature or online acceptance?
For a straightforward quote, the question is usually "can I prove the customer agreed to this version?". Online quote acceptance in Quote Studio does that: the acceptance is recorded against the exact version the customer saw.
A signed contract adds most when you want the customer to agree more than the price: the deposit due, the tiles and finishes they chose, and your terms. In IBIOS you can do both, starting from the same quote, and record the deposit against the job in Payments.
Consumers, cancellation and signing
A signature does not remove a consumer’s cancellation rights. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which apply across the UK including Northern Ireland, contracts made at a customer’s home or at a distance usually carry a cancellation period, and you must give the required information. Send that information with the contract, whatever tool you use.
Print and scan, a dedicated signing service, online quote acceptance or IBIOS E-sign?
How the options tend to work out for a small business.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Print, sign and scan | The odd document from a customer who prefers paper. | Slow, easy to lose, and no record of exactly which version was signed. |
| Dedicated e-signature service | Varied documents that do not start as quotes, sent from many places. | Per-user or per-envelope pricing adds up, and signed copies live outside your customer records. |
| Online quote acceptance (IBIOS Quote Studio) | Proving a customer accepted a specific quote version. | An acceptance, not a signed contract: use a contract when the customer must also agree the deposit, finishes and terms. |
| IBIOS E-sign | Contracts that come from your own quotes, with the signed record kept on the job. | You send the signing link from your own email, as IBIOS emailing it for you is coming soon. |
What you need in place before you start
- A list of the documents you send for signature, and which truly need one.
- Up-to-date terms of business and, for consumers, your cancellation information.
- Your deposit rule and the finish choices you want the customer to confirm.
- Checked, current customer email addresses, since you send the signing link from your own email.
- A rule for where signed copies are kept and for how long.
- Advice on any document that needs a witness or registration.
What it costs
E-signature services are usually priced per user, per document sent, or both. Work out your real monthly volume first: many small businesses pay for a plan sized for far more documents than they send.
IBIOS E-sign is live and works from your IBIOS quotes. Founding prices for waiting-list members are explained on the pricing page.
Last reviewed October 2026.
What people get wrong
- Paying for a signing tool when an online quote acceptance would do.
- Retyping a quote into a separate contract and getting the deposit or finishes wrong.
- Keeping signed copies in one person’s email account.
- Editing a contract after it is signed instead of revoking it and issuing a new one.
- Using an e-signature for a document that legally needs a witness.
- Assuming a signature cancels a consumer’s right to cancel.
Related reading
- Quoting software buying guide
- Quote acceptance link
- Payments and cash flow
- Free quote template
- All IBIOS products
Electronic signature software FAQs
Is IBIOS electronic signature software available now?
Yes, IBIOS E-sign is live. You create a contract from a quote and the customer signs it online; you send the signing link from your own email, as IBIOS emailing it for you is coming soon.
How do I send a contract for signature in IBIOS?
Press "Create contract & compose email" on the quote. IBIOS creates the contract with the deposit due and any tile or finish confirmations, and you send the signing link from your own email.
What record does IBIOS keep when a customer signs?
An evidence record of who signed and when. Once signed, the contract is locked so it cannot be changed.
What if a contract needs to change?
Revoke it and reissue it. Staff can revoke a contract and reissue it, so the customer always signs the right version.
Is an electronic signature legally valid in the UK?
Generally yes, for ordinary business contracts. Documents such as deeds, or those needing a witness or registration, have extra rules, so take advice on those.
Does a signed contract stop a consumer cancelling?
No. Consumer cancellation rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations still apply across the UK, signed or not.
Want to see how a quote becomes a signed contract?
Join the waiting list and tell us what you need signed. We will tell you honestly whether IBIOS E-sign fits the way you work, including that you send the signing link from your own email for now. We built it to run our own showroom first.
IBIOS Limited · company no. NI743167 · 10 Ballyclare Road, Doagh, Ballyclare BT39 0PE · Production is hosted in the UK.
Use E-signatures in your business
IBIOS is in early access. Join the waiting list and we will email you when a place is available.