I've had mixed luck with suppliers being flexible. Sure, some reps might lock in a quote longer if you ask nicely, but lately, with material costs jumping around so much, they're getting stricter. Had one supplier flat-out refuse to extend a quote even by a week because metal prices were fluctuating daily. So yeah, doesn't hurt to ask...but I wouldn't count on it as a reliable strategy these days. Better to factor in some wiggle room upfront.
Yeah, I've run into the same thing lately. I remember a few years back, suppliers would hold quotes for a month without blinking an eye. Now, you're lucky if they don't laugh when you ask for two weeks. Had one job recently where the material price jumped significantly between quoting and ordering—ate right into my margins. Makes me wonder, are you guys adjusting your contracts or estimates to cover yourselves better, or just rolling the dice and hoping prices stabilize?
I've been seeing the same thing on my end lately. I don't deal directly with material suppliers as much, but I do see the ripple effects when contractors I work alongside start grumbling about price hikes. Seems like everyone's feeling the pinch these days.
Honestly, from what I've seen, most of the contractors I know have started shortening their quote validity periods or adding some kind of clause to cover themselves. One guy I know pretty well has started including a line in his estimates that basically says something like "prices subject to change based on current market conditions." He told me it doesn't always go over smoothly with customers, but at least it gives him some wiggle room if things go sideways.
I get that it's tricky though—customers want certainty, and nobody likes surprises when it comes to money. But at the same time, you can't just eat those unexpected costs every time. Margins are tight enough already without playing roulette with material prices.
Maybe there's a middle ground? Like giving a shorter guaranteed period (say 7-10 days) and then clearly communicating up front that after that window, you'll need to reconfirm pricing before finalizing the order. That way you're transparent from the start and customers aren't blindsided later on.
Have you tried anything like that yet? Or are you still just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best...?
We've been doing something similar—shortening our quotes to about 10 days—but honestly, even that's been dicey lately. Have you noticed if customers push back more on shorter quote windows or on clauses about price adjustments? Curious what's easier to manage...
Honestly, from a customer's perspective (just bought my first home, yay me?), shorter quote windows feel way more stressful than price adjustment clauses. When I was shopping around, if someone said "this quote's only good for a week," it felt like a ticking time bomb. I'd panic and start second-guessing everything—like, do I even want this countertop, or am I just rushing because of the deadline?
On the flip side, a clause about potential price adjustments didn't freak me out as much. I mean, sure, nobody loves uncertainty, but at least it felt transparent. Like, okay, prices might change because lumber costs are wild right now—fair enough. It gave me a heads-up without forcing me into a snap decision.
Maybe instead of shortening the window, you could try clearer communication about why prices might fluctuate? Customers might appreciate the honesty and feel less pressured. Just my two cents...or maybe that's all I've got left after buying this house, haha.
