Personally, I prefer seeing the line items, especially for bigger jobs.
I get why people want all the details, but sometimes a lump sum makes sense too—especially if the job’s pretty standard and you’re not expecting a bunch of surprises. On roofing jobs, we usually try to lock in quotes for 30 days, but lately with material prices jumping all over the place, it’s tough. If you hold a quote too long, you can end up losing money or cutting corners just to stick to it.
I’ve seen some folks get upset when prices change mid-project, but honestly, if the contract says “subject to material increases,” it’s fair game. Transparency helps, sure, but I don’t think every single nail needs its own line on the estimate. Sometimes too much detail just confuses people.
Had a customer once who wanted a breakdown for every roll of underlayment and every vent. Took forever and didn’t really change anything—they still thought we were overcharging. At some point you’ve gotta trust your contractor or move on.
- If the quote says 30 days, that’s what I expect. After that, I get it—prices change.
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— I always double-check for that line. Learned the hard way a few years back when shingles shot up mid-project.“if the contract says ‘subject to material increases,’ it’s fair game.”
- I’m all for some detail, but I don’t need every screw listed. Just want to know what I’m paying for and that the price won’t jump unless there’s a real reason.
- My rule: if the quote’s expired, just give me a heads-up before starting anything. No surprises.
I get where you’re coming from on the “subject to material increases” clause. Had a job last spring where the price of OSB jumped overnight—literally between quote and delivery. I always try to spell out how long the quote’s good for, but if it expires, I’ll call before anything changes. Surprises are bad for everyone. Detailed breakdowns are good, but yeah, nobody wants a novel about every nail. Just enough info so it’s clear what’s included and what might change if suppliers hike prices again... which seems to happen more often lately.
I’m with you on not overloading folks with details, but I’ve found a short “subject to change” note in the quote itself helps. I usually set quotes at 10-14 days—any longer and it’s just guessing, especially these days. If prices shift before work starts, I’ll show the new supplier invoice so there’s no mystery. It’s not perfect, but most people appreciate the transparency.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had folks push back even with a “subject to change” note. Last year, I quoted a plumbing job and by the time the tenant approved it, copper prices had jumped. I showed them the new invoice, but they still grumbled. I stick to 7-10 days now, max. Anything longer and it’s just not realistic—especially with how suppliers keep moving the goalposts lately. Transparency helps, but some people just don’t want surprises, no matter how much you prep them.