That’s a familiar headache. I’ve had contractors try to pull the same move—quote me one price, then “oh, actually, materials went up” a week later. It’s tough because, yeah, prices do change, but you can’t run a project on shifting sand. I usually push for at least a 14-day window too, sometimes 30 if it’s a bigger job. If they’re not willing to put that in writing, it makes me wonder how reliable they’ll be when things get complicated.
One time I had a painter try to tack on an extra $500 for “unexpected paint costs” after we’d already signed off. I stood my ground and he backed down, but it left a bad taste. At the end of the day, clear communication upfront saves everyone headaches. You’re right to expect some kind of expiration date on quotes—otherwise it just feels like they’re waiting for an excuse to upcharge. Stick to your guns; there are plenty of folks out there who’ll respect your budget and timeline.
Man, I hear you on the “surprise” price hikes. Had a buddy who got quoted for a small roof patch job, and by the time the crew showed up, suddenly it was “oh, the cost of underlayment doubled overnight.” He was like, “Did you buy it from a gold mine?” Ended up haggling them back down, but it got awkward fast.
I get that prices can shift—especially lately with all the supply chain drama—but if you’re running a business, you gotta build in some buffer or at least warn folks. Otherwise, it just feels like you’re playing whack-a-mole with your wallet. I’ve seen some companies put a 7-day expiration on quotes, which seems tight to me unless it’s something super volatile like copper flashing or whatever. Fourteen days feels fair for most stuff, but I guess if you’re dealing with specialty materials or a big commercial job, maybe 30 days is more realistic.
Funny thing is, I’ve also seen homeowners drag their feet for weeks after getting a quote, then get mad when the price goes up. Not saying that’s what happened to you, but sometimes both sides are guilty of playing the waiting game. I guess the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle—enough time for folks to make a decision, but not so long that the contractor’s stuck eating costs if prices spike.
Curious if anyone’s ever had a contractor actually *lower* their price after quoting? Or is that just a unicorn situation? Closest I’ve seen is when they find out the decking’s in better shape than expected and knock off a few bucks... but that’s about as rare as a leak-free valley in my experience.
That “gold mine” line cracked me up—been there, felt that sting. You’re spot on about both sides dragging things out sometimes. I’ve never seen a contractor lower a quote unless they found less rot or damage than expected, and even then it’s rare. Fourteen days feels like a decent middle ground, especially with how fast prices can swing lately. It’s tough for everyone, but clear communication up front saves a lot of headaches.
Yeah, I hear you—nobody’s ever knocked money off my quote unless they found way less work than expected, and even then it felt like pulling teeth. Fourteen days seems fair, especially with how fast material prices jump lately. I’ve had a couple jobs where the price changed in a week because shingles went up again. Honestly, if folks just spell out the terms up front—like “this is good for two weeks, after that we’ll need to check pricing”—it saves everyone from those awkward conversations later.
Fourteen days is about as generous as I can go these days, honestly. Last month, I quoted a job on a Monday, and by the next Friday, the supplier called—shingles had jumped almost 10%. Had to eat the difference because I hadn’t put an expiration on the quote. Learned my lesson. Now I just say up front, “This price holds for two weeks, then we’ll have to recheck.” Saves a lot of headaches and nobody’s surprised. You’re right, being clear from the start is the only way to go.