- Ten days on a quote feels super rushed, yeah.
- Most places I’ve seen stick to 30 days, unless stuff like shingles or lumber goes nuts in price.
- Sometimes material suppliers only guarantee their prices for a week or two, so contractors kinda get boxed in.
- I’ve seen a few folks just write the expiration date right on the quote—makes it way less confusing.
- Honestly, I’d rather someone say “Hey, this is only good for two weeks” than have it change last minute.
- My buddy waited too long on his roof job and the price jumped by $800... not fun.
- If you’re not sure, just ask up front how long the quote’s good for. Saves a lot of back and forth.
- Feels like everyone’s just trying to cover themselves these days, but yeah, wish it was a bit more flexible sometimes.
I get the frustration with short quote windows, but I actually think ten days can be reasonable in some cases. Material costs have been all over the place lately—especially for things like lumber and insulation. If a supplier only locks in their price for a week, it’s risky for a contractor to guarantee 30 days.
“Feels like everyone’s just trying to cover themselves these days, but yeah, wish it was a bit more flexible sometimes.”
I hear you, but from my end, I’d rather have a shorter, realistic window than risk a surprise increase halfway through planning. It’s not ideal, but at least it’s predictable.
Ten days actually lines up with what I’ve seen lately, especially on bigger jobs where insulation or specialty materials are involved. I remember a project last year—quote was good for two weeks, but by day 12, the supplier called to say their cost had jumped. It was awkward, but at least we knew where we stood. I’d rather deal with a short window than have to explain a price hike to a client halfway through. Not perfect, but it keeps things transparent.
That’s pretty much how it’s been for me too—quotes just don’t last like they used to, especially after that big hailstorm last spring. I had a client lock in a price for 14 days, but by day 9, the cost of OSB jumped and we had to renegotiate. It’s awkward, but at least everyone’s on the same page. Curious if anyone’s tried locking in material orders right when quoting, or is that just too risky with storage and all?
Man, I totally get where you’re coming from. It’s wild how fast prices can swing now—feels like you blink and the numbers change. I’ve seen some crews try to pre-buy materials, but then they end up with a garage full of stuff if the job falls through or gets delayed. Not sure there’s a perfect answer, but sounds like you handled it pretty well with your client. At least everyone’s being upfront about it... that helps a ton when things get weird.
