Yeah, I know what you mean about the pre-buying gamble. I’ve had a couple jobs where we stocked up on shingles, then the homeowner pushed things out for months—ended up storing pallets in my own garage. Do you usually put an expiration date on your quotes? I’ve started marking mine as good for 15-30 days, but sometimes folks come back after that and expect the same price... feels awkward trying to explain the increases. Curious if anyone’s found a smoother way to handle those conversations.
I’ve started marking mine as good for 15-30 days, but sometimes folks come back after that and expect the same price... feels awkward trying to explain the increases.
Yeah, I’ve run into that too. Had a customer last fall who waited almost two months, then wanted to lock in the original price—even though shingle costs had jumped. I try to be upfront in the quote about “subject to material price changes,” but it still gets weird. Sometimes I’ll show them the supplier’s updated invoice just to be transparent. Doesn’t always make it less awkward, but at least they see it’s not just me making up numbers.
I usually put “valid for 30 days” right on the quote, but honestly, even then it can get dicey if prices spike fast. Had a guy try to lock in a 3-month-old price—no way. I just point to the date and explain the market’s nuts lately. Most folks get it once they see the numbers.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had folks push back even on the 30-day window, especially when it’s something like a pre-listing inspection and their sale drags out. Sometimes I’ll honor the old price if it hasn’t changed much, just to keep goodwill—other times, not a chance if my costs have jumped. Do you ever worry about losing repeat business if you’re too strict? I always wonder where to draw that line...
Had a similar situation last year—buyer’s agent wanted me to stick to a 2-month-old quote for a radon test, but by then the lab fees had gone up. I tried to split the difference, but honestly, sometimes you just have to draw a line. It’s tough, though... repeat clients do remember when you cut them a break.