"I'd rather see quotes valid for something like 10-14 days, clearly communicated upfront, than get blindsided later."
Totally with you on this one. Recently got a roofing quote that jumped nearly 20% after just three weeks... shorter windows make sense right now, as long as everyone's clear from the get-go. Saves headaches all around.
"shorter windows make sense right now, as long as everyone's clear from the get-go."
Definitely agree clarity upfront is key, but I'm wondering if 10-14 days might be a bit tight for larger projects? I've seen some commercial HVAC quotes where just getting internal approvals can take longer than that... Maybe a tiered approach could work better—shorter validity for smaller jobs, longer windows for bigger, more complex ones. Curious how others handle this with their vendors.
Haha, reminds me of the time I gave a 14-day quote and the client's finance department took 3 weeks just to find their stapler... Yeah, tiered approach sounds pretty smart—big projects always seem to move at glacial speed anyway.
I get the logic behind tiered pricing, but doesn't that just complicate things even more? I mean, if big projects already move at a snail's pace, wouldn't adding multiple price tiers just give clients another reason to drag their feet? I've found that being super clear upfront—like explicitly stating the quote is valid for X days and then sticking to it—actually helps speed things along. Had a contractor once who gave me a 30-day quote on some roofing work, and when I called back after 35 days (my bad), he politely but firmly said the price had changed. Honestly, it made me respect his time more and taught me to be quicker with decisions. Maybe simplicity beats flexibility here?
- Had a similar thing happen after a big storm last year—quoted a homeowner on repairs, clearly stated 14-day validity.
- They called back almost a month later, and I had to adjust the price because material costs had jumped.
- Honestly, setting clear expiration dates upfront saves headaches later. Clients usually understand when you're direct about it.
- Tiered pricing can work, but in my experience, simplicity usually keeps projects moving faster.
