Had a similar situation when I redid my deck last year—quoted lumber prices shot up after a month. But honestly, switching materials isn't always ideal. Sometimes it's better to just clearly state a shorter quote validity upfront to avoid headaches later...
Yeah, I ran into something similar when I was building my shed a couple years back. Got a quote for plywood and shingles, and by the time I was ready to buy—maybe 6 weeks later—the prices had jumped like crazy. It was frustrating, but honestly, I couldn't blame the supplier. Lumber prices fluctuate so much these days, it's almost impossible for them to hold quotes steady for long.
I agree with you though, switching materials isn't always the best solution. Sometimes you pick a material because it fits your project perfectly—whether it's durability, aesthetics, or ease of use—and swapping it out just to save a few bucks can end up causing more headaches down the line. Learned that the hard way when I tried substituting cheaper siding on a small addition... ended up spending twice as much time trying to get it installed properly. Never again.
Your idea about clearly stating shorter validity periods upfront makes sense. I've noticed some suppliers around here now explicitly say their quotes are only good for 14 or 30 days. It might seem short, but at least everyone knows exactly where they stand from the start. Saves a lot of awkward conversations later on.
Anyway, don't beat yourself up too much over it. Pricing issues happen to all of us DIYers at some point—just part of the game. Sounds like you're already thinking ahead and figuring out ways to avoid this hassle next time around. Good luck with your project!
Had something similar happen when I remodeled my kitchen last spring. Got a quote on cabinets, took about a month sorting out other details, and boom... price jumped nearly 20%. It's frustrating, but suppliers are dealing with unpredictable markets too. Shorter validity periods seem fair enough—at least everyone's clear upfront. Just gotta roll with it sometimes and factor in some wiggle room for unexpected costs.
Yeah, I get that suppliers have their own headaches with market swings and all, but still... a 20% jump in just a month feels pretty steep. I mean, sure, shorter validity periods make sense to protect businesses, but shouldn't there be some reasonable expectation for customers too? When I was helping my uncle redo his roof last year, we got hit with a similar surprise—shingles went up like 15% in three weeks. It felt kinda unfair, honestly. Maybe there's a middle ground here, like suppliers offering a heads-up or a grace period if they see prices about to spike? Or would that just complicate things even more?
Yeah, I totally feel your pain on this one. Had something similar happen when we redid our deck a couple summers back—quoted lumber prices were good for like two weeks, tops. By the time we got around to actually buying, prices had jumped enough to make my wallet cry a little. 😂
I get suppliers need to protect themselves with shorter validity periods, especially with how nuts the market's been lately. But you're right, a 20% hike in just a month feels kinda brutal. It’s almost like playing the stock market... except instead of stocks, it’s plywood and shingles.
Honestly though, I think your idea about suppliers giving customers a heads-up isn't half bad. Maybe not a full-on grace period—that might get messy—but even just a quick email or text saying "Hey, heads up, prices might spike soon" would go a long way. At least then you wouldn't feel blindsided when you show up ready to buy and suddenly everything costs more than your first car did.
But realistically, suppliers probably don't always know exactly when prices are gonna jump either. Sometimes these things happen overnight because of supply chain hiccups or whatever else is going on behind the scenes. Still sucks for us homeowners though.
Anyway, hang in there—at least you're not alone in this frustration. Home improvement projects always seem to have some hidden surprises lurking around the corner... usually expensive ones. 😅
