how long should we honor price quotes?

I’ve seen the “material hold” deposit work out okay, but only if the supplier’s got the stock on hand or can guarantee delivery. If there’s a delay - like permits dragging on - it gets tricky. Sometimes you end up paying storage fees or dealing with materials that aren’t covered if they get damaged sitting around. Labor’s always the wild card, though. Even with materials locked in, labor rates can shift if your project gets pushed out by months. It’s a bit of a gamble either way.

That’s a pretty fair take. I’ve seen too many projects get burned by holding materials too early, thinking they’re locking in a good price, only to watch them sit in a warehouse for months. Permits, weather, you name it - delays happen. Labor is even worse, honestly. Even if you nail down your material costs, crews can get booked up or their rates jump if you’re not ready when you thought you’d be. I get why folks want to lock in quotes, but sometimes it just isn’t realistic for more than 30 days unless both sides are really clear about the risks.

Yeah, I hear you on the headaches with early material buys. I’ve had a stack of shingles just sitting in my supplier’s warehouse for weeks once because the city kept dragging their feet on permits - felt like I was paying rent for nothing. The labor side’s even trickier lately. Crews are getting pulled in all directions, and if your schedule slips, suddenly you’re at the back of the line or paying more. I try to keep quotes good for 30 days max, but if someone wants to lock it in longer, I make sure we talk through what could change... nobody likes surprises halfway through a job.

I’m right there with you on the headaches from delays and shifting labor. We’ve had projects where material pricing changed mid-permit, and it’s a nightmare trying to explain that to owners who thought they had a “locked” number. I usually set quotes for 30 days too, but honestly, even that feels risky lately with how volatile both materials and labor have gotten. Sometimes I’ll add a clause about price adjustments if there’s a significant delay outside our control - just so everyone’s clear upfront. It’s not ideal, but it beats eating unexpected costs halfway through.

I get why you’d want to add that clause, but sometimes I think it just freaks out the customer more than it helps. Had a job last month where the owner almost walked because of the “price adjustment” line. Ended up just eating a bit of the cost to keep the peace... not ideal, but sometimes it’s less hassle.