I’ve actually had a couple folks ask to see my receipts, and I don’t mind showing them—usually clears things up, but there’s always that one person who’s convinced you’re making it up as you go. Had a guy last year who wanted to lock in his quote for six months, which just isn’t realistic with how fast prices jump these days. Curious if anyone’s ever tried putting a really short expiration on their quotes, like two weeks or less? I’ve thought about it, but not sure how clients would react...
I totally get where you’re coming from—six months is just way too long to hold a price these days. I’ve started putting a 10-day expiration on my quotes, and honestly, most folks seem to understand once I explain how unpredictable costs have gotten. There’s always someone who pushes back, but I’d rather have an awkward conversation up front than eat the difference later. If you’re clear about it from the start, people usually respect it.
I’ve got to agree—six months is pretty wild in this market. I usually set my quotes to expire after two weeks, max. Had a guy try to lock in a rate from last fall...not happening when materials have jumped 15%. Transparency up front just saves headaches later.
- Six months is nuts, especially with how fast prices change lately.
- I’m usually at 30 days, but even that feels long some weeks. Had a customer come back after a month and my supplier had bumped shingles up 10%...awkward convo.
- Anyone actually put in a clause about price changes due to material hikes? Wondering if that’s standard now or if it just scares folks off.
Yeah, six months feels way too long these days. Stuff’s just changing too fast. I’ve seen some contracts with a “price subject to change” clause, but honestly, most folks get weird about it. I get why—nobody wants to sign up for a moving target. But last year, I watched my boss eat the cost on a couple jobs because shingle prices jumped mid-quote. Not sure there’s a perfect answer, but 30 days seems fair right now... even if it’s still risky.