Curious if anyone’s ever had a contractor actually back up their claim with real receipts?
I’ve only seen it once—guy actually pulled out the supplier invoice, which matched his story. Most just say “prices change daily” and leave it at that. Written quotes help, but unless there’s a clause about price adjustments, they can still wiggle out if they want. I’d say three days is fair, but if you’re worried, ask them to specify how long the quote is valid and what could cause changes. Keeps everyone honest.
Had a customer last year who wanted to see every single receipt—down to the last box of nails. I didn’t mind, but it did slow things down a bit. Sometimes I’ll show the invoice if someone asks, but honestly, prices on shingles and underlayment have jumped overnight before. Ever had a supplier change their quote after you’ve already given yours? That’s the part that gets tricky for me... how do you handle it if your supplier hikes prices mid-job?
Ever had a supplier change their quote after you’ve already given yours? That’s the part that gets tricky for me...
Honestly, I think it’s fair to build in a clause for material price changes, especially these days. Locking in a quote for too long just isn’t realistic anymore. I’ve had to explain to customers that if prices spike mid-job, we’ll need to adjust—otherwise, I’m basically eating the cost. Not everyone loves it, but most folks get it when you’re upfront from the start.
Yeah, I’ve had that happen more times than I care to count—supplier calls, says shingles are up 15% overnight, and suddenly my “locked-in” quote looks like a bad joke. I started putting a little fine print about material price swings after getting burned a couple years back. Most folks understand once you explain it’s not just you trying to squeeze more out of them. Still, there’s always that one customer who thinks you’re making it up... but hey, I’d rather have an awkward chat upfront than eat the cost of a whole roof’s worth of plywood.
That makes a lot of sense. I’ll admit, as someone who’s pretty careful about budgets, I used to get frustrated when a contractor would mention possible price changes after quoting. But after seeing how fast prices can jump (especially during COVID), I get why you’d need that fine print. Lumber alone was all over the place last year—my neighbor’s deck went up $2k just waiting for permits.
I do think it’s fair to be upfront about it, even if it’s a little awkward. It’s better than getting hit with a surprise bill halfway through. I’ve started asking for a “valid until” date on quotes, just so I know what to expect. Not everyone realizes how volatile building materials are right now... it’s not just contractors trying to pad their margins. If anything, I’d rather have the conversation early than end up with half a roof and no budget left.
