I’ve had owners lose out on a quote because their HOA sat on approval for two weeks… and by then, lumber prices had jumped. It’s frustrating all around. Locking in labor for 30 days makes sense, but materials are just too unpredictable lately. I wish there was a better way, but splitting it up like that at least seems transparent.
That’s been my experience too—material costs are just a moving target lately. Even with the best planning, suppliers can change pricing overnight, especially after a big storm rolls through and demand spikes. I’ve had to reissue quotes mid-project a couple times, which nobody likes, but it’s almost unavoidable. Labor is at least somewhat predictable for 30 days, but materials… not so much. Splitting them out is about as fair as it gets right now, unless someone figures out time travel.
I hear you on the moving target thing. Last year, I was redoing my back porch roof and the price of plywood jumped twice in a month. The contractor split out labor and materials, which helped a bit, but I still had to swallow a higher bill than expected. I get why folks want a locked-in price, but honestly, I’d rather have transparency than get hit with surprise costs halfway through. Around here (Midwest), it seems like 30 days is about as long as anyone can realistically hold a material quote, unless they’ve got a warehouse full of stock.
I get why folks want a locked-in price, but honestly, I’d rather have transparency than get hit with surprise costs halfway through.
Totally agree with this. As someone who just bought my first place last year, I was shocked at how fast prices can change—especially for stuff like lumber and insulation. I wanted to budget everything down to the penny, but reality had other plans. My contractor gave me a 30-day window on materials, and even then, we barely squeaked by before prices jumped again.
I get that some people want a fixed price from day one, but honestly, I’d rather know exactly what’s going into the bill. If materials go up, I’d rather see it broken out than have the contractor pad the quote “just in case.” That way if prices drop (not that they ever seem to), maybe there’s a chance of saving a bit.
It’s stressful not knowing what you’ll end up paying, but I’d take that over being blindsided halfway through. Around here (Ohio), 30 days seems fair—any longer and you’re just asking for trouble with how unpredictable things are lately.
I get wanting transparency, but honestly, I’d rather lock in a price upfront—even if it means the contractor pads it a bit. Budgeting’s tough enough without worrying about prices jumping mid-project. Had a buddy get hit with a $2k increase halfway through his roof job... not fun. Sometimes peace of mind is worth paying a little extra.
