I’ve only seen super short quote windows when there’s a legit shortage—like during the lumber spike in 2021, but even then, most places gave me at least 3 days.
Had a similar situation after a hailstorm last year. The quote was good for 10 days, but the contractor tried to say prices jumped overnight. I just pointed to the signed estimate and they honored it. If it’s in writing, they should stick to it—unless there’s some crazy supply issue.
You did the right thing holding them to the written estimate. In my experience, unless there’s a legit material shortage or some force majeure, a contractor should stick to their quoted price for the stated window. Otherwise, what’s the point of a quote? Sometimes they try to play the “prices just changed” card, but if it’s in writing, that’s their risk, not yours. Good on you for standing your ground.
You did the right thing holding them to the written estimate. In my experience, unless there’s a legit material shortage or some force majeure, a contractor should stick to their quoted price for...
I get what you’re saying about sticking to the written estimate, but what if the quote doesn’t mention how long it’s good for? I had a guy give me a price for a fence install, then two months later he said lumber costs went up and wanted to bump the price. I pushed back, but it got awkward. Is there some standard timeframe, or is it just whatever’s in writing?
That’s exactly what happened to me with my deck quote. The guy never said how long the price was good for, and when I circled back a month later, he said “prices changed.” Is it normal for quotes to just expire without warning? Or is that just a sneaky way to upcharge? I wish they’d just put an expiration date on everything... would make life so much easier.
I’ve run into this with a few contractors, and it’s honestly frustrating. I get that material costs can change, but if there’s no expiration date on the quote, how are we supposed to plan or budget? I always ask for written quotes with clear terms now, but even then, some guys just say “prices went up” anyway. Has anyone actually had a contractor stick to an old quote after a few weeks, or is that just wishful thinking?
