7 Scope and Quoting Mistakes That Cost Tradies Money
Most quotes are not lost on price. They are lost on missed items, vague wording and slow follow-up. Here are seven mistakes that quietly cost tradies money, and how to fix them.
1. Quoting from memory
You walk the site, take a few photos, then write the quote that night from memory. That is where items go missing. Capture the job while you are standing in it.
2. Leaving exclusions unsaid
If it is not written down, the client assumes it is included. Spell out what your price does not cover.
3. Vague line items
"Bathroom reno - $18,000" invites argument. Break it into the works so the client sees the value and you can defend the price.
4. Forgetting prep, access and clean-up
Protection, access, waste removal and final clean are easy to skip at quote time and expensive to absorb later. Put them in Preliminaries every time.
5. Mixing PC and PS allowances
Label Prime Cost items and Provisional Sums separately so the client knows which is a product allowance and which is undefined work.
6. Slow follow-up
A good quote sent three days late loses to an average quote sent the same day. Speed wins jobs.
7. No clear inclusions list
A short, clear inclusions list does more to win trust than a long intro paragraph. Lead with what they get.