Pricing
How long should an estimate stay good? Setting an expiration date when material prices move
By Holden Marsh, Editorial Director7 min read
TL;DR: An estimate with no expiration date acts like a price lock forever. Put a real expiration date on every estimate, explain what happens after that date, and re-check material prices before you accept the job.
A quote with no end date promises more than you meant
An estimate is a snapshot of your material cost and your calendar on the day you write it. Both can change.
Lumber, wire, tile, roofing, shingles, copper, and fixtures can move in price. Your schedule can fill up. A quote with no end date promises the customer that your number and your availability will stay the same forever.
That is not what most contractors mean to promise. It is still what the customer can reasonably hear.
The customer may keep the estimate for weeks while getting other quotes. Then they call and say, “I am ready, go with your number.” They expect the old price. You may have taken other jobs. Your supplier may now charge more for the main material.
At that point, you either eat the difference or make an awkward call. The awkward call is the thing to avoid. One line on the estimate can prevent it.
Put the expiration date on the first page
Use plain language:
“This estimate is good until (date).”
Do not hide the date in small print. Put it where the customer will see it with the total price and scope of work.
The right window depends on the job. Use a shorter window for work that is mostly materials. Use a longer window for work that is mostly labor. There is no universal number of days that fits every trade or supplier.
A roofing estimate may depend heavily on shingles and other material pricing. A paint or repair job may be more heavily based on labor. Your suppliers may change prices at a different pace than another contractor’s suppliers.
Pick the window based on how fast your actual costs move. The date should protect a real price, not create fake pressure.
The same rule applies to the start date. A start date promised in the estimate is only good while that slot is open. An expired quote protects your calendar as much as it protects your material margin.
Tell the customer what happens after the date
An expiration date alone can sound like a threat. Add the next step in the same section of the estimate:
“After that date we will re-check material prices and send an updated number.”
That does not automatically raise the price. It tells the customer that you will check the number before moving forward. It also keeps the door open if the estimate expires before they are ready.
Do not write “act now” language. Do not use a deadline that has no connection to your costs or calendar. Customers can tell when a date is fake.
The date should answer a simple question: how long can you stand behind this number based on what you know today?
Big-ticket materials need their own rule
For major materials, state that the price is based on current supplier pricing. Also state that the quote can be adjusted if the supplier price changes before the order is placed.
The clearest protection comes from ordering or locking the main materials when the customer signs and takes the deposit. That is when the price is locked for real.
State rules on deposits and contract terms differ. Check your own state’s rules before you set up your paperwork.
Do not treat a material clause as permission to change the whole price without an explanation. Show what changed. If the supplier price changed, the customer should be able to see that the material portion changed instead of wondering whether your labor price changed too.
When a caller asks about materials they plan to buy themselves, that is a different situation. Your estimate should make clear what you are pricing and what the customer is supplying. See what to cover when the customer supplies the materials.
Labor and materials should not sit in one mystery total
List labor separately from materials on every estimate.
Labor is your price. You can hold it for the period you stated. Materials can be listed as an allowance or as “at current supplier pricing.”
That separation gives you a clean explanation when a material cost changes. You can say the labor remains the same and the material amount was re-checked with the supplier.
It also helps when a customer is comparing quotes. They may be looking at three totals without seeing what each contractor included. If they ask why your number differs, the labor and material lines give them something specific to compare. Contractors who deal with quote shoppers should also be ready for the questions covered in how to handle callers getting three quotes.
The same discipline applies before the estimate is written. If someone asks for a price on the phone, give only the range or information you are prepared to stand behind. Do not turn a quick phone conversation into an open-ended price lock. See how to give a price range over the phone.
An expired estimate gets a fresh number, not an argument
When a customer comes back after the date, do not get defensive. Use a direct answer:
“That estimate has run out, let me re-check the materials and get you a fresh number.”
Then re-check the main materials. Send an updated written estimate in the same format with a new date.
If the number is the same, say so. Customers remember when a contractor could have raised the price but did not.
If the number changed, show where it changed. Keep labor and materials separate. Do not make the customer guess whether the new total came from material pricing, your calendar, or both.
The goal is not to win an argument about the old estimate. The goal is to give the customer a current number that you can actually honor.
Your phone answer should match your paperwork
Callers often ask, “How long is your quote good for?”
Have one clear answer ready. It should match the rule printed on your estimate. If your window changes based on the job, say that plainly:
“The estimate has an expiration date based on the job. Material-heavy work has a shorter window. Labor-heavy work may have a longer one. After the date, we re-check material pricing and send an updated number.”
The customer should hear the same policy from the phone and see it on the page. A different answer from the office creates the same confusion as a missing date.
What Bella does when an old estimate calls back
Bella is the AI receptionist from Nail the Call. She answers every call 24/7, works out the job, books the visit on your real calendar, and texts you the summary while your hands are full.
When a customer calls back about an old estimate, Bella answers even at night. She notes which job they mean and what they want. She texts you the summary so you know the estimate may be out of date before you call back.
Bella never quotes or confirms a number you did not approve. She will not promise an old price. She can also book the new visit on your real calendar.
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Use this checklist on your next estimate
- Put an expiration date on every estimate.
- Choose a window that fits the job and your supplier pricing.
- State what happens after the date.
- List labor and materials separately.
- Lock the main materials when the customer signs and takes the deposit.
- Keep one clear phone answer ready.
- Re-check and reissue expired estimates without arguing.
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