5 Quoting Mistakes That Are Losing You Jobs
You're good at your trade. But if your quotes aren't landing, you're losing work to people who might not be as skilled - they're just better at quoting. Here are the five mistakes we see most often.
1. Taking Too Long to Send the Quote
The number one killer. A customer asks for a quote, you visit the site, then it sits in your head for 3 days because you're busy on another job.
By the time you send it, they've already accepted someone else's quote.
Fix: Send your quote within 24 hours of the site visit. Same day is even better. Use your phone to build and send it on the drive home. With Jobnix, you can do it in 2 minutes.
2. Being Too Vague
"Bathroom refit - £3,500" doesn't tell the customer anything. What's included? What's not? What if they want to add something?
Fix: Break your quote into clear line items: labour, materials (itemised), disposal, any extras. Customers trust detailed quotes because they can see where their money goes.
3. Not Following Up
You send the quote and... silence. Most tradespeople assume the customer isn't interested and move on.
But often the customer is just busy, comparing quotes, or waiting to get paid. A simple follow-up message 3–5 days after sending can tip the balance in your favour.
Fix: Set a reminder to follow up. Or better yet, use automated follow-ups that send a polite check-in for you.
4. No Expiry Date
Material prices change. Your availability changes. A quote from 3 months ago shouldn't still be valid.
Fix: Add "Valid for 30 days" to every quote. This also creates urgency - the customer knows they need to decide or ask for a fresh quote.
5. Looking Unprofessional
A WhatsApp message saying "yeah mate it'll be about 2 grand" is not a quote. Handwritten notes on scraps of paper don't exactly scream "hire me".
Customers judge your work by your quote. If your quote looks amateur, they assume your work will be too.
Fix: Use proper quoting software. Send a branded PDF with your logo, clear pricing, terms, and a professional layout. It takes the same amount of time and massively increases your win rate.
The Bottom Line
Quoting isn't just paperwork - it's selling. The tradespeople who treat it that way win more work at better rates. Small changes to your quoting process can mean thousands of pounds more per year.