The quote that doesn't go out today goes cold tomorrow
Speed is the underrated competitive advantage in quoting. A customer who's asked three contractors for a quote will often go with the first one who responds professionally — not necessarily the cheapest.
Every hour between the site visit and the quote hitting the customer's inbox is an hour for them to talk to a competitor, change their mind, or decide to put it off. Get the quote out the same day.
What makes a professional quote
A professional quote isn't just a price. It shows the customer you understand the job, you've thought about it, and you're the kind of business they can trust with work on their property.
Every quote should include:
Your company details. Name, address, phone, email. Sounds obvious — many quotes miss this.
A clear job description. What exactly are you doing? "Replace boiler" isn't enough. "Supply and fit Worcester Bosch 30Si combi boiler, including new magnetic filter, system flush and commissioning" is a quote. It sets expectations and reduces disputes.
A line-by-line breakdown. Materials, labour, call-out. Customers who can see where their money is going are less likely to query it after.
VAT shown separately. If you're VAT registered, the subtotal, VAT amount, and total inc. VAT need to be clearly displayed. This is what HMRC requires and what commercial customers need for their own bookkeeping.
A validity period. Quotes are based on current material prices. Protect yourself with "valid for 30 days from date of issue."
An easy way to approve. The harder it is to say yes, the more likely they'll put it off. A button they can click to approve the quote from their phone is worth more than any amount of follow-up chasing.
Building reusable quote templates
If you're doing similar jobs repeatedly — boiler replacements, EICR inspections, roof repairs — you should have a template for each. Open the template, adjust for the specific job, send.
The time saving is significant. A quote that takes 20 minutes to build from scratch takes 3 minutes with a good template. On 50 quotes a month, that's 14 hours back.
Following up without being annoying
A polite chase three days after sending a quote is expected and appropriate. Use it to confirm they received the quote and ask if they have any questions — not to pressure them.
One more chase at seven days if you haven't heard. After that, move on. Customers who go quiet at the quote stage usually either found someone cheaper or decided not to proceed. Your time is better spent on new enquiries.
Tracking conversion rate
Do you know what percentage of your quotes turn into jobs? Most contractors don't. If you don't know your conversion rate, you can't improve it.
Track quotes sent and jobs won for three months. The number will surprise you — and it'll tell you whether your pricing, your speed, or your follow-up process needs attention.
