From the site visit to the final number — exactly how to put together a quote that wins the job and protects your margin.
A good quote does two jobs: it wins you the work, and it protects your margin once you're on the tools. Get it wrong and you either lose the job to a faster competitor or win it and lose money. Here's the process that gets both right.
Don't price complex work over the phone. A ten-minute look at the site tells you about access, existing conditions, and the hidden problems that blow out labour. Note anything that could change your price and write it into your assumptions.
Work out how many hours the job really takes — including setup, travel and pack-down — then multiply by your charge-out rate. Be realistic, not optimistic. Most under-quoting comes from forgetting the small tasks that eat the day.
List major materials separately so the client can see what they're paying for.
Group small consumables as "Sundries" rather than listing every screw.
Add a small margin on materials to cover pickup time and waste.
**If you're registered for GST, your quote must show it.** Display the GST amount separately and include your ABN. It signals you're a legitimate, registered business — and it makes the eventual invoice painless.
Include a validity period (30 days is standard) and a line that says anything outside the listed scope will be quoted separately. This single sentence saves you the most arguments later.
Speed wins jobs. A clean PDF sent within 24 hours beats a scribbled number sent three days later almost every time. With UteQuote you can talk through the job and send a professional quote before you've left the driveway.
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