How Long Should Your Quotes Stay Valid?

A quote with no expiry date on it is an open offer. Six months later, after two supplier price rises, a customer can ring up and accept it. Unless you are willing to have an awkward conversation, you either wear the difference or start the relationship with a price argument. A validity period is one line of text that removes the problem, and most trade businesses either leave it off or write it somewhere nobody reads.

What a validity period is actually protecting

Three things move between the day you quote and the day the customer says yes. Material prices change. Your own availability changes, so the job that fitted neatly into a quiet fortnight now has to be squeezed in. And the scope drifts, because the customer has had three months to think about it. A validity period lets you revisit all three without it feeling like you are going back on your word.

Pick a period that matches the work

There is no single right number, and copying whatever your last boss used is not a reason. Think about how exposed the job is to price movement and how far ahead you book.

Short jobs with standard materials and quick turnaround can carry a longer window, because very little changes. Jobs with a large material component, imported items, or long lead times need a shorter one. Anything where you had to get a supplier price specifically for that quote should not outlast the supplier's own quote to you. That is the simplest rule, and the one most often ignored.

Write it so it is clear, not legal

"Valid for 30 days from the date above" is understood by everyone. A paragraph of conditions buried on page three is not, and it will not help you when the customer says they never saw it. Put the expiry near the price, in the same size text as everything else.

If material prices are the specific risk, say so plainly. Something along the lines of "prices are based on supplier costs at the date of quoting; if accepted after the validity period we will confirm current pricing before starting" tells the customer exactly what will happen and why. Most people accept that without argument when it is stated up front.

Treat the expiry as a follow-up trigger

The useful part of a validity period is that it gives you a natural reason to make contact. A message a few days before it lapses, noting the date and asking whether they would like to proceed, is a follow-up that does not feel like chasing, because there is a real reason for it.

That single touchpoint recovers a share of quotes that would otherwise drift into nothing. If you are tracking quotes in a CRM, setting the reminder at the moment you send the quote means it happens whether or not you remember.

Decide now what happens when an expired quote comes back

This is the part that catches people out. Someone rings in November about a quote from June and wants to book it in. If you have not decided your position in advance, you will make the call under pressure and usually make the wrong one.

A reasonable default is to thank them, tell them you will reconfirm current pricing and come back the same day, then requote properly. If the difference turns out to be minor, you can choose to honour the original and look generous. If it is substantial, you have already set the expectation that a recheck was coming.

What you want to avoid is silently absorbing an increase because it felt too awkward to raise. That is a decision to reduce your own margin, and it should at least be a conscious one.

Keep the detail so requoting is quick

Requoting is only painful when you have to rebuild the whole thing. If the original quote is stored with its line items and the supplier prices you used, updating it is a ten-minute job rather than a fresh site visit. Keeping quotes in one system, rather than scattered through an email account, is what makes that possible.

The short version

• Put an expiry date on every quote, near the price and in plain words
• Match the period to the job's exposure to price movement and lead times
• Never let your quote outlive the supplier quote it was built from
• Use the approaching expiry as a natural follow-up trigger
• Decide in advance how you will handle an expired quote coming back
• Keep line items and supplier prices on file so requoting is quick

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a trade quote stay valid?

It depends on the job. Short jobs using standard stock can carry a longer window, while jobs with a large material component or long lead times need a shorter one. The practical limit is how long your own supplier pricing holds.

Does putting an expiry date on a quote put customers off?

Generally no, as long as it is stated plainly and the reason is obvious. Most customers understand that material prices move. A clear expiry can also prompt a decision from someone who has been sitting on it.

What should I do if someone accepts a quote after it has expired?

Reconfirm your current costs before committing, then either honour the original price if the difference is small or issue an updated quote if it is not. Decide your approach before it happens so you are not negotiating on the spot.