How long should a trade quote be valid for?

Most tradies set quotes valid for 30 days. This protects you from material price changes while giving the client enough time to decide. For large jobs or jobs with significant material costs, 14 days is more appropriate.

Should I itemise my quote or give a lump sum?

Itemising builds trust and reduces scope-creep disputes — clients can see exactly what they're paying for. Lump-sum quotes are quicker to write but often lose jobs to itemised competitors because clients can't compare value.

What should I include in every trade quote?

Every quote needs: your business name and ABN, client name and address, itemised labour and materials, GST clearly shown, payment terms, validity period, and your signature or digital acceptance link.

How to Write Winning Quotes as a Tradie (Without Losing Jobs on Price)

What Makes a Tradie Quote Win or Lose?

Clients don't just buy on price — they buy on confidence. A messy, vague quote signals a messy, vague job. A clear, professional quote tells the client you've done this before and you'll do it right.

The five elements of a winning trade quote are:

Clear scope — what you will and won't do
Itemised pricing — labour and materials separated
GST shown correctly — required by ATO for any quote over $82.50
Payment terms — deposit, progress payments, final
Validity period — protect yourself from material price rises

How to Price Without Underselling Yourself

The biggest quoting mistake tradies make is pricing to win rather than pricing to profit. If you price every job to beat competitors, you'll be busy and broke.

Know Your Break-Even Rate

Before quoting any job, know your minimum hourly rate:

Total fixed costs per month (insurance, van repayments, tools, phone)
Divide by billable hours (not total hours — you're not billing admin time)
Add your target margin

Most tradies need $80–120/hr just to break even when all costs are counted. If you're quoting below that, you're working for nothing.

Comparison Table: Itemised vs Lump Sum

	Itemised Quote	Lump Sum Quote
Client trust	High — they see the breakdown	Lower — feels like a black box
Scope disputes	Rare — scope is explicit	Common — "I thought that included..."
Writing time	10–20 minutes	2–5 minutes
Win rate	Higher for value-conscious clients	Higher for price-only shoppers
Recommended for	Most jobs	Simple repeat jobs only

Digital Quotes vs Paper Quotes

Paper quotes get lost, ignored, or forgotten. A digital quote sent to the client's email with a one-click accept button gets answered faster and keeps a clear paper trail.

Chippie lets you send a quote by email and get notified the moment the client accepts. No chasing, no confusion about whether they got it.

The Follow-Up Tradies Forget

Seventy percent of lost quotes are never followed up. If you sent a quote more than three days ago and haven't heard back, send a single, simple follow-up message:

"Hi [Name], just checking you received the quote for [job]. Happy to answer any questions or adjust the scope if needed."

That single message wins jobs competitors have already written off.