How Long Should a Tradie Quote Be Valid For?
It's a question most tradies don't think about until it bites them: a client calls six months after you sent a quote and expects you to honour the price. Materials have gone up, you're busier than you were, and the number you sent no longer makes sense — but they have your quote in their inbox. Setting a clear validity period protects you from this situation entirely. Here's what you need to know.
What Does "Quote Validity" Mean?
A quote validity period is the timeframe within which your quoted price is guaranteed. After that date, you're entitled to re-quote — without any obligation to honour the original price.
Without a validity period, your quote has no defined expiry. Courts and tribunals in Australia have generally treated quotes without an expiry date as open offers that can be accepted at any time — which means a client could theoretically accept a quote from two years ago and expect you to honour it.
How Long Should a Trade Quote Be Valid For?
The right validity period depends on your trade and the type of work involved.
| Situation | Recommended Validity |
|---|---|
| Service jobs (plumbing, electrical, HVAC repairs) | 14–30 days |
| Residential renovations | 30 days |
| New builds or large construction projects | 30–60 days |
| Jobs with significant material components | 14–30 days |
| Jobs during periods of high material price volatility | 7–14 days |
30 days is the most common standard across Australian trade businesses, and it's what most clients expect. It gives them enough time to compare quotes and make a decision, while protecting you from significant cost movements.
Why Shorter Is Often Better
Materials prices in Australia have been volatile in recent years — particularly for timber, copper, steel, PVC, and electrical components. Locking in a price for 30 days is already a meaningful commitment in this environment.
If your work involves significant material costs, consider shortening your validity period:
Always explain why if you're using a shorter-than-usual validity period. "This quote is valid for 14 days due to current fluctuations in copper pricing" is a legitimate and professional explanation most clients will accept.
What Happens When a Client Accepts an Expired Quote?
If a client contacts you after your quote has expired, you are not obliged to honour the original price. However, how you handle this conversation matters.
The right approach:
"Thanks for coming back to us on this. I should let you know that the quote has passed its 30-day validity, so I'll need to re-price it with current materials costs. I'll get an updated quote to you by [date] — it should be similar but I want to make sure the numbers are accurate."
If the price change is significant, explain why. "Copper pricing has increased about 12% since I sent the original quote, which affects the materials component." Specificity builds trust even in uncomfortable conversations.
What to Do When You're Busy and Don't Want the Job
There's another situation tradies face: you sent a quote six months ago when you had availability, and now you're booked out for months. The client wants to go ahead, but you genuinely can't fit them in.
An expired quote validity period gives you a clean, professional way out:
"Thanks for getting back to me. The quote has passed its validity period, and I should be honest — my schedule has filled significantly since then. I can re-quote at current pricing, but my earliest availability would be [date]. If that timeline works for you, happy to proceed."
This is honest, professional, and leaves the client with a clear choice — not an excuse-filled runaround.
Quote Validity vs. Price Guarantee
A subtle but important distinction:
These are related but not the same thing. If your quote is accepted within the validity period, you're generally expected to honour the quoted price — subject to any variation process you have in place for scope changes. Your validity period protects you from time-related price changes. It doesn't protect you from getting the estimate wrong in the first place.
Including Quote Validity in Your Quote Template
Your validity period should appear on every quote — not buried in fine print, but clearly visible. Two good places:
In the quote details section:
In your terms section:
If you're using job management software, you can usually set a default validity period that's automatically applied to every quote you send — removing any chance of forgetting.
- ✓Always include a valid-until date on every quote — without one, you may be obligated to honour old prices indefinitely
- ✓30 days is the standard for most trade jobs; shorten it if materials prices are volatile or your schedule is tight
- ✓After expiry, you're not obligated to honour the original price — but handle the conversation professionally
- ✓An expired quote is also a legitimate way to manage your capacity if you're overbooked
- ✓Set your default validity period in your quoting software so it's applied automatically every time
It's a small detail — but the tradie who gets it right avoids a lot of awkward conversations down the track.
Trade Track lets you set a default validity period on every quote you send, so nothing gets forgotten. Quotes, jobs, and invoices all tracked in one place.
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