5 Mistakes Tradespeople Make When Quoting Jobs

Most tradespeople are brilliant at their craft but would happily admit that the admin side of the business is not their strongest suit. Quoting is one of those tasks that often gets rushed — knocked out on the way home from a site visit, typed into a text message, or scribbled on a piece of paper. And yet, the quality of your quote directly affects whether you win the job.

Here are five of the most common mistakes tradespeople make when quoting — and how to avoid them.

1. Being Too Vague About What is Included

This is the number one cause of disputes in the trades. A quote that simply says "Kitchen extension - £25,000" tells the client almost nothing. Does that include the foundations? The electrics? The plastering? What about decoration and snagging?

When your scope of work is vague, the client fills in the gaps with their own assumptions — and those assumptions rarely align with yours. The result is disagreements halfway through the project, requests for "extras" that you thought were obvious additions, and a soured working relationship.

The fix is straightforward: be specific. List every element of work that is included, and explicitly state anything that is excluded. It takes more time upfront, but it saves enormous headaches later. A clear, detailed scope of work protects both you and the client. For a full walkthrough, see our guide on how to write a professional building quote.

2. Underpricing to Win the Job

It is tempting, especially when work is slow, to drop your price to beat the competition. But underpricing is a dangerous strategy that rarely ends well. If your price is too low, one of three things happens: you cut corners to protect your margin, you end up working for next to nothing, or you have to go back to the client mid-project asking for more money.

None of these outcomes are good for your reputation. Clients who choose purely on price are often the hardest to work with, and they are the least likely to recommend you to others. Instead of competing on price, compete on professionalism. A well-presented, detailed quote at a fair price will beat a cheap, vague one more often than you might think.

Know your costs, add a reasonable margin, and stand behind your price. The right clients will respect that.

3. Taking Too Long to Send the Quote

Speed matters more than most tradespeople realise. When a homeowner is getting quotes for a job, they are often contacting three or four businesses at the same time. The first quote to land in their inbox has a significant psychological advantage — it demonstrates efficiency and eagerness for the work.

If you visit a property on Monday morning and your quote does not arrive until the following Friday, there is a good chance the client has already committed to someone else. In many cases, a same-day or next-day quote will win the job over a competitor who takes a week, even if the slower quote is slightly cheaper.

If writing quotes is what slows you down, that is a process problem worth solving. Templates, standardised terms, and tools that automate the writing can cut your turnaround from days to minutes.

4. No Terms and Conditions

Many tradespeople skip terms and conditions entirely, either because they do not think they need them or because they do not know what to include. This is a significant risk. Terms and conditions are not just legal boilerplate — they are the framework that governs the working relationship between you and the client.

At a minimum, your terms should cover your payment schedule, what happens if the client changes the scope mid-project, your warranty or guarantee period, cancellation rights, and your insurance details. Without these in writing, you have no reference point if a dispute arises. A client could claim you promised something verbally, and without documented terms, it becomes your word against theirs.

Having professional terms and conditions also reassures clients. It shows that you have done this before, that you run a proper business, and that there are clear processes in place if anything goes wrong.

5. Sending Unprofessional-Looking Documents

Imagine you are a homeowner about to spend £30,000 on an extension. You receive two quotes: one arrives as a branded PDF with a clear layout, itemised costs, a detailed scope, and professional terms. The other arrives as a text message that reads "Extension job - 28k including materials. Let me know."

Which tradesperson would you trust with your money?

The presentation of your quote reflects the quality of your work — at least in the client's mind. A scruffy, hastily written quote suggests a scruffy, hastily completed job. A polished, well-structured proposal suggests care, attention to detail, and professionalism. We explain exactly why professional proposals win more work in a separate article. You can also browse our proposal examples to see the difference a branded PDF makes.

You do not need to be a graphic designer to produce a good-looking quote. A clean PDF with your logo, consistent formatting, and a logical structure is enough to set you apart from the majority of your competition.

Every one of these mistakes has the same root cause: quoting feels like a chore, so it gets rushed. QuoteSmith removes that friction entirely. Enter your job details and costs, and the AI generates a professional, branded proposal with a detailed scope of work, timeline, and terms — ready to send in minutes. It is the easiest way to avoid these mistakes and start winning more work. Read more about how AI is helping UK tradespeople save time on admin tasks like quoting.