Guides for tradespeople
Straight talk on quoting: how to price jobs, what to put on a quote, and how to win more work without sounding like a salesperson.
Quoting basics
Quote vs estimate: what's the difference?
A quote is a fixed price you commit to. An estimate is your best guess. Knowing the difference protects your margin and keeps customers happy.
What every professional quote should include
The line items every professional quote needs: scope, price breakdown, inclusions and exclusions, timeline, terms, and how to accept. A practical checklist.
Do sole trader tradespeople need to charge VAT?
Whether a sole trader tradesperson needs to register for and charge VAT depends on turnover. Here's how the threshold works and what it means for your quotes.
How much deposit should a tradesperson ask for?
How to decide a fair deposit: when to ask for one, what it should cover, how to set the amount, and how to show it clearly on the quote so it's agreed.
How to chase a quote without being pushy
How to follow up on a quote without being pushy: why following up wins jobs, when to do it, what to say, and how automatic follow-up handles it for you.
Quote templates for tradespeople (and a faster alternative)
What a good quote template actually contains, how to build one that wins work, where templates fall short, and a faster way to generate a professional quote.
Why you lose jobs to cheaper quotes (and it is rarely the price)
Most jobs lost to a cheaper quote aren't about price. The real reasons: slow to respond, vague scope, an amateur quote, no trust signals, no follow-up.
How fast should you send a quote?
Why speed wins quotes: the first professional quote anchors the decision, slow replies read as disorganised, and how to send fast without cutting corners.
How to write a quote as a plumber
How a plumber writes a quote that wins work: typical line items, labour versus materials, when to quote or estimate, common exclusions, and what lifts your win rate.
How to write a quote as an electrician
How an electrician writes a quote that wins work: certification and Part P, testing, day rate versus fixed price, what to itemise, and the exclusions to flag.
How to write a quote as a builder
How a builder writes a quote for multi-trade jobs: pricing the trades you pull in, provisional sums for undecided items, when to estimate, and staged payments.
How to write a quote as a roofer
How a roofer writes a quote that holds up: pricing access and scaffold as real line items, handling hidden-timber risk, weather and timeline caveats, and deposit norms.
Trade guides
How to quote for a bathroom renovation
How to quote a bathroom renovation properly: what to survey, the line items to break out, the exclusions to flag, and how to structure the price.
How to quote for a boiler replacement
How to quote a boiler replacement as a Gas Safe engineer: what to survey, the line items to include, flue and gas considerations, and how to present the price.
How to price a house rewire
How to price a full or partial house rewire: what to survey, the points to count, certification and making good, and how to structure the quote.
How to quote for a kitchen fit
How to quote a kitchen fit: what to survey, the trades it pulls in, the line items to break out, and handling supply-only versus supply-and-fit.
How to quote for a roof replacement
How to quote a roof replacement: surveying access, scaffolding as a real line item, the staged breakdown, and the hidden timber you find on strip-out.
How to price a plastering job
How to price plastering: skimming over sound surfaces versus a full re-plaster, the prep that drives the cost, drying time, and how to structure the quote.
How to quote for an EV charger installation
How to quote an EV charger install: surveying the supply and earthing, the DNO notification and load check, cable routing, and presenting the price.
How to quote for painting and decorating
How to quote a painting and decorating job: surveying the prep, counting coats and areas, the exclusions that cause disputes, and how to structure the price.
How to quote for fencing and decking
How to quote fencing and decking: surveying the ground and access, the posts and groundworks that drive the cost, materials, and pricing it.
How to quote for a house extension
How to quote a house extension: staging a big multi-trade job, using provisional sums for the unknowns, and where quote and estimate sit together.
How to quote for a driveway or patio
How to quote a driveway or patio: why the groundwork and sub-base are the real cost, surveying drainage and access, and pricing the surface.
How to quote for a loft conversion
How to quote a loft conversion: a multi-trade job with structural work and building control, the staircase, and the unknowns until you open up.
How to quote for flooring (LVT, laminate and tiling)
How to quote flooring (LVT, laminate, tiling): why subfloor prep is where it goes wrong, surveying moisture and levels, and supply versus fit.
Running your trade business
How to set your day rate as a tradesperson
How to work out your day rate from your costs, overheads, target income and billable days, plus how the local market fits in. A method, not a magic number.
Do tradespeople need public liability insurance?
What public liability insurance covers, whether a sole trader must have it, when clients and schemes demand it, and trades that need extra cover.
Stage payments: structuring payment on bigger jobs
How to structure stage payments on bigger jobs: a deposit to book, milestone payments tied to completed stages, retention, and the final balance.
How to deal with late-paying customers
How to handle late-paying customers: preventing it with deposits, clear terms and stage payments, then polite chasing, then formal escalation.
The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), explained simply
A plain-English guide to CIS: what it is, contractor versus subcontractor, how deductions work, registered versus unregistered rates, and returns.
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