Guide
Should tradespeople charge for quotes?
Updated 24 October 2026
Every unpaid quote costs you a visit, travel and an evening of pricing. Some builders reckon estimating is the biggest unpaid job in the business. So should you charge? For most domestic work, no, but you should stop quoting for free on autopilot.
Quote or estimate? Know the difference
A quote is a fixed price for a defined job. If the customer accepts it, you are generally held to it unless the job changes. An estimate is your best guess, and the final bill can differ. Label your documents clearly, and list what is excluded, so neither side is surprised.
When a free quote makes sense
- Domestic jobs where customers expect free quotes and will simply call someone else.
- Jobs you can price quickly from photos, a video call or a standard price list.
- Repeat customers and referrals, who are likely to say yes anyway.
When to charge
- Design and specification work, such as a heat loss survey, kitchen design or structural drawings, which has value on its own.
- Long-distance visits outside your usual area.
- Investigations and fault-finding, where finding the problem is most of the job.
A common compromise is a paid survey fee that is refunded off the job if the customer goes ahead. Serious customers do not mind. Tyre-kickers filter themselves out.
Spend less time on quotes that go nowhere
- Qualify on the phone. Give a rough price range before you visit. If it is out of their budget, you have both saved a trip.
- Use templates. Save your common line items and prices so a quote takes minutes, not an evening.
- Send it the same day, while you are still the most recent person they spoke to.
- Follow up. Many quotes are lost to silence, not to competitors. See how to follow up a quote.
Win more of the quotes you already send
Raising your conversion rate is worth more than charging for quotes. QuoteChase lets you build a quote from saved templates on your phone, offer good, better and best options, and follows it up automatically until the customer answers.
Questions
Can a tradesman charge for a quote?
Yes, as long as you tell the customer before the visit. If you say a quote is free, it must be free.
Is a quote legally binding in the UK?
Once accepted, a quote for a clearly defined job generally forms a contract at that price. If the job changes, agree the new price in writing before doing the extra work.