Should You Charge for a Quotation or Estimate?

Every quotation takes time: a phone call, a visit, some measuring, some maths. When you quote a dozen jobs and win three, that time adds up. So should you charge for quotes? For most small jobs, no. For some, yes. Here is how to decide.

Why most quotes are free

A free quotation is a normal part of winning work. Customers compare two or three businesses, and the one that replies quickly with a clear, fair quote often wins. Charging for every quote would send many of them to a competitor.

Quote for free when:

• The job is small or standard, so you can price it quickly.
• You can quote from a message or photos, without a visit.
• Your competitors quote for free and you are trying to win new customers.

When a fee makes sense

Consider a fee when the quote itself is real work:

• A site visit is needed, especially if it involves long travel.
• You have to design or draw something before you can price it.
• The job is large and complex, and the quote involves research or measuring.
• You keep being used for free pricing, with no jobs coming out of it.

A fee also filters out people who are only price-shopping.

Make the fee fair

A quote fee works best when it is:

• Clear. Tell the customer the fee before you start, not after.
• Credited back. Many businesses deduct the fee from the final invoice if the customer goes ahead. This keeps it fair and makes saying yes easier.
• Reasonable. It should cover your time and travel, not make a profit by itself.

For example: "We charge a 50 quotation fee for a site visit. If you go ahead with the job, we deduct it from your final invoice."

What a good quotation includes

Whether it is free or paid, a quotation should show:

1. Your business details and the customer's details.
2. A clear description of the work and the price of each part.
3. The total, with any tax shown.
4. How long the price is valid.
5. Any deposit or payment terms.

A "valid until" date protects you when costs change.

Turn it into an invoice

Once the customer says yes, you should not have to type everything again. In EzInvoice you create a quotation with a valid-until date, download it as a PDF to send, and turn an accepted quotation into an invoice with one tap. If you charged a quote fee, you can take it off the invoice with a discount.

Follow up

Many quotes are lost because nobody followed up. A short message a few days later, "Just checking you received the quote and happy to answer any questions", wins more jobs than a longer quote does.

A quick checklist

1. Quote small, standard jobs for free.
2. Charge a fee when the quote needs a visit, design or research.
3. Tell the customer the fee first, and credit it back if they proceed.
4. Show the work, the total, the validity and the payment terms.
5. Turn accepted quotes into invoices instead of retyping.
6. Follow up a few days later.