For UK trades
Quoting guides for UK trades
How to price the job, protect the paper, and reply on WhatsApp — without guessing from the dining table at 9pm.
For how the tools fit the work itself, read how UK trades can use AI.
Setting prices and margins
Hourly rates, markups, wastage, day rates, and overheads for UK trades quoting from the van.
- How to calculate your true hourly rate for UK trades
- Should I add a markup on materials when quoting a job?
- How much material wastage should tradespeople build into a quote?
- How to quote a job when you aren't sure how long it will take
- Day rate vs fixed price: Which is better for UK trades?
- How to factor business overheads and van running costs into your quotes
Protecting your money on quotes
Estimates vs quotes, deposits, validity, scope of work, and what to put on the paper.
- What is the legal difference between an estimate and a quote in the UK?
- Should trades charge for providing a quote or estimate?
- How long should a quote remain valid for UK trade customers?
- How to ask a customer for a deposit before starting work
- How to write a clear scope of work on a quote to prevent scope creep
- Should tradespeople show a line-item breakdown of labor and materials?
Client objections and WhatsApp replies
What to say when the quote is too high, follow-ups, cash asks, and mid-job extras.
- What to reply on WhatsApp when a customer says your quote is too high
- How to politely follow up on a sent quote without sounding desperate
- How to handle a customer who asks for a cash discount
- How to quote additional work when a customer changes their mind mid-job
- How to tell a customer you cannot do their job for weeks (without losing them)
- WhatsApp copy-paste templates for sending quotes from your phone
Quote formatting for UK trades
What must be on a UK trade quote, VAT lines, digital quotes, and optional add-ons.
- What essential information must be included on a UK trade quote?
- Should non-VAT registered trades show VAT on their quotes?
- How to structure a multi-stage quote for larger building or renovation jobs
- Why sending handwritten or Notes app quotes loses you money
- Is an accepted quote via text message legally binding in the UK?
- How to present optional add-ons in a quote to increase job value
Quoting from your phone
Trade workflows and turning a WhatsApp into a quote and an accepted quote into an invoice.
- How to quote an electrical job without doing a site visit first
- Simple quote template for plumbers and heating engineers
- How joiners and carpenters should calculate material costs for custom builds
- Best quoting apps for electricians in the UK
- How to turn a WhatsApp inquiry into an itemized quote in under 2 minutes
- How to automatically convert an accepted quote into an invoice on site
Getting paid after the quote
Chasing invoices, short payment, retention, stopping work, and snagging visits — without a row on WhatsApp.
- How to chase an overdue invoice on WhatsApp without souring the job
- What to do when a customer pays less than the invoice
- Should UK trades charge interest on late invoices?
- How retention works on building quotes and when to write it in
- When should you stop work if you have not been paid?
- How to invoice snagging and callback visits after the job
Call-outs, travel, and small jobs
Minimum charges, emergencies, travel time, weekend rates, and return visits that still pay the van.
- How to set a call-out or minimum charge for UK trades
- How to quote emergency and out-of-hours work
- Should travel time be shown on a trade quote?
- How to quote a small job that does not cover the drive
- Should UK trades charge more for weekends and bank holidays?
- How to quote a return visit or second trip to site