Guides
Estimating, pricing and getting paid
Everything we know about putting a price on a job and writing it up so it wins the work. Written for UK trades, with the law referenced properly rather than paraphrased from a forum post.
Quote vs estimate: the legal difference, and why it matters
The difference between a quote and an estimate, what happens when the bill overruns, and how to word an estimate so it stays an estimate.
What to include in an estimate: the anatomy of a professional job
A section-by-section breakdown of a professional estimate, and the seven costs that get left off and eaten by the tradesperson.
How to price a job: day rates, true costs and knowing when to walk
The arithmetic behind a rate that actually pays you: chargeable days, overheads, markup versus margin, and the jobs worth turning down.
Building an estimate template you can reuse on every job
What to lock into a template and what to fill in per job, including terms, payment clauses and the statutory late-payment interest right.
Winning more work with better quotes
The levers that actually decide who gets the job: response speed, presentation, itemisation, options and a follow-up that is not pestering.
How binding is an estimate in the UK?
What actually makes an estimate binding, the consumer rights that sit behind every domestic job, and a practical route through a dispute.
VAT on estimates and quotes: what UK tradespeople need to get right
Registration, how to present VAT to domestic and commercial customers, when the rate is not 20 per cent, and the construction reverse charge.
Getting paid on time: terms, deposits, chasing and small claims
How to structure payment so you are not funding the customer, and what to do in order when the money does not arrive.