Guides
Guides for trades who quote
Practical notes on pricing, quoting and getting paid, written for people who do the work. Not about the software, mostly.
October 2026 · 5 min read
Build a price list from your last fifty invoices
Turn jobs you have already done into a price list you can trust: pull fifty invoices, group the work, find what each job really earned, then set prices.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
Call-out fees, explained so customers accept them
A call-out fee is the most disputed line on a trade quote and the easiest to defend. Here is what it covers, how to set it and how to put it in writing.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
Charging for travel time and distance on regional jobs
Price the kilometres and hours it takes to reach regional jobs, pick a per-kilometre, travel-time or zone charge, and group jobs to cut the cost.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
Deposits and progress payments: how to set the stages
Work out a deposit and a payment schedule for a longer job, tie each stage to work the customer can see, and check the rules that apply in your state.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
Following up a quote without being a pest
A quote that goes quiet is often one nobody chased. Three short follow-ups at the right spacing get an answer; a fourth gets you blocked. Here is how to do it.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
Getting paid on time
Late payment starts at the quote, not the invoice. The terms to set, the habits that get the money in the door, and what to do when it does not arrive.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
Handling variations without losing money
The job changes once you are on site. The question is whether the price changes with it and whether anyone agreed. A simple method for variations that holds up.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 6 min read
Hourly rate or fixed price: which to quote and when
Decide job by job whether to quote by the hour or a fixed price, turn an hourly estimate into a fixed figure that holds, and check your estimates.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
How long should a trade quote stay valid?
Choose a validity period that matches how fast your costs move, word it so it is clear, and handle a customer who accepts after it has run out.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
How to price a job so the quote is accepted
Pricing is not guessing what the customer will pay. It is knowing your costs, your rate and your margin, then writing it down so the number makes sense to them.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 6 min read
Materials markup, wastage and supplier price rises
Set a materials markup that covers what buying really costs you, allow for wastage on every line, and keep quotes right when suppliers lift prices.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
Minimum charges for small jobs: setting one that sticks
Work out what a small job really costs you, set a minimum charge that covers it, and explain it so customers accept it before you arrive.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
Photographing a job so you can quote it properly
A few minutes with the phone camera on site saves a second visit and settles arguments later. What to shoot, how to shoot it, and what to do with the photos.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 6 min read
Quoting commercial clients who work on purchase orders
Get set up as a supplier, quote so the purchase order matches, handle extra work without breaking the PO, and get invoices paid the first time.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 6 min read
Quoting for strata managers and property managers
Win and keep work from strata and property managers by knowing who approves, what they need on a quote, and how to get paid without chasing.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
Quoting insurance repair work without getting caught short
Quote storm, water and break-in repairs an insurer will pay for: know who your client is, give the assessor what they need, and make sure you get paid.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
Quoting over the phone versus on site
Some jobs can be priced from a phone call and a photo. Some cannot. How to tell which is which, and how to quote each without losing the job or the margin.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
What a declined quote tells you, and what to change
Record why each quote was lost, sort the reasons, spot the patterns by job size and quoting speed, and fix the one thing costing you the most work.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
What to put in a quote so it holds up in a dispute
The quote is the document both sides go back to when something goes wrong. Here is what it needs to say so that going back to it ends the argument.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 4 min read
When to walk away from a job
Not every enquiry should become a quote. The signs that a job will cost you more than it pays, and how to decline without burning the bridge.
Read the guideOctober 2026 · 5 min read
Writing scope and exclusions so nobody argues later
Write a scope of works that says where the job starts and stops, list the exclusions customers wrongly assume, and test both before you send.
Read the guideSend the next one from the ute.
Free is five quotes a month, paid for by a marketing consent instead of a card. Past that, Starter is $39 a month. Either way the set-up is typing in your price list.