Start with your cost exposure
Check how long key supplier and subcontractor prices are being held. A client quote that remains open beyond the underlying cost assumptions can leave the business carrying avoidable price risk.
CostForgeBuilder quote validity
Quote validity for UK builders and trades
How long should a builder quote stay valid?
There is no single validity period that suits every building job. The useful question is how long you can reasonably stand behind the price before labour assumptions, supplier prices, scope or availability need checking again.
Set a clear expiry date instead of leaving the offer open-ended
Match the validity window to supplier and subcontractor pricing
Recheck assumptions before extending an expired quote
Keep validity, scope, exclusions and payment terms consistent
Commercial quote control
Live commercial view
Estimate → quote → invoice
Costs
Visible
Margin
Protected
Client
Ready
The commercial problem
A price can become stale before the customer is ready to decide.
Building quotes often depend on material prices, subcontractor availability, labour assumptions and a defined scope. A clear validity period gives both sides a date for the current offer and creates a sensible point to review the numbers if the decision takes longer.
Use a specific date
An explicit expiry date is easier to understand than vague wording such as ‘prices may change’. Put the date somewhere the client can see before accepting the quote.
Review before extending
If a client needs more time, recheck material prices, labour, access, programme assumptions and scope before confirming that the old price can remain available.
Keep the wording proportionate
Validity is only one part of a useful quote. Scope, exclusions, VAT treatment, payment terms and variation handling should be clear as well.
A repeatable workflow
Choose the validity period from the job backwards, not from habit.
A short domestic repair and a larger renovation can have very different exposure to price movement and decision time. Use the commercial inputs behind the quote to choose a window you can actually manage.
01
Check the inputs
Review supplier quote dates, subcontractor offers, labour availability, allowances and any price-sensitive materials before deciding how long your client price should remain open.
02
State the expiry clearly
Put a clear expiry date on the quote and make sure the customer can also see the scope, exclusions, totals and payment terms that belong to that offer.
03
Reprice when necessary
When an expired quote comes back, do not automatically copy the old total. Recheck the cost base and issue a revised offer when the assumptions have changed.
Built for real work
Especially useful when the price depends on moving inputs.
Validity control matters whenever the time between estimating, customer approval and ordering could change the commercial assumptions behind the job.
Builders
Keep renovation, extension and general building offers tied to a defined decision window.
Explore pageElectricians
Review parts, labour and specialist equipment pricing before extending an older electrical quote.
Explore pagePlumbers
Give installation and repair customers a clear date for the current scope and price.
Explore pageTrade teams
Use a consistent review point so estimators and office staff do not promise stale pricing by accident.
Build the quote
Need a structured way to calculate the job before setting the validity date?
Use the construction quote calculatorManage the decision
CostForge quotes support an expiry date and online signed accept or decline.
Explore online quote acceptanceQuestions trade teams ask
Use the answers below to compare a structured quoting workflow with spreadsheets and generic accounting tools.
How long should a builder quote be valid for in the UK?
There is no single period that fits every job. Choose a clear window that reflects how long your underlying supplier, subcontractor, labour and scope assumptions are dependable, and review the price if that window expires.
Should I use 14 days or 30 days for a building quote?
Either can be reasonable depending on the job. A shorter period may suit price-sensitive work or short supplier offers, while a longer period can give a client more decision time when the underlying costs are relatively stable. The important point is that the period matches the commercial assumptions behind your quote.
What should I do when a quote expires?
Review the cost inputs and scope before extending it. If material prices, labour, subcontractor offers or assumptions have changed, issue a revised quote rather than silently relying on an old total.
Does CostForge support quote expiry dates?
Yes. CostForge quotes support an expiry date alongside the quote status, tax behaviour, payment terms, terms and conditions, quote number and internal margin settings.
Can a customer accept a CostForge quote online?
Yes. CostForge can send a tokenised public quote link where the client can review the client-facing quote, provide their name and signature, and accept or decline without a staff account.
Build a calmer commercial process
Keep the validity date connected to the quote it belongs to.
Build the job costs, set the quote details, issue a branded client version and keep the customer's signed response attached to the commercial record.
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