A basic quote should be free, and customers expect it. But charging is fair and normal when the quote takes real work: a site visit with travel, detailed measurements, a written scope, or material take-offs. The trick is to charge for the work, not the price, be upfront about it, and credit the fee against the job if they go ahead.
Done right, a quote fee costs you nothing in lost work and saves you hours wasted on people who were never going to book.
When a quote should be free
Keep it free when it is quick and standard:
- A rough price you can give over the phone or by message
- A simple, repeatable job you have priced a hundred times
- Anything where the estimate takes you minutes, not hours
For these, speed wins the job. Send a clear, free quote fast using a quote template and you will beat the tradie who drags it out. See how to write a quote that wins the job.
When it is fair to charge
Charge when the quote itself is a chunk of work:
- A site visit that involves real travel time
- Detailed measurements, levels, or a full written scope
- Design work, material take-offs or supplier pricing
- Reports or assessments a customer could take elsewhere
In these cases your time and expertise have value whether or not the job proceeds. Charging is not rude; it is running a business.
How to charge without losing the job
The method that keeps genuine customers happy:
- Say it upfront. Tell them the quote fee before you attend, never after. A surprise fee on a free-quote expectation is how disputes start.
- Keep it modest. A call-out fee or one hour of your time is enough to cover attending and signal you are serious.
- Credit it against the job. "The $X estimate fee comes straight off your invoice if you go ahead." Now it costs a real customer nothing and only stings the tyre-kickers.
The hidden upside
A small quote fee is a filter. The people who balk at it were often collecting ten free quotes or never serious. The ones who agree are real buyers. You end up doing fewer quotes for more jobs, which is the whole point.
Put it in writing
Whatever you decide, make it clear on the quote: whether the estimate was free, any fee charged, and that it is credited on acceptance. Spell out payment terms too, like a deposit before starting, so the money side is settled before the work begins.