The Quote That Cost Me Hours and Made Me Change Everything
I used to say YES TO FREE QUOTES. Bathroom Renos. Deck. Drainage. Didn’t matter. If someone asked, I’d turn up. Then one phone call changed everything.
A client called up wanting a bathroom renovation. Sounded keen. Had photos. Wanted it done properly. After many phone calls, text messages every second night and a site visit, we finally talked numbers.
They told me their budget was 10-15k and they thought a full bathroom renovation should cost around $15,000. Reality check. A proper bathroom renovation is closer to $35,000.
They weren’t wrong or stupid. They just had no clue. But here’s the thing. If I hadn’t gone to site and qualified the client better early on, I would’ve burned three to four hours between travel, inspection, quoting, and follow ups. All for a job that was never going to go ahead. I made a vow and that was the day I stopped quoting jobs for free that weren’t price qualified.
Most tradies don’t have a quoting problem. They have a qualification problem. They’re quoting for people who aren’t ready to build, don’t know real costs, are collecting prices for later, or simply aren’t in a position to buy. That’s not work. That’s unpaid admin.
“Most tradies don’t have a quoting problem. They have a qualification problem.”
So I built a simple qualifying process. And now I only go to site when I know I can convert the job and take a deposit. There are five questions I now ask. They changed everything saved me time, money, and helped me build the real client base I needed to grow a successful company.
1. Time
Are you looking to do these works now, or later? That immediately filters out tyre kickers. If they say later, I park it or give rough guidance only.
2. Ready to buy
Are you ready to purchase if the numbers line up? This one makes some tradies uncomfortable, but it saves hours. If the clients are not ready to buy, I don’t invest site time.
3. Education
Have you received other quotes already? Has someone explained the process or given a solution? This tells me where expectations are set and what I’m walking into.
4. Price
Are you aware of the typical costs for this type of work? If they aren’t, I explain to them the general costs and price points. Ask how that looks compared to their budget and get a price range from the clients letting me know what they are willing to spend.
5. Test sale conversion
If I can deliver this job/project within your budget, timeline and to a high quality standard, is there anything stopping you from using me? This is the big one. If they say no, you’re clear to proceed. If they hesitate, you find the objection and work to solve it prior to the site visit. Once these questions are answered, I review site photos.
I give a clear estimate price range. And I set expectations upfront. I tell them straight. If you’re happy with this estimate, I’ll come to site, confirm everything, and take the deposit. No surprises. No just looking. No wasted site visits.
The results: Fewer quotes. Higher conversion. Less driving. More profit. More time at home. You don’t need more leads. You need better qualified ones. The takeaway: If you’re quoting everything that moves, you’re bleeding time and profit. Start qualifying before you quote. Only go to site when the intent is clear. And remember this. You don’t get paid to quote. You get paid to convert.
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I used to say YES TO FREE QUOTES. Bathroom Renos. Deck. Drainage. Didn’t matter. If someone asked, I’d turn up. Then one phone call changed everything.