Do you charge for quotes?

[spud1]

Evening Sparkies.

Does anyone charge their clients for site visits/consultations and/or quote writing?

 

[Spoon]

Have a look at this thread below mate.

Do you charge for Quotes ?

I have done around 16 or 17 quotes in the last few weeks , some small jobs where the quote was literally hourly rate + materials so took 20 mins to type up and email. But the other day I did a massive detailed quote after spending over 2 hours with the customer at the site. Full re-wire of...

www.electriciansforums.net

 

[catdog1121]

I find a lot of the time if I quote I get the job as nobody else wants to quote, some customers need a quote but I get your point that it can take a long time with often potentially no work at the end..

 

[davesparks]

I don't directly charge for quotes, I build that cost in to the quote.

Site visits and consultations depend entirely on the circumstances.
If I request a site visit for my benefit then I don't charge. If a customer requests a site visit which is outside of what would be normal for the job then I would explain that it is chargeable and charge for it.

I'm far more lenient with regular customers on this than I am with one-off customers.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Time is Money so technically we should charge for everything

 

[LukeD]

If its a new client and you think they are just "fishing around" .If they want a very detailed quote then YES charge . Chances are they think you are the best . and will use your quote as a "project management guide " to find someone a lot cheaper and to do what you have quoted etc etc .

 

[catdog1121]

If its a new client and you think they are just "fishing around" .If they want a very detailed quote then YES charge . Chances are they think you are the best . and will use your quote as a "project management guide " to find someone a lot cheaper and to do what you have quoted etc etc .

Yeah I have had that, you spend hours working out calculations etc, talking to NAPIT, talking to the DNO etc and then they take your quote and show it to someone else minus the amount and ask them to quote for the same...

The problem is people don't appreciate how long it can take to do a quote, I much prefer giving a rate per hour plus materials, I then give an estimate of how long I think it will take but its literally just that an estimate...

There are a couple of charities I have had to do quotes for and I don't mind losing a bit on those cause they are charities but I understand why trying to get someone to quote is so difficult.

 

[DMElec.1]

For an itemised quote I charge - it cuts the wheat from the chaff, for any other job - I charge - its just that its built into the quote without stating it. If there is a risk that the details are specific enough to be used by another electrician to beat your quote - I make sure I 'vageuify' them somewhat - the trick is to leave specifics out, but outline what the client wants. For example - a rewire will start out life as a vague quote, then have additional levels of detail specificity added later so that any other spark would have to travel the path I have to get their quote together while the bidding is going on.