Quotes Estimates and pricing

[MFS Electrical]

I’ve always given my quotes and estimates out in a sort of broken down way-usually broken down into materials and labour so customers can see exactly what they are paying for and to keep it more transparent for the customer.
Just wondering if I’m alone in doing it this way and why you think it’s a good/bad idea

PS I’m considering changing the format of my quotes/estimates to make them much quicker to do.

 

[Nigel]

I never break it down to labour/materials unless requested which only happens occasionally.

I do break quote down into ‘managable’ parts though.

1. Installation of DB £xxxx
2. Relocate socket to outside wall £xxxx

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

I price on a per point basis.Generally you can make much more doing it this way than labour and materials.
So say i wire 3 double sockets in someones house then going on labour+ materials then it might take you 3 hours+£30 materials which would be £120.Where as i charge £70 per socket netting you £210 for the same job.Sometimes you lose out but most jobs priced this way nets you more money per job than just labour.

 

[MFS Electrical]

Generally my quotes look like yours Essex but supply of DB including tails and sundries £---
Install of DB £---
Supply of outdoor socket and cable £---
Installation of socket £---
And so on.
It’s always good to get an insight into what others do
I’m thinking of revising it to be more like yours Essex
but I do like the idea of pricing per point bob but the problem with that is it isn’t really a one size fits all approach in my opinion. I’ll continue to have a think about it it’s more just to save time on quoting as they are coming in thick and fast these days and take forever to do

 

[rolyberkin]

I price materials and labour, only ever had one numpty ask me if he could supply the parts. I like to be transparent and I don't think people sometimes realise how much parts cost.

 

[MFS Electrical]

I price materials and labour, only ever had one numpty ask me if he could supply the parts. I like to be transparent and I don't think people sometimes realise how much parts cost.

I actually get that quite often usually they change their mind when I say there’s no guarantee with any parts that i didn’t supply

 

[Phil Thompson]

I just list down everything and give a final price for domestic.

For commercial customers I tend to do labour and materials plus mark up.

I find listing prices for each item can at times back fire as customers can’t see how long or awkward something takes, they just see the price charged for something.

 

[Andy78]

I sometimes price as a whole, sometimes price per "part" as Essex above.
Never do I price materials and labour separate though. My mark up on materials is my business and prices are too easy to match online or with DIY sheds. Can't be arsed with any potential hassle arguing over material costs. Having said that, my customers are generally not the sort to get into that sort of BS, but there's always one.

 

[The Ghost]

Depends on the client but generally I list all materials down to the last clip and price and then the labour cost. I hate getting quotes like;
To fit and supply CU £550. I want to know the labour and materials it lets me see what exactly is being charged for. But then sometimes, especially commercially it is more generally accepted that an all in price is acceptable and they don't usually require a detailed breakdown. So for instance I can say to a commercial client it is £80 per LED panel fitted so you want 20 (x £80) so £1600. I can usually do that in a day so....

 

[MDJ]

I agree with Essex, exactly the way I do it, and I do it this way because they can make changes if money is tight and you end up working at a loss under certain conditions if you give too much away, JMO

 

[MFS Electrical]

I tend to mostly use estimates rather than quotes that way if anything unexpected crops up I have a get out and don’t need to run at a loss. I do tell the customer if anything crops up that will change the price and I’ve only ever had a problem with one customer complaining about me changing the price from my estimate but I pointed them to the Ts&Cs on my website, which they should have read beforehand as stated on the bottom of all my estimates/quotes. I’ll post up a mock estimate so you can see how I do it now. See if there is anything I can improve to make it go a little quicker.

 

[MFS Electrical]

This isn’t the current template I use to deliver estimates it has changed a little since this one was introduced but it was the only one I had in my phone it still looks pretty similar to the one customers get now and you can get the gist of how I convey the price. Also editing this template is a pig on the phone and that’s why the lines are all over the place it isn’t what it usually looks like, honest.

The prices within are completely made up and do not reflect in anyway, any real pricing of MFS Electrical.
This estimate is for illustration purposes only and any reproduction is forbidden except where permitted in writing by MFS Electrical.

 

[MFS Electrical]

Again, the prices within are totally made up and do not reflect, in anyway, any real pricing of MFS Electrical.
This estimate is for illustration purposes only and any reproduction is forbidden except where permitted in writing by MFS Electrical.

 

[MFS Electrical]

I’m thinking of changing to the second one because it will save a bit of time on each one so it will be somewhat similar to @essex and @MDJ ‘s quotes/estimates I do like to let the customer know how much materials are Vs how much labour is but it is getting quite impractical. I do think though that there are a few higher value jobs that I wouldn’t have got without breaking things down as with the first one, As quite often the customer can be shocked at the overall price... especially with higher value jobs.
Excuse the disclaimers it’s not that I don’t trust my fellow forum-mates. I just thought it would be prudent to include them as this is a public forum