Trade quotation - help with wording

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My DH is a plumber and always gives quotes for jobs, he’s happy to as people know what a specific job will cost and he (hopefully) won’t have have any problems with them paying for it.

The problem he is frequently encountering is that customers ask for additional jobs to be done while he’s there …. “Can you just plumb in my outside tap while you’re here or at I’ve got a new gas cooker can you just fit that too”. While he’s happy to do these jobs they do incur an extra cost for time and fittings and when these extras are put on the invoice they are increasingly being quibbled over. The most used line being “but, you were here anyway”. They just don’t seem to comprehend that if he wasn’t there doing that job he’d had left and be working somewhere else.

Another problem is that while his day rate hasn’t changed in the last 4 years the cost of everything else has ie fittings, radiators, piping etc ….. somethings have more than quadrupled in price.
This is where I need some advice . Along with a quotation I want to add a sheet for the customer to sign accepting the quote, but more importantly acknowledging it is for the jobs specified and any extra jobs will be chargeable. Also as the price of materials are unfortunately going up alot the quotation in relation to materials (not labour) is only valid for 4 weeks. I want to add this as recently he has had a customer contact him for a job to be done referring to a quote from November 2021 ….. prices have changed a lot since then and they can’t understand why he needs to do a new quote!
Can anyone help me with the wording, so that it doesn’t sound too overbearing but gets the point across and affords protection to both him and the customer.

He needs to say when at a job if asked to do something else, this will come up on your invoice, is that ok? The materials thing, just write quotes for materials only valid for 4 weeks due to frequent manufacturer price changes.

Thanks MsInsomniac he does tell people it’s an extra but I don’t think a/ they realise how things mount up or b/ think that as he’s there already it’s going to be free.

This is what I receive on most of my quotes at work

Price £14850.00
Plus, VAT @ 20.0%
Quote validity 30 days from above date

Plain, simple, and not too wordy.
As for extra works, maybe also include a line saying 'Any work undertaken but not contained within the quote is chargeable'

Whoops pressed post too soon!
Its just help with the wording really, I don’t want it to sound too officious.

Yeah, fewest words possible to convey the meaning.

Any additional work requested not covered by this quote will incur an additional cost.

The problem he is frequently encountering is that customers ask for additional jobs to be done while he’s there …. “Can you just plumb in my outside tap while you’re here or at I’ve got a new gas cooker can you just fit that too”. While he’s happy to do these jobs they do incur an extra cost for time and fittings and when these extras are put on the invoice they are increasingly being quibbled over.
Get a duplicate book. He writes in the extra job and the price. Gets customer to sign agreement. He keeps one copy, gives other to customer.

I think that might be the problem though?
You need it to sound strong and non negotiable so people don't try and take the piss.

I’ve just had a massive landscaping job done. Lots of unknowns until contractor started digging and laying out.
My contractor gave me an estimate. Exactly that, an estimate.

He made a note that it was NOT a quote because prices are constantly changing so he couldn’t quote with any certainty regarding materials at the time. A contractor has to legally, I believe, stick to prices quoted. Not so an estimate.

Anyway, clients are not your friends so be business like.

It’s ok to say that “any additional services provided after estimate/quote is accepted & SIGNED FOR will incur extra appropriate charges and will be treated as a separate contract.”

This means that if he’s asked to change a tap etc whilst on the original job he can say “sorry gotta be elsewhere by (time) so I’ll have to quote separately for that and come back another day.”

Any decent person would understand this.
It’s lovely that you and your partner are as you are, kind and considerate but it’s dog eat dog out there!

Id echo PP above and tell him to get a little duplicate book, when they ask for something extra get him to write it in and give them a dated copy eg.

Over and Above quote

• extra pipe to extend plumbing and move radiator
• new valves
• 2 hours labour

XXX price
Date 13/01/2022

Then when he gives the final invoice, he can itemise his original quote and then have a section for "over and aboves" or "extra quoted work" and pop in the extra costs he gave them there.