Five questions to ask before you quote or drive out

Why quoting everyone costs you

A quote is not free. There is the drive, the site visit, the measuring, the pricing and the follow-up. If a job was never going to happen, all of that time comes out of your evenings and weekends.

You do not need to turn people away. You need to find out early what the job really is. Ask first, then decide how much of your time it gets.

A good rule is simple. The more time a job will take you to price, the more you should know before you start. A small repair might need one question. A full renovation might need all five and a site visit.

The five questions

1. What is the job? Get it in their words, then in yours.
2. What budget range are you working with?
3. When do you want it done?
4. Do you have plans, drawings or photos?
5. Do you own the place, or are you renting?

Ask them in a friendly order, like a chat and not a quiz. Most people are happy to answer when you explain that it helps you give a straight answer.

Why these five? The job tells you what you are pricing. The budget tells you if the numbers can match. The timing tells you if it is real. Plans tell you how much thinking has been done. And owner or renter tells you who actually says yes.

If someone will not give you a budget, that is fine. Offer a range and ask which side feels closer. "Is it nearer five thousand or fifty?" gets a straight answer more often than "what is your budget?"

Worded for your trade

Here is how each question can sound in the real world. Change the words so they sound like you.

Builders and renos

• 1. What are you looking at doing, and where?
• 2. Have you got a rough budget in mind, even a range?
• 3. When would you like to start?
• 4. Do you have plans or a drawing, or are we starting from scratch?
• 5. Do you own the house?

Electricians

• 1. What do you need done, and what is happening now?
• 2. Is there a budget you want to stay inside?
• 3. Is it urgent, or can it wait for a booked day?
• 4. Can you send a photo of the switchboard?
• 5. Do you own the property, or do I need to check with the landlord?

Plumbers

• 1. What is going on, and where in the house?
• 2. Do you have a budget in mind for a repair or a replacement?
• 3. Is anything leaking right now?
• 4. Can you send a photo of the unit or the pipe?
• 5. Are you the owner, or is it a rental?

HVAC

• 1. Is it a new install, a replacement or a repair?
• 2. Do you have a budget range for the system?
• 3. Do you need it before summer, or is there no rush?
• 4. Can you send a photo of the current unit and the wall it sits on?
• 5. Do you own the place?

Other trades, like landscaping, painting or roofing

• 1. What would you like done?
• 2. What budget would you be comfortable with?
• 3. When do you want it finished?
• 4. Do you have photos, plans or a design?
• 5. Is it your own home?

Ballpark first, full quote second

Once you have the answers, give a ballpark range on the phone or by text. Say it is a range and that the full quote needs a look. If the range makes them go quiet, you have saved yourself a Saturday. If they say "that works", you have a real job.

Ballpark message

Thanks [first name]. Going on what you've told me, a job like this usually lands somewhere between [low] and [high], depending on what I find on site. Does that sit okay with you? If so, I'll book a time to have a proper look.

How to say no nicely

Saying no keeps your name good. Be kind, be quick and point them somewhere useful if you can.

Polite no

Thanks for thinking of us, [first name]. This one isn't the right fit for us at the moment, so I don't want to waste your time. If anything changes, or you have another job down the track, get in touch.

You can also say not yet. If the timing is off, offer a date to check back. "Ring me in March and I will have space" is a no that keeps a customer.

A one-page form template

Put these on a short web form or in a text template. You will have the answers before you ever pick up the phone.

Enquiry form, one page

• Your name
• Mobile
• Suburb
• What do you need done?
• Budget range (under a number, between two numbers, or not sure)
• When would you like it done?
• Plans or photos (attach if you have them)
• Do you own the property? (yes, no, other)

Add a line at the bottom: "We reply within one business day." Then make sure you do. If you want help seeing how much time your quoting takes, the calculator at the end of this guide has a place to put your own numbers.

Keep the form short. Every extra field loses some people. If a question does not change whether you quote, take it out.

If you collect names and phone numbers, tell people what you will use them for. Something like: "We use these details to reply to your enquiry." Our privacy page shows the kind of wording we use ourselves.