From the blog
Quoting electrical jobs so you actually get paid
· Robert McLaggan
To get paid without the arguments: put the scope in writing (including what isn't included), take a deposit that covers your materials, and set a specific payment date on both the quote and the invoice — not 'net 30' but an actual date. The easier the quote is to accept, the faster you're booked in.
Most electricians don't lose money because their prices are wrong. They lose it on the bit before and after the actual work — the vague quote that turns into a scope argument, the job that's finished but unpaid three weeks later, the customer who "thought that was included."
None of that is about being a better sparky. It's about how you write the quote. Here's what actually moves the needle.
Put the scope in writing, in plain words
The single most expensive habit is quoting a number over the phone or in a text. The number sticks; the scope doesn't. When the job grows, you're the one absorbing it.
Write down what's included and — just as important — what isn't. You don't need legal language. You need:
- What you're doing ("Replace consumer unit, test and certify, make good").
- What's not in the price ("Plastering and decorating after chasing walls is not included").
- What you're assuming ("Price assumes existing cabling is sound; any rewiring needed will be quoted separately").
That last line saves more jobs than anything else. It turns a future argument into an expected conversation.
Take a deposit on anything with materials
If you're fronting the cost of a consumer unit, cable, or fittings, you shouldn't be the one financing the job. A deposit isn't cheeky — it's standard, and customers who balk at a reasonable one are often the same ones who pay late.
A simple rule that works: materials cost up front, labour on completion. It covers your outlay and keeps your cash flow off the customer's timeline.
Set a payment term, and put a date on it
"Net 30" means nothing to a homeowner. "Payment due by Friday 20th" does. A specific date is harder to ignore and easier for you to chase, because there's a clear line it crossed.
State it on the quote and the invoice, so it's never a surprise. If you've never set terms before, 7 days for domestic work is normal and fair.
Make the quote easy to say yes to
A quote the customer has to print, sign, and scan back is a quote that sits in an inbox. The faster it is to accept, the faster you're booked in — and the less time a competitor has to get there first.
This is the bit we built grafter.ly around: you send a quote, the customer opens a link on their phone, types their name to accept, and it's done — you both have a record of the agreed price, and the job moves forward without a single bit of paperwork chasing. If you're still doing this over text and email, that's the gap worth closing first. Try it free for 30 days — no card to start.
Follow up without apologising
If a quote's gone quiet after a few days, a short nudge is normal — and it lands better when it asks something the customer can answer in a word: "Hi — sent you a price for the consumer unit last Tuesday. Are you still looking to get it done this month, or has it moved back?" No apology, no discount, no pressure. Half the time the customer meant to reply and forgot. The other half, you find out it's dead and stop wondering.
Two nudges is the sensible ceiling, and the timing matters more than the wording — what to send when a quote goes quiet covers both, and when to stop.
None of this is complicated. It's just the difference between hoping you get paid and setting the job up so you do.
Common questions
- What should be included in an electrical quote?
- What you're doing, what isn't in the price, and what you're assuming — for example, "price assumes existing cabling is sound; any rewiring will be quoted separately." Writing down what's not included prevents most scope arguments later.
- Should an electrician take a deposit?
- Yes, on anything involving materials. A simple rule that works: materials cost up front, labour on completion. It covers your outlay so you're not financing the job — and customers who balk at a reasonable deposit are often the ones who pay late.
- What payment terms should I put on the quote?
- A specific date, not "net 30" — "payment due by Friday the 20th" is far harder to ignore. State it on the quote and the invoice so it's never a surprise. For domestic work, 7 days is normal and fair.