Quoting electrical jobs so you actually get paid
· Robert McLaggan
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, taps accept, and it's done — you both have a record, 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.
Follow up once, without apologising
If a quote's gone quiet after a few days, a short nudge is normal: "Hi — just checking you got the quote for the consumer unit. Happy to talk it through if anything's unclear." 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.
None of this is complicated. It's just the difference between hoping you get paid and setting the job up so you do.