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Pricing & commercial

Quote validity, acceptance, and expiry.

A quote is only as good as the period for which its prices hold. Material costs shift, labour availability changes, and overhead contributions can be absorbed by other work. Setting clear validity terms protects both contractor and client from uncertainty.

Authored by Alexandr Vreme & Maksym Vasylkov
Published July 2026 — Next review July 2027

Why validity matters

Construction prices are not static. Material costs fluctuate weekly, subcontractor rates change with workload, and overheads must be allocated to projects that actually proceed. A quote left open indefinitely exposes the contractor to cost increases that erode or eliminate margin. In a rising market, a 30-day delay can add 3-5% to material costs alone. Validity periods give the contractor a defined window within which the price is firm, after which re-pricing is permitted.

Typical validity periods

• Domestic quotes — 30 days is standard. Most homeowners make a decision within a few weeks.
• Small commercial tenders — 60 days allows for board approvals and financing.
• Large or negotiated contracts — 90 days is common where design development runs alongside pricing.
• Framework agreements — 6-12 months may be agreed with periodic price adjustment mechanisms.

Late acceptance

If the client accepts after the validity date, the contractor is not bound by the original price. Under English contract law, an acceptance after expiry is a new offer from the client, which the contractor may accept, reject, or re-price. Many contractors choose to honour the original price as a gesture of goodwill if the market has not moved significantly, but there is no obligation to do so. Always confirm acceptance in writing and reference the validity clause.

Conditional acceptance

A client who accepts but proposes changes — different materials, a revised scope, a later start date — has not accepted the quote. Under contract law, a conditional acceptance is a counter-offer. The contractor should treat it as a fresh negotiation and re-issue priced terms for the modified scope. Never proceed with works on a conditional acceptance alone.

Miniature example

Quote for brickwork at £24,000, valid for 30 days. Client accepts at day 47. In the intervening period, brick prices have risen 12% and the contractor’s bricklaying gang is now on a different project. The contractor issues a revised quote at £26,880 to reflect current material costs, or negotiates a split: the client pays the original £24,000 for labour and the increased material cost at the new rate. Either approach keeps the relationship intact while protecting margin.

Questions to ask

• Does my quote template explicitly state the validity period and what happens after expiry?
• What happens to my rates if the project starts 3 months later than anticipated?
• Do I have a process for tracking acceptance dates against validity windows?
• Am I ready to re-price quickly if a late acceptance arrives?