1. Give the customer a clear review date
An estimate validity date tells the customer how long the current proposal is open for consideration under its stated terms. Write a calendar date, such as “Valid through September 26, 2026,” rather than leaving the reader to count “seven days” from an unclear starting point.
Keep that date separate from the proposed start date and expected duration. An estimate can expire before work begins, and accepting a proposal does not automatically mean a particular crew slot or material delivery has been reserved.
This guide concerns refreshing proposals that have not been accepted. Once a price and terms have been agreed, a supplier increase is not an automatic permission to change the customer's price. Resolve that situation using the actual agreement and appropriate professional guidance.
2. Start with the supplier information behind the price
Save the supplier quote or dated price record with the estimate. Record the product identifier, container or package size, quantity, unit price, delivery assumptions and any stated expiry. Ask about availability separately from price: a quoted amount does not prove stock will still be available when you order.
The Home Depot's quote service distinguishes costs, material availability and delivery planning. Use the same three checks with whichever supplier you choose; do not infer a universal price-hold period from one supplier's service description.
A saved shopping cart is not necessarily a supplier commitment. If you need a price held, confirm the relevant ordering conditions directly and retain the answer.
3. Allow time to order before a supplier quote expires
Consider a hypothetical estimate prepared September 19. Its main supplier quote is stated to expire September 30. You choose September 26 as the customer-facing validity date, leaving time to confirm selections and place the order. These dates illustrate coordination; they are not a recommended standard window.
Check every important input. A rental reservation or another material quote might expire earlier. If the customer still has to choose a product or color that affects price or availability, identify that unresolved selection instead of pretending the purchase is ready.
Put the actual date in your painting estimate worksheet and retain the supplier reference internally. Avoid repeatedly extending the date without checking the prices again.
4. Recalculate the changed input, then check the selling price
In this hypothetical unaccepted painting proposal, ten gallons were priced at $42 each. On review after expiry, the same product and quantity cost $48 per gallon. All other modeled direct costs remain unchanged.
| Cost component | Original input | Refreshed input | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint, 10 gallons | 10 × $42 = $420 | 10 × $48 = $480 | +$60 |
| Labor | $900 | $900 | $0 |
| Other direct costs | $180 | $180 | $0 |
| Total direct cost | $1,500 | $1,560 | +$60 |
The original $2,000 selling price left $500 above direct costs, or a 25% gross margin. Keeping that price after the increase leaves $440, or 22%. To retain the same illustrative margin, the revised price is $1,560 ÷ 0.75 = $2,080.
The $80 selling-price difference is not the $60 supplier increase. It also preserves the example's percentage margin. Explain that honestly if discussing the calculation. This is a pricing decision for a new proposal, not a pass-through rule or recommended margin. See markup versus margin for the denominator.
5. Use a current product quote instead of a broad inflation number
The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that producer price indexes measure average changes in producers' selling prices; they do not directly measure the cost of your particular job. A headline percentage cannot establish today's price for the exact coating, equipment rental or fitting in your estimate.
For a small proposal refresh, obtain the relevant supplier price and update the affected lines. If the original product is unavailable, label a proposed substitute explicitly. Recheck suitability, quantity and labor implications before calling it equivalent.
A cheaper product is not automatically the same scope. Keep the customer's selection and the technical specification visible when offering an alternative.
6. Send a revision the customer can compare
Your earlier proposal expired September 26. I rechecked the specified materials on October 5. The scope is unchanged, and the revised total is $2,080. The prior proposal was $2,000. Revision 2 replaces the earlier proposal for your review and is valid through the date shown on the revised estimate. Please confirm the current version before we finalize scheduling.
Use that wording only when the facts match. If the refreshed price is unchanged, say so and record the new review date. Do not create a price rise merely because the first proposal expired.
Follow the customer's requested timing when sending reminders. Our estimate follow-up examples help keep the message specific and useful.
Quote-refresh checklist
- Confirm that the earlier proposal has not been accepted.
- Identify the original estimate number, revision and expiry.
- Recheck exact products, quantities, unit prices and availability.
- Include relevant delivery and other purchase costs consistently.
- Separate a price change from a proposed product substitution.
- Recalculate the total and show the revision clearly.
- Set a new supported validity date and confirm scheduling separately.
Finish with the contractor estimate checklist so an updated price does not leave old scope details behind.
Questions about expired estimates
How many days should an estimate stay valid?
There is no single period established by this method. Use your supplier conditions, unresolved selections and time needed to order. Give a clear date you can support.
Does an expired estimate always need a higher price?
No. Recheck the inputs. They may be unchanged, lower or higher. The expiry prompts a review; it does not calculate the result.
What if the customer replies after the expiry date?
Confirm receipt, review the current inputs and send either a renewed proposal or a clearly explained revision. Avoid silently treating an old, unreviewed amount as current.
Sources and further reading
About this article
Prepared for the Quote Your Jobs blog. Worked examples use illustrative assumptions, not customer case studies or local market rates. Replace them with the actual scope, supplier information and costs for your job.
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