Introduction
You know the feeling. You’ve just finished a massive week on the tools. Your back is sore, the ute needs a wash, and all you want to do is crack a cold one and relax. But instead, you’re stuck at the kitchen table, surrounded by crumpled receipts and scribbled notes, trying to hammer out quotes for next week’s jobs.
This "night shift" isn't just exhausting; it’s often where the biggest financial leaks in your business happen.
Many Australian tradies are incredible at their craft—whether you’re a chippy framing a house or a landscaper transforming a backyard—but when it comes to the paperwork, simple errors are costing you thousands of dollars a year. We aren't just talking about missing out on jobs; we’re talking about winning jobs that you actually lose money on.
In this guide, we’re breaking down the 10 most common quoting mistakes that plague the industry. We’ll show you exactly how to fix them using modern tools like a tradie quoting app, ensuring you get paid what you’re worth and get your evenings back.
1. Relying on "Guesstimates" for Materials
We’ve all been there. You look at a deck build and think, "Yeah, that’s probably about $2,000 in timber." You send the quote, win the job, and head to the supplier three weeks later. Suddenly, you realize the price of Merbau has jumped 15%, or you completely misjudged the lineal meters required.
Guessing material costs is the fastest way to kill your profit margin. In the current Australian market, material prices fluctuate wildly. Relying on memory or outdated price lists is a dangerous game.
The Fix: Real-Time Pricing
You need accurate, up-to-the-minute pricing. Instead of calling three different suppliers or scouring websites late at night, use a quote builder in Australia that integrates directly with suppliers.
QuoteMate, for example, has Bunnings prices built right into the system. When you estimate a job, you’re pulling real data from the shelf prices, ensuring your material allowance is accurate to the cent.
2. The "Napkin Quote" (Unprofessional Presentation)
Picture this: A client is looking to spend $25,000 on a bathroom renovation. They receive two quotes.
- Quote A: A text message that says, "Hi mate, can do the bathroom for 25k. Start Monday."
- Quote B: A branded, professional PDF document with a company logo, a clear breakdown of costs, terms and conditions, and a digital "Accept" button.
Which tradie do you think they trust with their house and their money?
Sending quotes via SMS, email text, or handwritten notes screams "hobbyist," not "professional business." It makes clients nervous that you might cut corners on the job just like you cut corners on the paperwork.
The Fix: Branded PDFs
You don't need a graphic design degree. A good tradie quoting app will automatically generate professional PDF quotes for you. It puts your logo at the top and formats everything neatly. It builds trust instantly, allowing you to charge premium rates because you look the part.
3. Ignoring the "Invisible" Costs (Consumables & Waste)
When doing carpenter quotes or general building estimates, it’s easy to calculate the big stuff: timber, concrete, tiles. But what about the rest?
- Screws, nails, and fasteners
- Adhesives and sealants
- Saw blades and drill bits (wear and tear)
- Fuel for site runs
- Tip fees and waste removal
If you aren't accounting for these, you are paying for them out of your own profit. A box of screws here and a tube of Sikaflex there adds up to hundreds of dollars per job.
The Fix: The "Sundries" Line Item
Always add a percentage for consumables or list them as a "Sundries" line item. A smart quoting tool allows you to save these as templates so they are automatically added to every quote, ensuring you never forget the small stuff that eats your margin.
4. Being Too Slow to Send the Quote
The early bird gets the worm, and the fast tradie gets the deposit.
If a client asks for a quote on Monday, and you don't send it until Friday night, they have likely already engaged with another tradie who sent their quote on Tuesday morning. In the client's mind, a slow quote equals a slow worker. They assume if you’re disorganized with the estimate, you’ll be disorganized on site.
The Fix: Quote on the Spot
The goal is to send the quote before you even drive away from the inspection. This is where mobile technology wins. Using an app that works offline, you can input the details while walking the site, calculate the costs, and email the quote immediately.
By the time you start your ute, the client has the quote in their inbox. That level of efficiency blows the competition out of the water.
5. Underestimating Labor (The "Best Case Scenario" Trap)
This is a classic mistake. You look at a job and think, "If everything goes perfectly, I can knock that out in 8 hours."
When does everything ever go perfectly?
- The delivery is late.
- It starts raining.
- You hit rock while digging post holes.
- The existing framing is rotten.
If you quote for the best-case scenario, you are working for free the moment something goes wrong.
The Fix: The AI Advantage
Be realistic. If you think it takes 8 hours, quote for 10. Better yet, use technology to help. QuoteMate’s AI-powered job estimation allows you to describe the work in plain English, and it helps generate a realistic scope and labor estimate based on industry standards. It acts as a second set of eyes to check your logic.
6. Vague Scope of Work (The Scope Creep Nightmare)
- The Quote: "Build Deck - $5,000"
- The Reality: The client thought you were also oiling the deck, installing lights, and removing the old pavers underneath. You didn't include that. Now you’re arguing, the client is unhappy, and you end up doing extra work for free just to keep the peace.
Vague descriptions are the root cause of "scope creep." If it isn't written down, it’s open to interpretation.
The Fix: Detailed Line Items
Be specific. Your quote should list exactly what is included and what is excluded.
- "Supply and install 20sqm Merbau decking."
- "Excavation of site."
- "NOTE: Oiling and painting is NOT included."
Using a quote builder in Australia makes this fast. You can save detailed descriptions of common jobs and drop them into quotes in seconds, protecting yourself from "I thought that was included" conversations.
7. Failing to Calculate GST Correctly
This one stings at tax time. Some tradies quote a price like "$2,000" without specifying if it includes GST. The client pays $2,000 total. Come BAS time, the ATO wants 1/11th of that. You’ve just lost 10% of your revenue because you weren't clear.
Alternatively, you might forget to charge GST on materials you bought, leaving you out of pocket.
The Fix: Automated Tax Calculations
Stop doing mental math. Use a tradesman invoice app that automatically calculates GST on every line item. It clearly displays the Subtotal, GST, and Total Amount Payable. This ensures compliance and protects your cash flow.
8. Confusing Markup with Margin
This is a math error that bankrupts businesses.
- Markup is adding a percentage to your cost price. (Cost $100 + 20% markup = $120 price).
- Margin is the percentage of the selling price that is profit. (If you sell for $120 and cost is $100, your profit is $20. $20 divided by $120 is a 16.6% margin).
If you need a 20% margin to cover your overheads (insurance, vehicle, phone, software), but you only add a 20% markup, you are actually losing money.
The Fix: Know Your Numbers
Understand your overheads. If you want to make a 20% gross margin on a $100 item, you need to charge $125 (Markup of 25%). While apps handle the calculations, understanding this difference ensures you input the right markup percentages into your settings.
9. Forgetting Contingency for the Unknown
You’re doing a bathroom reno. You quote to replace the tiles. You rip the tiles up and find the floorboards are rotted through from an old leak. The client is maxed out on budget because you gave them a fixed price with no wiggle room.
Now you’re the bad guy asking for more money, or you’re eating the cost of the timber repair.
The Fix: Terms and Conditions
Your quote needs a robust Terms and Conditions section. It should state clearly that "Any latent conditions or unforeseen structural damage discovered during works will incur additional costs."
Having this in a professional PDF format (rather than a verbal agreement) gives you a legal leg to stand on and sets expectations early.
10. Not Following Up
You sent the quote. You waited. You heard nothing. You assumed they went with someone else.
In reality, the client got busy, forgot to reply, or simply missed the email. By not following up, you are leaving thousands of dollars on the table. Statistics show that following up significantly increases win rates.
The Fix: Track Your Quotes
You need a system that shows you which quotes are "Sent," "Viewed," or "Pending." If a quote hasn't been accepted in 3 days, send a polite SMS or email.
"Hi mate, just checking if you had any questions about the quote for the fencing job?"
A tradie quoting app acts as a central dashboard for this. Instead of scrolling through text messages to find a quote sent two weeks ago, you have a list of all active jobs in one place, making follow-ups a breeze.
Conclusion: Work Smarter, Not Harder
The difference between a struggling tradie and a successful business owner often isn't the quality of the hammer swing—it’s the quality of the business processes.
Every minute you spend wrestling with spreadsheets or guessing prices is a minute you aren't earning money or spending time with your family. By avoiding these 10 mistakes, you protect your bottom line and project a professional image that attracts better clients.
Ready to fix your quoting process? QuoteMate is designed specifically for Australian tradies to solve these exact problems. With real-time Bunnings prices, AI-powered estimation, and professional PDF generation, you can create accurate quotes in under 5 minutes—even while offline at the job site.
Don't let bad paperwork cost you another cent. Start quoting like a pro today.
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