Can I charge more if the job takes longer than expected?

Not on a fixed-price quote — you're bound unless the customer agrees extra work in writing. For open-ended work, quote a day rate instead and invoice the hours actually worked.

Should I include VAT in a quote to a homeowner?

If you're VAT-registered, yes — quote the full price including VAT and say so. To a business you can quote ex-VAT and add it at the end, since they reclaim it. Never leave it ambiguous.

What deposit should I ask for?

Under £500, payment on completion is normal. £500–£5,000, take 30–50% up front to cover materials. Larger jobs: 25% up front plus staged payments. Put it in the quote.

How do I price a job when I don't know the scope yet?

Quote a paid diagnostic visit, then a fixed price for the known work plus a day rate for the unknowns ("if rot is found, £300/day to remediate"). Always notify in writing before you exceed the estimate.

How to price a job: a UK tradesperson's guide (2026)

The price is five layers, not one

Most tradespeople quote labour plus a bit for materials and wonder why they're skint. A real price is:

Labour + (Materials + markup) + Overheads-per-job + Contingency + Profit

Miss the middle three and you're working for wages with none of the reward for carrying the risk.

1. Labour

Your day rate is the foundation — what you need to earn, not what the customer wants to pay. If you're not sure of yours, the day-rate calculator works it out from your target income, real billable days and overheads. For a two-day job, labour is simply rate × 2.

2. Materials + markup

Never quote materials at cost — you source, collect, store, warranty and carry the risk. Typical markups: 15–20% on paint and standard timber, 18–25% on plumbing and electrical supply, 20–30% on tiles and flooring. And markup is not margin — a 25% markup is only a 20% margin, a mistake worth its own markup calculator.

3. Overheads

Van, fuel, insurance, tools, phone, accountant, software, workwear — these run whether you're on a job or not. Total them for the year (£15,000–£18,000 is common) and divide by the number of jobs you do. At 50 jobs a year that's ~£330 of overhead that must sit on top of every quote.

4. Contingency

Add 5–10% for the unknowns — hidden rot, undersized pipes, "just one more thing." Unused, it becomes profit; used, it's saved you.

5. Profit

Separate from your wage. Your day rate pays you; profit (aim 10–15% on the whole quote) pays the business for carrying the job.

Worked example: a bathroom refurb

Six days' labour at £300 = £1,800. Materials £1,150 + 20% = £1,380. Overheads £330. Subtotal £3,510. Contingency 7% = £245 → £3,755. Profit 12% = £451. Quote £4,206 ex VAT (£5,047 inc). Build it in seconds with the job-cost calculator.

Fixed price vs day rate

Fixed price for clearly-scoped jobs — you carry the scope-creep risk and it's binding once accepted. Day rate for repair or exploratory work — the customer carries the risk, provided you notify in writing before exceeding the estimate. A common hybrid: a fixed price with "£350/day if the scope changes, agreed in writing."

Common mistakes

Forgetting overheads — instant £300–£500 short per job.
Using someone else's day rate — your costs and tax aren't theirs.
Quoting on the phone — always after seeing the site and costing materials.
Not raising your rate — UK trades expect ~9–10% increases; if you skipped last year, catch up.

Then send it professionally with the quote builder, and chase it in Get Paid.