Quote Validity
Quote validity is the date after which a quoted price no longer applies. Put it in writing. Then you can refuse an old number after materials or your rates have moved on.
What it means
A quote with no expiry date is a promise with no end. It stays valid whenever the client decides to accept, even if the price stopped making sense months ago. State a validity window, typically two to four weeks. That turns an open-ended offer into a real deadline for both sides.
It matters most when your own costs move. Material prices rise, a supplier's rate changes, or your own price goes up. With a stated expiry date, an old quote lapses. It does not become an argument over whether you must honor a number you would price differently today.
You quote a fencing job at $2,400, valid for 21 days. The client calls back two months later, after lumber prices have risen. The quote had a stated expiry, so you re-quote at the current price. You do not honor the old one.
Leaving the validity date off a quote. You then feel stuck honoring a months-old number when a client finally says yes. A dated quote expires on its own and you can re-quote at the current price.
See also
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