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Templates

Materials and parts scripts, for who buys what and when

Seven messages for the materials side of a job — confirming who supplies what at quote stage, asking for the money up front, flagging a supplier price change before you order, setting the lead time, and telling a client their own delivery arrived wrong — fill in your details once at the top of this page and every script below rewrites itself.

Materials cause more friction than the work itself, mostly because who’s buying them, and when they’re due, never got said out loud. A client assumes you’re sourcing the tile; you assumed they were. A supplier’s price moves between the quote and the order. A delivery turns up short, and nobody agreed whose job it is to chase it.

These seven scripts cover the exchange end to end: confirming who supplies what before you quote, asking for the materials money up front, flagging a supplier price rise before you commit to it, setting a lead time before you order, telling a client their own delivery arrived wrong or short, declining responsibility for a client-supplied part that failed, and asking a client to take in a delivery on your behalf. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates to match.

Scripts

Script 01 · Confirming who supplies the materials, at quote stage

Email

Subject: One thing to confirm before I quote this

Hi [Client name], Before I put a number on this, I need to confirm one thing: are you supplying [the item/material], or would you like it included in my quote? Either works — I just price it differently depending on which. [Your name]

Why it works Asking this before you quote, not after, means the price on the page matches who’s actually paying for the materials — no redoing the number once it comes up on site.

Script 02 · Asking for the materials money up front

Email

Subject: Materials for [Invoice #] — payment before I order

Hi [Client name], To get [the materials] ordered, I ask for [Amount] up front — this covers the parts themselves, not my labor. Invoice [Invoice #] is attached for that amount; once it’s paid, I’ll get everything on order. [Your name]

Why it works Naming the materials figure separately from the rest of the job makes it clear this isn’t an extra charge — it’s the same number already in the quote, just collected before you’re out of pocket for it.

Script 03 · Telling a client a supplier price changed before you order

Email

Subject: A quick update before I order the materials

Hi [Client name], Before I place the order, my supplier has moved on the price of [the material] — the quote allowed for [amount quoted], the real figure is now [Amount]. Wanted to flag it before ordering rather than after. Happy to go ahead at the new price, or look at an alternative if that’s easier. [Your name]

Why it works Flagging a supplier’s price move before you order, not after the invoice, keeps this a shared heads-up instead of a number the client discovers for the first time on the bill.

Script 04 · Setting the lead time before you order

Text

Hi [Client name], quick heads-up — [the material] is quoting [lead time] to arrive once ordered. I’ll plan the start date around that so we’re not waiting on parts mid-job. Will confirm once it’s in.

Why it works Stating the lead time before you order, not once the job’s already started, sets the client’s expectation on the start date instead of on how fast you can work.

Script 05 · Telling a client their own parts arrived wrong or short

Text

Hi [Client name], had a look at the delivery for [the material] — [what’s wrong: short, damaged, wrong item]. Since this one’s from your order, worth a call to [the supplier] to sort a replacement. Let me know once it’s on the way and I’ll get back out.

Why it works Naming the supplier as the one to call, rather than quietly working around a short delivery, keeps a client-supplied order the client’s problem to chase, not a delay you absorb.

Script 06 · Declining responsibility for a client-supplied part that failed

Email

Subject: What I found with [the part]

Hi [Client name], I’ve had a look at [the part] — it’s the part itself that’s failed, not the way it was fitted. Since this was supplied by you rather than through me, it’s a claim against [the supplier/manufacturer] rather than something I can cover under my own guarantee. Happy to refit a replacement once you have one: [Amount] for the labor. [Your name]

Why it works Separating the part’s own fault from your fitting keeps a guarantee meant for your labor from quietly stretching to cover a part you never sold.

Script 07 · Asking a client to take in a delivery

Text

Hi [Client name], a delivery for the job is due [day and time] — would you be able to take it in if I’m not on site yet? Somewhere dry is fine. Thanks!

Why it works Asking plainly, with a time attached, gets a clear yes or no instead of a delivery left on a doorstep because nobody agreed who’d be there for it.

Questions

Who should pay for materials up front?
Whoever is buying them. If you’re supplying, ask for a deposit that at least covers the materials before you order, so a supplier bill never comes out of your own pocket first. If the client is supplying, that cost was never yours to front.
What if a client’s own materials arrive wrong or late?
Point it back to their supplier, not your schedule. A delivery the client ordered is the client’s to sort — you can still offer to hold the start date, but the chasing isn’t yours to do.
Do I have to guarantee a part I didn’t supply?
No. Your workmanship guarantee covers your labor, not a part the client bought elsewhere. Say this plainly before you agree to fit anything you didn’t source yourself.

Keep reading

Quoting

Who buys the materials — and what changes when they do

You can supply the materials, the client can, or you can work from an allowance in the quote. Each choice moves the guarantee, the waiting, and your own cash in a different direction — decide which one before the job starts, not once a delivery goes wrong.

Want the materials cost sitting with the job, not a separate note?

You still confirm the supplier, chase the delivery, and send these yourself — BizBinder doesn’t track a supplier, a delivery date, or a lead time for you. What it does keep is the materials cost on the job record next to the price and the invoice, so once you know the real number, it’s sitting where the rest of the job already is.

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